Southwest PA Tapping 2025

[DRoseum]

Got 116 taps on 3/16 in today and hope to add another 15 - 20 tomorrow plus find the leak on one of my lines.

Upgraded my ROs to have 6 x 600 gpd membranes and 2 of the TYP-8900K pumps in parallel. Hoping to go a little faster, and get higher concentration without fouling the membranes.

Best of luck to everyone this season! Hoping for a good one after a much better winter than we've had the past 2 or 3 years. A couple trees were starting to run today - might a a slow start for a couple days while everything thaws out, but looking great later in the week!

dan

[DRoseum]

Got 22 more in for a total of 138 this year. Started running toward end of the day but not a lot - just enough to start flushing the lines.

[SRM]

Dan, glad you started the thread....

I started on Monday, the 27th with 3/16 on gravity which has a drop of more than 75 feet or more I would guess. I made the mistake of taping at the top of the hill and couldn't keep up with the sap flow as it was moving pretty fast. I lost some as I cut into the line for other taps down the hill. I have 74 in so far, but will get more in when I can. The hills are getting steeper with each year! I have 55 gallon barrels at the bottom of the hill, 4 or them. One is almost full, I figured tonight I'll have to take some out. I never saw sap flow so fast using 5/16. I am only tapping this hillside because too many other things are going on and I don't have the energy to pick up buckets this year. I hope to have about 84 to 100 taps in by Saturday. I am still cleaning out the sugar shack, sap barrels first, then I'll clean the divided pan tonight. I little procrastination is good for my blood pressure.:)

Looks like a good year for a change.

Scott

[sbedilion]

Happy Maple Season!

roughly 75 taps in on 3/16. tapped last weekend. collected 100 gallons yesterday. Sap was flowing better than expected after that hard freeze. I just started digging out the pans and setting up the evaporator last night. hopefully light the first fire of the season this evening.

[SRM]

This season is crazy for me. I just picked up one of those 275 gallon IBC totes for the sap I'm getting. I have 3, 60 gallon and 2, 55 gallon barrels that are always full. I can't keep up with the RO and boiling either. I love it! I got a short bank filter press late last year from Smokey Lake Maple and it didn't go so well the first and only time I used it. I didn't have enough syrup for all the plates I guess? I bought a plate that goes in between the plates which allows for smaller amounts to be filtered. I'm just not sure how to use it? I currently have 2 gallons of syrup to filter so I guess I'll block off two plates? Haven't found anything on the web yet. If you have used this setup, or have info I'd appreciate some advice.

Thanks,
Scott

[DRoseum]

Hey Scott - I have the same press. Put the "shortener" after/behind the waffle plate that "closes" the last window plate you want to use.

So if you only want to use 1 window, use 3.5 cups of DE, 2 papers and put the shortener after the first moveable waffle plate.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CZhsXVL1MFELF3cN8

It has been a great start.... just hope after the cold spell we don't flip right to 60s/70s!

Dan

[Pdiamond]

Don't you have the instruction booklet that came with the filter press? If not, call Smoky Lake let them know your problem and I'll bet they will ship you an instruction booklet. For just 2 gallons of syrup use about a half to 3/4 cup of DE and put your blocking plate behind, as you said you were going to do run it back into the syrup you are drawing from until its clear then you can put it into your bottler. Once done use really hot water and if you have the hand pump model just a couple of pumps will clear the syrup out of the press. Then a few more pumps and you can put that back into the evaporator. I then run water thru mine until its clean.

[SRM]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I ended up with 6 gallons total and will filter that today. The sap should be flowing like crazy today, my 4, 55 gallon tanks were emptied last night at 6pm, they were full this morning at 7am.

Lots of work ahead....

[HowardR]

I tapped yesterday, February 15. I wasn't able to do it sooner because our woods were logged last fall and I had *lots* of repairs to do. Plus I had decided to re-route some old lines and put in some new lines.

The weather for tapping yesterday morning was perfect. The three inches of snow made the woods beautiful. I had a huge group helping, many of them Trail Life scouts with their dads. We were done by about noon.

Overnight the temperature got up to 40, but I didn't get much sap flow. My trees must still still be asleep for the winter. Did I miss any big runs? Did any of you experience any big runs so far this year?

[DRoseum]

Hey Howard - glad you got your taps in and hope the new lines work well for you.

I am about 45 minutes south of you and tapped on 1/27 and made my first syrup of the year on 1/30. Definitely a few really good runs that first week. Had a couple where it was 2 gallons per tap per day. So far I've made about 17.5 gallons, which is about half of what I hope to make for the season, and have an evaporator full of sweet. Hopefully after this cold spell things stay normal for a few weeks and everyone has a nice season.
dan

[HowardR]

DRoseum,

Thank you for letting me know. Congrats on getting 17.5 gallons of syrup already! There's a big run coming. If the long-term forecast is correct, it will start a week from today. This could end up being a banner year for you!

[HowardR]

How are the rest of you handling the weather and the sap run this week?

It's been cloudy all week with highs in the 40s and slight freezes at night. I've been keeping up with the sap flow without much trouble and could handle a much bigger run (like the one I'm expecting starting Tuesday next week).

On Sunday, when the weather turns cold, I'll bottle this week's syrup. I'm looking forward to finding out how much I've made.

[DRoseum]

It's been pouring in last 2.5 days! Won't complain at all... this is what we waited a whole year for! I made another 3.25 gallons last night off 220 gallons of sap. Not great ratio, but normal for me (nearly all forest red maples that only give 1 - 1.5% sugar).

