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Thread: Tapping now in southwestern Ohio

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    SW Ohio
    Posts
    197

    Default Tapping now in southwestern Ohio

    Am I the first this year? We started tapping a few days ago here at the southwestern edge of the state, and have about 300 of 2100 finished. It's going to take probably the rest of the week, then we'll turn the pumps on this weekend. With 60 degree days at the beginning of January, I expect continued warm weather for the season. If I'm right, that means 80 degrees here by March so we've got to get started.

    This year we're also trying a little walnut syrup on a small home made 2 x 3. Could be fun.

    On that note, I have several hundred sap sak holders for sale, used but great condition, $2 per. They're still in their original boxes that stack 25 neatly. Contact me if interested. I also have 5/16 and 7/16 spouts.

    Have a great season!
    _________________________
    2100 taps on vacuum
    Leader 2x6 Oil-Fired, Revolution Pans
    Leader Mini Extreme RO
    Walnut on bags in 2017, homemade 2x3 evap

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southern Ohio
    Posts
    1,349

    Default

    I tapped Christmas day, Lazarus. I've boiled 4 times and will boil next couple days most likely. Did you get the PM I sent you on the bag holders. Are your spiles used or new, I could use some 5/16th, but I'd want unused. I am just up the road in Ross County.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    SW Ohio
    Posts
    197

    Default

    Hey there Buckeye, yes I got your note about the bag holders. Did you decide you wanted some holders?

    I have plenty of 5/16 spouts, cast aluminum Soule and CDL, hookless, most used only one year, but all used. Cleaned and disinfected. They are $1 should you decide you want any.
    -Laz
    _________________________
    Off vacuum and back to bags in 2023!
    8000 saplings planted and growing
    Leader 2x6 Oil-Fired, Revolution Pans

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    athens, ohio
    Posts
    53

    Default

    Good luck to both of you, way to get the taps out !!

    I am in athens, and just a hobby for me, I tap about 20 trees 3/16 gravity. Even at that small amount I am not ready to tap.

    Looks like a cold snap, well technically a "normal weather" spell sets in for about 5 days starting Thursday. I will tap Early next week when that cold spell breaks.

    My trees are all north slope, so I do not feel like I missed too much.

    --
    Tor

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    SW Ohio
    Posts
    197

    Default

    Yeah, I saw the weather. I'm on level ground so nothing hits the tank unless the pump is on. I'm planning to fire up the vacuum on Sunday.

    But my arms are killing me already after 300 taps, and I'm not even 1/5 of the way there. Last year we hired out the tapping, which was awesome to be tapped in three days, but also expensive. We had no choice then as our new tubing system was a month into the season before it was ready to turn on, and we couldn't take two weeks to tap or we'd be sunbathing while doing it. This year I lost my job in November, so the combination of zero money but a lot of time on my hands means I'm out doing it all.

    I'm using a Branon Precision Tapper (speed tapper), which I need to make a clean enough straight hole for vacuum, but it requires a little more force to use because of the spring action. Plus pushing the end of the drop over the tap requires kind of a lot of strength. My mainlines are near head height, so that means a high taphole and I don't have as much leverage that high up. I know it sounds like a lot of whining but after doing it hundreds of times a day, it adds up to seriously aching shoulders.
    -Laz
    _________________________
    Off vacuum and back to bags in 2023!
    8000 saplings planted and growing
    Leader 2x6 Oil-Fired, Revolution Pans

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Lawrence County Ohio
    Posts
    350

    Default

    I started running mainline last week, 1700' stretched out,1000'tied and tight, a little over halfway done. Headin south this weekend to see my son in NC and bring some bees back, then running lats & drops, hope to tap weekend after next All that tubing for 150 trees, close to 200 taps lol but she'll all be in the barn with no hauling. We will have 20-25 buckets around the yard.First time boiling on real pans and homemade arch in Willow Wood, Lawrence County. I saw a really wet tree the other day that the woodpeckers had "tapped" I guess they are willing to share with us. Good luck this year,keep me in your prayers, this is my first "real" season.
    '12 15 jugs - Steam pans
    '17 125 3/16 - 18" x 72" drop flue on homemade arch
    '18 240 3/16 - Deer Run 125
    '19 450 3/16 - Converted RO to electric/added a membrane
    '20 600 3/16 - Maple Pro 2x6 Raised Flue, added AOF/AUF
    '21 570 3/16 - Built steam hood, Smoky Lake filter press
    '22 800 3/16 - Upgraded RO to 4 4x40
    '23 500 3/16 - Re-plumbed RO, new "Guzzler"
    '24 500 3/16 - Steam Away, DIY 8x40 RO

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Amesville OH
    Posts
    47

    Default

    If you guys could post your sugar content when you start boiling it'd be appreciated. I am going to probably wait a couple more weeks to start tapping (down in Athens County, 1600 taps) but I've been curious whether the sugar content the earlier in the year (ie tapping around now) would be impacted at all. Best of luck to everyone!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southern Ohio
    Posts
    1,349

    Default

    milligkl,

    Sugar content is lower on the early taps. I have put out early taps for 5 years now and sugar averages 1.2%, but my trees typically have lower sugar than a lot of people's trees. In the spring I average about 1.6% and I get some 2.0-2.2 sugar, but not for long. I do not plan on my trees that I early tap making it until spring. I pull all those taps by early February and tap my Spring woods around Feb. 1st. So please don't think I'm tapping trees now and running those same taps until March.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Amesville OH
    Posts
    47

    Default

    I'm right there with you on the low sugar content BuckeyeGold. How many trees do you tap early typically (and what date range) and how many at the normal time? I'm debating whether or not to tap half or 2/3 of my trees this weekend. The accuweather and weather.com forecasts differ with below freezing and it is very frustrating (makes my decision of when to tap difficult)

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southern Ohio
    Posts
    1,349

    Default

    I typically put out 50 early taps between December 20-25th and pull them at the first hard freezing that last a few days (Typically around Jan. 10th). Then between January 25-Feb 1st I put out 100 for spring, using different trees. If you have your ground freeze hard from single digit weather then typically it takes a few days of warm up to get sap flowing, so a hard cold period then two to three days warming up will only start you a run, if it turns cold again in a couple days you won't see appreciable sap flows, in the early season. So it is kind of a roll of the dice, but if your like me and I have 300 available taps and I'm only tapping a 100 in the spring than why not see if you can get some early syrup made. It has saved my butt a couple years. The down side is having to wash down your pan and equipment an extra time. I use all bags early so I can just throw them away and start clean in February.

    By the way, do you go to any of the Ohio Maple Days. I'm planning on being in Morrow county on Jan. 19th Maple Day?

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