How much sap to sweeten a 2x6

[Littlesap]

I boiled about 75-80 gallons in my new 2x6 raised flue today. Thermometer I got requires a smaller allen wrency than I have (to zero it out) so I just boiled what I had with the expectation that I wouldn't draw off anyway. Question I have... is there rule of thumb for how many gallons of sap are required to sweeten a 2x6. Takes about 30-35 gallons to fill it the first time.

[ebourassa]

i usually have to boil down 150-175 before i can have a draw. It takes a while but once there sweetend you will be drawing off regularly.
Erik

[Fred Henderson]

Usually about 200 gallons on my 3X8

[michelle32]

Depending on your sugar % between 150 and 200 gallons.

[Littlesap]

OK, thanks. Looks like the weather is shaping up here for at least three days in a row. Maybe I will have enough this weekend.

[3rdgen.maple]

160 @ 2percent sap just did it saturday.

[Dill]

I still haven't got a draw off on mine at 230 gallons. But there is a 3rd variable besides sugar content and pan design, that we haven't mentioned which is how deep you are running the pans.
I'm running deep probably 3 inches so it's going to take me a lot longer to sweeten.

[tessiersfarm]

I put 190 through mine this past weekend and I should have drawn a little off at the end. I had to raise the level like Dill mentioned to keep it from finishing. I didn't want to dirty all the finishing stuff for a small batch of syrup so late in the weekend.

[unclebuck]

We've boiled about 4 times this season and on average it's taken about 2 to 2 1/2 hrs till our first draw off. Then it comes quicker after that but DILL is correct on the depth of the sap.I boil around 1" deep takes about 90 gallons of sap after I've fill ed the pans and steam away which would be about another 25 gallons.I would not recomend any body boiling at this depth unless you are experianced. because when things go bad they happen very quickly.I know it cost me a new syrup pan 3 years ago burnt it buckled it NFG live and learn
Uncle Buck

[KenWP]

I was amazed my first boil as how much sap you can boil before your tasteing maple and that's batch boiling in a 16x18 pan. If I never had at least 40 gallons or more to boil the level in the pan got to low to safetly boil anymore. I found it better to start boiling when I had 40 gallons and some more one the way so that I had a decent level when done.

[red maples]

mine took about 150 -170 gallons before I got a draw off but it depends on sugar%!!!

[Dill]

Still going, I'm over 300 gallons and zippo syurp but I'm running at 4inches deep.
This is getting annoying, I keep thinking tonight's the night.

[3rdgen.maple]

Dill why are you runnig at 4 inches. Kinda defeats the purpose of max evaporation. I try to keep it so the sap is just barely covering the flues which puts like 3/4 to an inch max in the syrup pan. When dad takes over I raise the level to 2. He falls asleep easy lol. If you are not comfortable yet 2+ should be good.

[PerryW]

Four inches is way too deep. By reducing your level from four inches to two inches, you will only need half as much sap to sweeten your pans.

I run my flue pan about 1 inch deep and my syrup pan 2 inches deep.

[Dill]

I'm going to go with a bad float valve. I can't get it to completely shut off. I was trying to reduce the level last night, but the valve is always squirting into the float box. So.....is there a way to adjust this?
Also I had wicked issues last night with wood so it took me 4 hours to get rid of 80 gallons. Annoying to say the least.

Its a Dominon and Grimm float system. Has a flapper type valve control. I can hear it squirting in.

[Amber Gold]

So long as you can boil faster than it comes in you're all set. I didn't realize you were running so deep. That explains why it's taking so long. I'd run it with the feed line shut off for a while and drain it down for a bit. You're going to have a huge drawoff.

[Dill]

Oh once it finishes it will be a few gallons. Unfortunately its going to be really really dark cause its been back and forth from cold to boil.