Mid/southern Ohio 2023

[buckeye gold]

It's getting that time of year to start working on prep for syrup season. It has been early seasons for us southern Ohio guys the last couple years. I just finished installing a new air manifold in the firebox for A/O and A/U blower. Replaced some burnt out bricks and resurfaced with refractory. Will start line work soon and probably be ready to tap a few right after Christmas. What's everyone else doing?

[bmbmkr]

Busy busy down here in Lawrence County. I've upgraded my 4x40 RO to a single 8x40- got a recirculation pump from Leader. I've spent most of the last three months hunting down unicorn teeth, 1 1/2" Victaulic fittings. I've got it all plumbed up, waiting on a new pressure pump motor and a few frame modifications and she'll be ready for a test run with last years permeate.

I picked up a used steam away in June. As usual no plumbing or float included and the SA float box is on the opposite side of my flue pan float and head tank, so 10' of SS plumbing procured and installed. I fabbed the float and float inlet and float valve. My cousin gave me a used water heater to use for condensate "storage". I'm plumbing it into the wash sink. Will be nice not to have to use propane for the tankless water heater. and it'll be gravity fed. Hot water from the steam away, cold water from permeate tank. My sugar shack is an old sawmill shed. I finally have four walls and a door. The rafters won't hold the steam away, so I built a "gantry" out of 3" I beams to suspend the SA. boat winch with 1/4" cable to raise and lower it over the flue pan. I had to cut up and re work the steam hood we built a couple years ago. Now I have two steam hoods, one for SA and one for the syrup pan.

I decided to build an auto draw, have the PID, thermo couple and bellimo valve controller. Wired it all up and tested it with a voltage generator this past weekend. Just have to cut everything into the box and do some permanent wiring. My wife is welding a shaft extension to the buttery fly valve, hopefully this weekend. I'm looking forward to having time to filter and bottle while the auto draw keeps my pans happy.

Last year I only tapped 500 here at my place, this year I'm tapping my Dad's woods again, about 350 taps in up there. I'm starting cleanup in that woods tomorrow. Lots of limbs and a few trees down. Probably take a week. I MAY run a couple more laterals and pick up another 100 or so taps, I think I can manage 900 with the bigger RO and increase the steam away will provide.

Dad told me he nicked a box elder with his back hoe the other day and sap poured out of it. Looking forward to the season. I shoot for tapping the first week of January down here.

[buckeye gold]

I always tap an early sugar bush that's separate from my main bush. I tapped those 50 yesterday and the sap is running a full line in two 3/16 laterals today. I already had enough to start a fire and begin sweetening the pan. Hopefully tomorrow will be a full boil. I'm in Ross county. I anticipate my main tapping to be between January 20th and 31st. Good luck to all.

[buckeye gold]

If you got questions just ask there are a lot of people willing to help you out here. Trader has shortened the learning curve for a lot of us. Pm me if you want.

[Iwantsyrup]

Hey Buckeye! I tapped 5 trees close to the house this morning in the pouring rain haha. 2 of them starting dripping immediately. Other 3 were dry so far. So success in that I tapped my first maple trees! I drilled 2” deep, some at a slight maybe 10 degree angle down. I also tapped them gently in with a rubber mallet but not excessive I don’t think. I’ve since read maybe 1.5” might be better and horizontal as opposed to angled down slightly. Either way is ok I hope. I assume the 3 of the 5 that didnt flow is just the way it is and I hopefully don’t do anything wrong. But anyways, here we go! I’ve got another dozen or so trees left to tap this week! Thanks!

[buckeye gold]

Hey Buckeye! I tapped 5 trees close to the house this morning in the pouring rain haha. 2 of them starting dripping immediately. Other 3 were dry so far. So success in that I tapped my first maple trees! I drilled 2” deep, some at a slight maybe 10 degree angle down. I also tapped them gently in with a rubber mallet but not excessive I don’t think. I’ve since read maybe 1.5” might be better and horizontal as opposed to angled down slightly. Either way is ok I hope. I assume the 3 of the 5 that didnt flow is just the way it is and I hopefully don’t do anything wrong. But anyways, here we go! I’ve got another dozen or so trees left to tap this week! Thanks!

Your doing fine. I tap at 2" with only a very slight angle downward. Proctor Maple research center has a lot of tapping data linked through it's sight. Anything from 1.5 to 3" is ok, but I don't think there's much gain for 3" if any. My trees are very slowly waking up. I had 30 gallons of sap this morning from ~130 taps. They're still froze. The ones running are on field edges or more open woods. I look for them to gush sap in the next 24 hrs. You'll get the hang of setting the tap. Hit the spiles until you hear a sound change. I use just a light duty craft hammer and drive until it bounces off the tap and I'm usually good. With a mallet you'll hear a deadened thud when the tap is seated. LIsten and you'll pick it up pretty quick, it's fairly obvious once you've heard it a few times. Good luck and like I said, ask anything you don't know the answer to....no question is wrong or silly.

[DrTimPerkins]

Either way is ok I hope. I assume the 3 of the 5 that didnt flow is just the way it is and I hopefully don’t do anything wrong.

Warmer weather coming soon. Trees don't warm up as fast as air does. Can take them a while to thaw out before flow starts. Have a little patience and report back in a week.

[Iwantsyrup]

Thanks dr Perkins, very much appreciated! 6 of 12 are flowing and excited to see the other 6 trees wake up! I’ve got a few more trees I can tap close to my side by side trail so I’ll tap them in the morning. I will definitely report back in, thanks for taking the time to post. It was very helpful.

[buckeye gold]

You’re doing pretty good redbean. I am a bit northwest of you and my trees are slowly getting going. I finally had enough run last night to flush the lines. My early taps are chugging right along. 50 gallons from them overnight. I look for everything to slow up and reset next week. Another local producer is seeing the same

[buckeye gold]

Next week looks like a good sap week for southern Ohio.