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Thread: Tapping Monongalia County - 2024

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Morgantown, WV
    Posts
    33

    Default Tapping Monongalia County - 2024

    I am tapping on January 7 this year. My last two years have been really a low yield, the worst of the 11 seasons that I have been here. I'm relatively low and warm compared to those up in the mountains. I'm going early this year. I'm excited to get started. I will be grateful for whatever I get. Let the season start!
    2025 - new Becker vacuum pump
    2023 - 24 - added water lines for cleaning
    2022 - added pressure filter
    2021 - ~200 taps
    2015 - built home made RO - thanks to Mattatuck Madness for plans
    2013 - move to WV - New Half Pint Evaporator - 80 taps - Bender Releaser from eBay with eBay Gast pumps - new building
    2012 - got divorced - moved from PA - lost farm
    2011 - 140 taps - big 4x4 gas pan
    2000 - 15 taps
    1997 - 5 taps - cooked in roast pans on free gas well
    1996 - 1 tap - gas grill

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    west virginia
    Posts
    975

    Default

    llew.Williams,
    I think your wise to go early, Morgantown weather is not like the higher elevations, but you get the lake effect snows a lot, I rarely get them in the Eastern Panhandle, Good Luck, keep us posted on your progress in 2024. Hope you have your best season ever!
    Mark220Maple
    1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
    900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
    35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
    80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
    http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Wardensville, Wv
    Posts
    354

    Default

    I appreciate your motivation to get started! Last season i wish i had started a week or two earlier....i still don't think i'll start until the end of January or the start of February. I have a lot of work to do before i can start though. We have a bit of a micro-climate here so our season stretches a little longer, but i couldn't do it without vacuum. Eastern Panhandle
    2024 - 57 Gallons - Short season, many and varied problems remedied in short order! - No buckets!
    2023 - 38 Gallons - RO broke, Buckets didn't run, rebuilt vacuum pump mid-season, still made good syrup!
    2022 - 52 Gallons - DIY RO, 50% less fuel, no late nights in the shack!
    2021 - 48 Gallons - new pans, new arch, lots of new taps and tubing
    2020 - 32 Gallons
    2019 - 27 Gallons

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Morgantown, WV
    Posts
    33

    Default Started My Season

    Quote Originally Posted by llew.williams View Post
    I am tapping on January 7 this year. My last two years have been really a low yield, the worst of the 11 seasons that I have been here. I'm relatively low and warm compared to those up in the mountains. I'm going early this year. I'm excited to get started. I will be grateful for whatever I get. Let the season start!
    Today (January 5) was forecast to be 40 degrees and sunny. I started at 9:30. It was 23 degrees but warmed up quickly. After noon I was starting to see some sap flow as soon as I drilled a hole. Not gushing, but flowing. I love drilling a hole and see sap flow immediately. I was able to test vacuum pump and releaser. By 3 PM I had moderate sap flow. I got in 164 taps. Phew! I will finish on Sunday. Tuesday is forecast to be around 50. I may get to run the RO this week. Time to clean and get ready.

    I've been including 5 black walnut trees for the last couple of years. I think it really improves the taste of my syrup.
    2025 - new Becker vacuum pump
    2023 - 24 - added water lines for cleaning
    2022 - added pressure filter
    2021 - ~200 taps
    2015 - built home made RO - thanks to Mattatuck Madness for plans
    2013 - move to WV - New Half Pint Evaporator - 80 taps - Bender Releaser from eBay with eBay Gast pumps - new building
    2012 - got divorced - moved from PA - lost farm
    2011 - 140 taps - big 4x4 gas pan
    2000 - 15 taps
    1997 - 5 taps - cooked in roast pans on free gas well
    1996 - 1 tap - gas grill

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    West Virginia
    Posts
    7

    Default

    going to put in my first taps tomorrow in preston county. hoping for a better season than last year. taps dried up in februrary, our worst year ever!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Wardensville, Wv
    Posts
    354

    Default

    I won't be far behind you, we've been below freezing here for about a week so i'm looking at the 26th hopefully. I still have tons of work to do before i can let steam out of any sap.
    2024 - 57 Gallons - Short season, many and varied problems remedied in short order! - No buckets!
    2023 - 38 Gallons - RO broke, Buckets didn't run, rebuilt vacuum pump mid-season, still made good syrup!
    2022 - 52 Gallons - DIY RO, 50% less fuel, no late nights in the shack!
    2021 - 48 Gallons - new pans, new arch, lots of new taps and tubing
    2020 - 32 Gallons
    2019 - 27 Gallons

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Canaan Valley, WV
    Posts
    223

    Default

    I've still got to install about 100 more drops at one woods, and do some repairs in another that I couldn't access till Jan 1 because of hunting lease, and now there is 2 feet of snow on the ground, been snowing since new years eve! big thaw coming starting today through the weekend but feel its way to early to tap where I am still. Usually pick valentines day as the default tapping date, so we shall see! Good luck everyone have a great season!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Wardensville, Wv
    Posts
    354

    Default

    I was running mainline wire today and a cut a nick into a small sycamore tree as a height measurement, came back and it was dripping....I had a little panic, but the tree was only about 5in diameter so i went about my business. Just came from the wood pile splitting oak logs...Ice crystals inside. No question in my mind that the small maples that are too small to tap might be running, but anything over 10-12 inches is still frozen solid! PHEW! I can relax and get my work done. Still on track to start tapping this coming weekend.
    2024 - 57 Gallons - Short season, many and varied problems remedied in short order! - No buckets!
    2023 - 38 Gallons - RO broke, Buckets didn't run, rebuilt vacuum pump mid-season, still made good syrup!
    2022 - 52 Gallons - DIY RO, 50% less fuel, no late nights in the shack!
    2021 - 48 Gallons - new pans, new arch, lots of new taps and tubing
    2020 - 32 Gallons
    2019 - 27 Gallons

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