North East Ohio 2022

[johnallin]

It won't be long before we get started in NE Ohio again...sure hope it's a longer season than last year.

Been putting wood up and changing zap-back spouts out on the 175 taps, or so, in the back & south woods.
The north woods taps are only on year 3 this year so I'm going to wait until next season.

Not much new this year, but the more wood I split, the better a new oil-fired rig looks <grin>
On year 13 with the Leader 2x6 and sometimes wonder how much longer I want to be wrestling with wood.

[johnallin]

Now that we've got some cold weather and the ground is starting to freeze up - it's time to get the Tundra snow mobile out of the sugarhouse.

Any one tapped yet? or have plans for when your going in this year? I've got a side bet there are some Geauga Co operations that have made some syrup by now.

[Kh7722]

Hey John,
Hopefully going to be tapping here at the end of January, would like to be boiling the first week in February but will watch the weather and go from there. Basically all ready for the season except all the last minute setup which is usually a good day.
We added a woods up the road with a few hundred trees which ahould help is out.
Kevin

[heus]

Changes again here at my operation (what a surprise ). Going back to fuel oil. Got a brand new 2x6 reverse oil fired rig from Creekside Welding. 9.25" flues, same side reverse, all the bells and whistle. Still have the NextGen RO and cdl vac filter. Will have about 100 buckets, 125 on gravity, and 75 on shurflo vac. Hope to make 50 gallons. Long ways from the days when I was making 300+ gallons per year.

[johnallin]

Jason what prompted the change ...curious as to why you went back, that makes you and Kevin both oil burners...
You guys are really making it tempting to switch over, I still have lots of dead standing wood over here, just running out of steam/desire to go buck, split and stack it!

[Kh7722]

John,
A wise man once told me, sell the firewood that you split and use the money to buy oil. That way you never run out and if you only want to make one cord than so be it. Its one less thing to do while boiling. Just my opinion
Kevin

[johnallin]

John,
A wise man once told me, sell the firewood that you split and use the money to buy oil. That way you never run out and if you only want to make one cord than so be it. Its one less thing to do while boiling. Just my opinion Kevin

I like that but... If I take the time to process it, it's going into my arch. It's a time-allocated issue for me.

Anyway, changed out more 3/16" T's from the back yesterday. It was amazing how many were plugged solid - more than a third.

With that woods now on vacuum; I'll being replacing with 5/16 for next year.

[johnallin]

Just left Richards Maple's open house in the new (to them) 25,000 sq foot building in Kirtland.
What a selection of equipment and supplies! If it's not there - you don't need it.
Congrats to Fred, Jen and Matt and the "new guy" Ryan.

Miles of tube, Mountains of DE and all the other "stuff" that everyone else says they're out of or can't get...<grin>

Quite an accomplishment, to say the least, and looks like there's lots more coming.

Richards Rocks.

[Kh7722]

Missed you at the big reveal.

Maple equipment for everywhere, great to see in Ohio, you know, where real maple syrup is made!

[DrTimPerkins]

Anyway, changed out more 3/16" T's from the back yesterday. It was amazing how many were plugged solid - more than a third.

Were you aware of the plugging before you cut out the tees? Any visual indication without cutting into the line?