Tapping Central Pa 2023

[Paddymountain]

Well it's getting closer to the beginning of syrup season! Feel free to post on this thread
if you are in central Pa, or you just want to comment.
I have just about all my tubing straightened out and ready to go.
I finally bit the bullet and built a 125gph RO this summer!
We have added about 25 more taps at the house woods (which is all reds)
Not sure what our total count will be for the year, should be just under 400.
Hoping with the RO to process sap a little faster, and maybe get a little more sleep.
Have a great season everyone!

[molineutu]

West Central here. Lots of cleaning going on in the shack. Looks like if this upcoming forecast, is correct, tapping we be somewhere mid February in my neck of the woods. The Sugar maples on my sugar bush are all on the south side of a good down slope, so got that going for me with this current weather situation.

[ADK_XJ]

Well it's getting closer to the beginning of syrup season! Feel free to post on this thread
if you are in central Pa, or you just want to comment.
I have just about all my tubing straightened out and ready to go.
I finally bit the bullet and built a 125gph RO this summer!
We have added about 25 more taps at the house woods (which is all reds)
Not sure what our total count will be for the year, should be just under 400.
Hoping with the RO to process sap a little faster, and maybe get a little more sleep.
Have a great season everyone!

got any info on your build process for that new RO?

[HowardR]

I've been getting out while there isn't any snow on the ground to clear all of the fallen branches off of my maple syrup lines. I remember one February when I had to get out with a shovel to dig up lines that were buried under fallen branches and about 2 feet of snow.

[HowardR]

According to two long-term forecasts, there's a polar vortex coming in 2 weeks. If it arrives, I'll tap my trees as soon as it ends:

https://www.zerohedge.com/commoditie...rtex-unload-us

[Paddymountain]

Just back from a short trip to Honduras.
Now it's time to get the sugar shack tidied up a little. All my tanks are pressure washed.
I have to set up a remote solar/vac system. I might get a skid over there and leveled up
tomorrow. Shooting for February 1st tap date! I kinda believe February is going to be nasty.
January has been rather warm here, nature has a way of balancing out.
Anyway, should be completely ready soon!

[PHSINV]

Put in 6 taps today, surprisingly gusher-y. Forecast looks good for the foreseeable future! Good luck all!

[Openwater]

I think I'm gonna tap my trees this weekend. I don't see the polar vortex in central PA within the next week. Past 2 years I tapped on Jan 30 and Jan 31. With our short seasons here in the Susquehanna valley, I don't want to miss out on any "early" runs; probably already have, however.

[Paddymountain]

Today I set a tank for a shurflo solar system. Went from 2
55 gallon drums to a 150 gallon rubbermaid tank. Not so much for
extra volume , but being able to lower my lines coming in about 8”
Also, cut a small door in my ro room to allow running the hoses to all my
outside tanks. Then I redid the pipe running from the pump in my
bulk tank to my head tank. Either tomorrow or Saturday I want to
get my evaporator rinsed out. Looking to start tapping after next weekend.

[Openwater]

I'm tapping my trees today.
Yesterday I finished hooking up a second solar-powered Shurflo vacuum system and added recirc lines to both Shurflo vac systems for this year. Once sap is flowing, I'll still need to adjust the mini ball-valve controlling the recirc line to obtain optimal vacuum.
This week looks good with days above and nights below freezing.