Sap yield per tap bucket vs. tubing

[ELM_DALE_MAPLE]

Is it safe to say that you can recover more sap with a bucket and spile than if you tap the same tree with a tubing setup?? Just curious if a bush of 200 buckets would yield more sap than the same number of tubing taps.

[DrTimPerkins]

Is it safe to say that you can recover more sap with a bucket and spile than if you tap the same tree with a tubing setup?? Just curious if a bush of 200 buckets would yield more sap than the same number of tubing taps.

It depends....

If you have a brand-new tubing system, it'll do fine -- about the same as buckets. Production will drop off in a tubing systeme as the system ages (due to microbes in the tubing system), unless you use annually-replaceable spout adapters and/or change drops occasionally.

If your lateral lines have a good long run down a slope, you could get good natural vacuum. In that case you'd get more sap from a tubing setup than with buckets.

There is some difference in tapping procedures for tubing and buckets. Best to tap both just before the season starts, but it is a little more critical with buckets than with tubing. Tapping further ahead is less detrimental if you have tubing on vacuum.

The decision of whether to go buckets or tubing is often more related to:

1. Does the land you're tapping on slope?
2. What do I have for equipment available?
3. Do I have the time during the season to collect the buckets, or do I have more time in the fall//winter to set up tubing?

[SilverLeaf]

Production will drop off in a tubing systeme as the system ages (due to microbes in the tubing system), unless you use annually-replaceable spout adapters and/or change drops occasionally.


Do I understand this correctly that this would be true regardless of whether the tubing system is a full-on gravity system (with mainlines & laterals, etc.) or a simple dropline-to-a-bucket system?

Another way to ask this is: is it mostly just like the last, say, 3' of tubing next to the taphole where most of the microbes that get sucked back into the taphole are coming from?

[DrTimPerkins]

Do I understand this correctly that this would be true regardless of whether the tubing system is a full-on gravity system (with mainlines & laterals, etc.) or a simple dropline-to-a-bucket system?

Another way to ask this is: is it mostly just like the last, say, 3' of tubing next to the taphole where most of the microbes that get sucked back into the taphole are coming from?

In general, yes. A tree can generate 5 psi of suction, which is many feet of water. It generally happens pretty slowly though. A dropline will limit, but not totally eliminate backflow of sap into the taphole (compared to a system where there aren't any droplines, which is what the original systems were like). When such backflow occurs, microbes in the sap will also be sucked back into tapholes.

[gomish]

In general, yes. A tree can generate 5 psi of suction, which is many feet of water. It generally happens pretty slowly though. A dropline will limit, but not totally eliminate backflow of sap into the taphole (compared to a system where there aren't any droplines, which is what the original systems were like). When such backflow occurs, microbes in the sap will also be sucked back into tapholes.
I did not realize this concern, since I'm going from spout/bucket last year to bucket on ground with a short tube to the bucket this year. seems like I may be making a mistake.

[BoarsNest]

I had 5 gal buckets with drop tubes last year and it seemed like it worked well for me. I went with that method because I have a full time day job, my trees are an hour away and I can only gather a couple times a week. I cleaned my tubing out with one of those pull through gun cleaners and a little bleach solution so it should good to go for this year.

[morningstarfarm]

I have about 60 buckets set up with drops..they work very well...just make sure the drops are not in the sap and you're ok..nothing to vacuum up..:)