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Thread: It's on in Southern Ohio

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

    Default It's on in Southern Ohio

    I can say now that it is full blown syrup season here. I have been collecting pretty good runs almost everyday. Tomorrow morning will be a bag buster as many are already half full. Since last Wednesday I only had one day it did not run and I had one day that averaged over 2 gallons a tap. Looking at past years this looks to be the start of the main runs. It looks more like an early season and early end all the time. Heck I have already made half of what i made all last spring, in a week. Now if this old man can just live through the next week, it's gonna be tiring.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Columbus, OH
    Posts
    57

    Default

    We are right there with you in Columbus. We doubled the number of taps this year, and are struggling to keep up! I have an exciting couple of days of boiling ahead of me.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Tapped 1/30/16 for the first time
    200 taps- all buckets

    2017 Expansion
    300 taps- buckets in Columbus
    40 tap on tubes- Mt. Gilead

    Using maple syrup to teach Science, Engineering, Technology and Math

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Clermont County, Ohio
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Yep, I pulled about another 18 gallons from 18 taps last night
    Newbie in 2017- 25 taps on red maples, homemade cinder block arch to contain 3 full size steamer pans... https://youtu.be/etMQ_C377fs

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southern Ohio
    Posts
    1,349

    Default

    The last two days have been big runs. I was ok with a small run overnight as I could take a breather. Yesterday wore me out with that big run. Looks like a cold night tonight for a reset and then more of the same coming this weekend.....got to love!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Lawrence County Ohio
    Posts
    350

    Default

    I'm Lawrence county, Southeastern Ohio, I tapped a little over 50 sugars and reds Sunday afternoon, put 75 more taps in Monday morning,started boiling at 730pm Monday evening and boiled until 2pm yesterday,I fell asleep standing up in the shower when I finally got in. I boiled off almost 175 gallons in my cobbled together rig, my pans are CDL 18"x30" (it's a front pan made to go sideways on a 30" wide arch), and 18"x42" drop flue from Bascoms, on a homemade 55gal drum arch. Man what a night, did I mention this is my first boil besides some steam pans 4 years ago. I learned ALOT and will be ready to boil again day after tomorrow, luckily not much ran yesterday and today.

    I have been readin your guys posts,thanks for sharing all of your info and time, good luck with the rest of the season.

    Ben
    '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

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Granville, Ohio
    Posts
    64

    Default

    Glad to see this freeze up. I need a break. Have boiled over 1000 gals since Monday. Made 45 gals syrup already this season. (More than what I made all of last year) Got to clean pans and get ready for this weekend. Sap has been running 2 to 2.2% on the sugars and blacks and 1.5% on reds and silvers. I think this weekend will be the last major flow if the extended forecast holds true. We'll just have to wait and see.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Harrison, Ohio (Cincinnati)
    Posts
    1

    Default

    I'm a newbie here is Hamilton County (Harrison, OH). I have 7.5 acres and only 2 maples big enough to tap, so this year I thought I would try and tap my sycamore. I have about 15 tappable sycamore's, most are 3 foot to 4 foot diameter along a creek. I placed 6 taps on this past Saturday, February 4th, same as I would for a maple (5/16 drill and 1.5" deep) and I have not gotten a single drop yet! Does anyone know if the sycamore's run later than Maple? It's hard to find information on the sycamore. I was thinking that maybe because the trees are so huge maybe I didn't tap deep enough. When I drilled the wood was solid and alive and damp but no flow. I am waiting to place more taps till I see something. Thanks for sharing any thoughts and good luck to all! - Matt

    Tapping 4.jpg Tapping 1.jpg
    Last edited by Matt-Sycamore; 02-10-2017 at 08:56 AM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    SW Ohio
    Posts
    197

    Default

    It may be "ON", but we're seriously having trouble processing before it spoils. 60 degrees today. Felt like 70. Not good. A way too small RO is contributing a lot to my woe, but even fresh the sap is kinda crappy and not making the best syrup. We had a day off yesterday for a 25 degree all day freeze (then 60 today - does that not alarm anyone?). Pulled everything off the evaporator into buckets to clean and the flue pan contents turned to jelly in less than 24 hours. Ewww.
    -Laz
    _________________________
    Off vacuum and back to bags in 2023!
    8000 saplings planted and growing
    Leader 2x6 Oil-Fired, Revolution Pans

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southern Ohio
    Posts
    1,349

    Default

    I hear you Neighbor! I collected mid day yesterday and cooked just because of the warm weather. I don't think anything held over 24 hrs will make it without spoiling in this weather. The syrup I made last night was good but not like what I was making last week. It did not filter as clear. I can't imagine it's any fun trying to stretch an under sized set up in this. Most years we get some cold snaps that allow people to catch up, but not this year. Even as small as I am I had one pan of sweet spoil and had to clean. That is when I broke off my draw valve, so it cost me just due to the heat. I think trees will stop running today as It never got below 57 all night. I'm glad I gathered and cooked yesterday afternoon. I have to leave this Friday for a few days and i told my wife last night I may as well drain the pan and throw away my sweet, or finish it if I have time. Finishing a whole pan of sweet on propane is kind of a waste of a lot of propane. I will be gone a week so I'll pull bags and buckets and let sap run on the ground I guess. I expect season will be over when I get back. Maybe we'll get lucky and have a cold snap, but it is not predicted. This is what I've been fighting since fall, cold then way to warm, but I done really well making a good bit of great syrup fast.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    troy, ohio
    Posts
    224

    Default

    Have you guys managed to make anything lighter than medium amber?
    2021
    2x8 CDL raised flue w/ hoods
    SMOKY LAKE SS filter press
    825i JD gator
    400 taps and growing
    SL steam bottler
    250 CDL RO

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