Southwest PA Tapping 2025

[DRoseum]

Got 116 taps on 3/16 in today and hope to add another 15 - 20 tomorrow plus find the leak on one of my lines.

Upgraded my ROs to have 6 x 600 gpd membranes and 2 of the TYP-8900K pumps in parallel. Hoping to go a little faster, and get higher concentration without fouling the membranes.

Best of luck to everyone this season! Hoping for a good one after a much better winter than we've had the past 2 or 3 years. A couple trees were starting to run today - might a a slow start for a couple days while everything thaws out, but looking great later in the week!

dan

[DRoseum]

Got 22 more in for a total of 138 this year. Started running toward end of the day but not a lot - just enough to start flushing the lines.

[SRM]

Dan, glad you started the thread....

I started on Monday, the 27th with 3/16 on gravity which has a drop of more than 75 feet or more I would guess. I made the mistake of taping at the top of the hill and couldn't keep up with the sap flow as it was moving pretty fast. I lost some as I cut into the line for other taps down the hill. I have 74 in so far, but will get more in when I can. The hills are getting steeper with each year! I have 55 gallon barrels at the bottom of the hill, 4 or them. One is almost full, I figured tonight I'll have to take some out. I never saw sap flow so fast using 5/16. I am only tapping this hillside because too many other things are going on and I don't have the energy to pick up buckets this year. I hope to have about 84 to 100 taps in by Saturday. I am still cleaning out the sugar shack, sap barrels first, then I'll clean the divided pan tonight. I little procrastination is good for my blood pressure.

Looks like a good year for a change.

Scott

[sbedilion]

Happy Maple Season!

roughly 75 taps in on 3/16. tapped last weekend. collected 100 gallons yesterday. Sap was flowing better than expected after that hard freeze. I just started digging out the pans and setting up the evaporator last night. hopefully light the first fire of the season this evening.

[SRM]

This season is crazy for me. I just picked up one of those 275 gallon IBC totes for the sap I'm getting. I have 3, 60 gallon and 2, 55 gallon barrels that are always full. I can't keep up with the RO and boiling either. I love it! I got a short bank filter press late last year from Smokey Lake Maple and it didn't go so well the first and only time I used it. I didn't have enough syrup for all the plates I guess? I bought a plate that goes in between the plates which allows for smaller amounts to be filtered. I'm just not sure how to use it? I currently have 2 gallons of syrup to filter so I guess I'll block off two plates? Haven't found anything on the web yet. If you have used this setup, or have info I'd appreciate some advice.

Thanks,
Scott

[DRoseum]

Hey Scott - I have the same press. Put the "shortener" after/behind the waffle plate that "closes" the last window plate you want to use.

So if you only want to use 1 window, use 3.5 cups of DE, 2 papers and put the shortener after the first moveable waffle plate.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CZhsXVL1MFELF3cN8

It has been a great start.... just hope after the cold spell we don't flip right to 60s/70s!

Dan

[Pdiamond]

Don't you have the instruction booklet that came with the filter press? If not, call Smoky Lake let them know your problem and I'll bet they will ship you an instruction booklet. For just 2 gallons of syrup use about a half to 3/4 cup of DE and put your blocking plate behind, as you said you were going to do run it back into the syrup you are drawing from until its clear then you can put it into your bottler. Once done use really hot water and if you have the hand pump model just a couple of pumps will clear the syrup out of the press. Then a few more pumps and you can put that back into the evaporator. I then run water thru mine until its clean.

[SRM]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I ended up with 6 gallons total and will filter that today. The sap should be flowing like crazy today, my 4, 55 gallon tanks were emptied last night at 6pm, they were full this morning at 7am.

Lots of work ahead....

[HowardR]

I tapped yesterday, February 15. I wasn't able to do it sooner because our woods were logged last fall and I had *lots* of repairs to do. Plus I had decided to re-route some old lines and put in some new lines.

The weather for tapping yesterday morning was perfect. The three inches of snow made the woods beautiful. I had a huge group helping, many of them Trail Life scouts with their dads. We were done by about noon.

Overnight the temperature got up to 40, but I didn't get much sap flow. My trees must still still be asleep for the winter. Did I miss any big runs? Did any of you experience any big runs so far this year?

[DRoseum]

Hey Howard - glad you got your taps in and hope the new lines work well for you.

I am about 45 minutes south of you and tapped on 1/27 and made my first syrup of the year on 1/30. Definitely a few really good runs that first week. Had a couple where it was 2 gallons per tap per day. So far I've made about 17.5 gallons, which is about half of what I hope to make for the season, and have an evaporator full of sweet. Hopefully after this cold spell things stay normal for a few weeks and everyone has a nice season.
dan