Thought it was as good a time as any to get a thread started for the NEO group. Been working on some upgrades over here and getting ready for another season.
Early January had Fred and crew install a 500' mainline and 2000' of 5/16" laterals in the woods on the north side of our property. So far we have 18 laterals and I was able to cut in 100 drops with ZapBac spouts in the 65° temps this past Saturday. There are still more trees over there but they're along a pretty steep ravine and I'm not yet sure if it's worth it.
Also had them install a CDL sap lifter down at the creek where my 3/16 lines (and the new 1" line) dump into a booster, and then re-run and re-pitch the 1" main line up to the releaser at the sugar house. The line now slopes down to the sugar house, but the lifter has to raise sap about 19' to get to it.
It looks like it'll work much better than what I had last year.
I'm planning to play around with adding air to my sap tank either with the H2O air blower or bubbling with a pump. Sat in on a seminar at LEME that indicated that adding oxygen to sap can improve maple flavor... enough said...I am in on that one.
Anyone else with new plans or toys?