[SRM]

I've been overrun with sap. My fault as I am using the 3/16 gravity fed lines on 81 taps for the first time. I didn't expect so much sap to flow all the time. I have 7 gallons in bottles and 5 more ready to go. It's the best I had yet in 3 years. I'm used to buckets on 5/16 tubing and not getting the flow as I am now. I'm boiling all day and the RO can't keep up. I sure could use a set up to have the concentrated sap ready for me in the am. The building is not heated or insulated, so I'm not sure how I would keep the system from freezing, Maybe a "heated insulated cupboard in the corner of the shack with a temp sensor and some kind of heater that won't burn the place down? Dan, I did see your set up in a cooler with the heat tape, but I like the openness of my dolly set up. Any ideas anybody?

Also, can I use 1/4 tubing on the membranes on a new RO system I'm building, or do I have to use the 3/8 tubing as I see on all setups. I have 400 Gpd "Membrane Solutions" membranes and am waiting on the TYP 8900k pump. I just have more 1/4 tubing than 3/8 right now....

[HowardR]

SRM,

You're in a similar situation to the one that I was in before I built my first RO. Hopefully, you won't have to pitch sap and cut your season short like I had to the season just before I built my first RO.

I learned how to build that RO from Bowhunter here on this Maple Trader website and it worked so well that I built a second one just like it. My ROs use 1/4 tubing. The complete plans for them can be found online on this thread:

http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?23321-Must-a-cheap-RO-be-5000

If you ever want to visit and see my operation in action (on Route 85 between Kittanning and Rural Valley), call me 724-783-6512 to set up a time after Monday this coming week (when the sap is flowing again so that you can see my ROs in action).

Howard

[DRoseum]

Yep mine is all in an insulated cooler with a mini temperature controlled heater. Latest update https://youtu.be/Og9JpgIfE8w?si=L5cPhFjAvpN1P0tk

The 1/4 will probably work, but it's a little restrictive on the flow and you will have more friction losses. Throw it together amd see how it works. You could always reconfigure it later.

3/16 is a game changer, isn't it? First year I ran that, I made 4x the amount of syrup I normally did.

[HowardR]

Did you guys manage to keep up with the huge run we got on Tuesday and Wednesday this week? I had to keep my ROs and evaporator running all night Tuesday, which meant I had to get out to check on things every hour-and-a-half or so throughout the night. The flow continued throughout Wednesday. Yesterday, my wife and I pressed a huge batch through our filter press (to take out the sediment). The syrup is still fairly light in color -- not late-season dark syrup.

I'm expecting another huge run on Monday and Tuesday. I'll probably have to keep my ROs running throughout Monday night (and Tuesday night too if there's a frost Monday night). But, after that, the season is iffy. The current forecasts call for a whole week of very warm weather.

[DRoseum]

Yes it was busy week for sure! New high water mark for me on total syrup produced and its all been amber rich. I expect to get more through mid next week with the large warm up, but will probably pull taps and start the cleanup process right after that. The long term weather looks horrible (no freezing nights), and I hate when the sap gets all milky and yeast starts becoming a problem in the tubing and tanks etc. Plus, I've already made a lot of syrup.

[HowardR]

DRoseum,

I'm not going to set a personal record, but it will be a decent year. You were right to tap a couple weeks before me!

Today's run is surprising me. The sap is really pouring out. Sunday's run should also be good, with a likely frost Sunday evening setting things up for Monday. So I should get a few more good runs before the warm week.

I probably won't pack up right away just because of the warm week. In the past, I've sometimes seen the sap come back strong in my sugar maples (but not my red maples) after a warm week

By the way, I just started a thread about my hot-sap-gloves elsewhere on this website. Here's the link: http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?38537-Best-gloves-for-hot-maple-syrup

[DRoseum]

They very well may bounce back just fine. I am predominantly reds and the buds are super tight. I just worry about not getting another freeze down here.

The link to your gloves in the other post doesn't seem to be working.

[SRM]

I'm loving this season even though it's killing me physically. The weather has been great, but between taking care of the farm, the animals and the sugar shack I'm burnt out at the end of everyday. I'm just thankful that I can do it and have had the chance to have experienced a great maple season. I do need to buy some more accessories to make my job easier. I new float box, head tank, water jacket bottler, a faster boiling pan, (currently using 2x4 divided).
Time to start hiding, I mean saving money from the wife so I can buy these things and more!

[HowardR]

SRM,

Hey - being killed physically is probably good for you in the long run. Just think of all of the muscle strength and endurance you are gaining!

I'm going to be very busy this week also. My ROs and evaporator will be running all night tonight and probably tomorrow night also, so I'll be getting out to the sugar shack every 90 minutes all night to make adjustments when needed. Meanwhile, the new forecast from weather.com predicts a strong frost on Tuesday night. If that happens I'll probably have to run my ROs all night Wednesday and Thursday nights also, Despite the long hours, I, like you, am very pleased because of all of the syrup that results.

[HowardR]

I had surprise frosts on Sunday and Monday. The weather was clear, and the temperature here went down to well below freezing, about 6 degrees below forecast. So I have a warning to those of you who, like me, grow gardens. Expect a late frost this year. I'm not going to set out my tomato, pepper and squash plants before May 31, and I'll only set them out then if there are no clear night forecasts for the first week of June.

Despite the frosts, the yields from my trees declined dramatically over the last three days. By Tuesday the sap was just trickling in. The holes in my trees are healing fast in this warm sunny weather. I'll make my last batch of syrup today, and tomorrow I begin the clean up.