Talmud for Yoma 1:8
בְּכָל יוֹם תּוֹרְמִין אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ בִּקְרִיאַת הַגֶּבֶר אוֹ סָמוּךְ לוֹ, בֵּין לְפָנָיו בֵּין לְאַחֲרָיו. בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מֵחֲצוֹת, וּבָרְגָלִים מֵאַשְׁמוּרָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, וְלֹא הָיְתָה קְרִיאַת הַגֶּבֶר מַגַּעַת עַד שֶׁהָיְתָה עֲזָרָה מְלֵאָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל:
Every day the ashes would be removed from the altar at the call of the gever ("gever" - "rooster" or "man" appointed to rouse the priests) [He (a priest) scoops out the ashes, whether much or little, with a coal pan, and deposits them on the east of the ramp, where they are absorbed in place. (This marked the beginning of the morning service)] or close to it [close to the call of the gever], before or after. On Yom Kippur, [he removes the ashes] from midnight [in consideration of the weakness of the high-priest. Because the entire service devolved upon him, he had to rise earlier.]; and, on festivals, from the first watch. [For there were many Jews and many offerings and an abundance of ash at the wood-pile, whence it had to be removed to a place in the middle of the altar called "tapuach" ("apple"), where a great heap of ash was piled up in the form of an apple. They, therefore, had to rise earlier, and they rose from the first watch, which is a third of the night.] And the call of the gever was not heard [on festivals] until the azarah (the Temple court) was filled with Jews [who brought their offerings to be sacrificed immediately after the morning tamid.]