Sap or buddy sap in tubing

[Brent]

I was just about to unplug the vacuum pumps tonight when the thought occured to me ...

Is it easyier to clean good sap or buddy sap out of tubing ??

Does buddy sap still have all the sugars of good sap ???

[danno]

Last year my tube washing manifold broke a fitting, so it became my first year that all my tubing did not get cleaned. While I was tapping I noticed where old sap had sat in drop lines last year - the sap had turned reddish and smelled of vinegar. That area of tube was cleaner than any of my other tubing.

We use old sap to clean our pans (works great by the way), why not let it sit in the tubing to clean our lines?

I think Dr. Tim is doing research on tubing cleaning this year - will be interested to see the results.

[Bucket Head]

Brent,

Good sap is easier to clean, but there's no more good sap if your pulling the plug and thinking of cleaning up, lol. Buddy sap, and buddy sap that sat around for a while is harder to clean up, but it cleans up. There is usually less sugar at the end of the season. There is also more bacteria in the sap at the end due to higher temperatures, which is always converting the "good" sugars. The quicker you can clean your lines the easier it will be. Good luck with the clean-up. Its always the most hated part of sugaring! We spent the weekend pulling taps and washing up, but theres still more to do.

Steve

[Bucket Head]

Guy's,

There are a lot of folks out there who don't clean their tubing at all. Some allow the first run of sap to go through and flush the lines. I could not say wether its right or wrong. We do not have much tubing, but I've always felt better after flushing them with water. I too am interested in Dr. Tim's findings.

Steve

[PerryW]

Guy's,

There are a lot of folks out there who don't clean their tubing at all. Some allow the first run of sap to go through and flush the lines.
Steve

Trouble is, on many sugarbushes, some of the laterals don't run on the first run of sap. One of my mainlines is on a north facing slope and it hardly runs until mid-season.

I think you should rinse the lines as soon as possible after the last gather or you will get more snakeskins in the tank the next season.

[3rdgen.maple]

I find it hard to believe that these guys with 10 of thousand of taps fclean and flush their tubing at the end of the season.

[marc]

3rdgen, I've wondered about those guys with tens of thousands of taps. With very large sized mainlines, sap ladders, slopes faces all directions. It takes weeks to tap the trees, washing all the tubing at the end of the season must be a very daunting task. If they don't and let the first run go on the ground, what about all the areas that run a little later. Maybe someone could chime in with an operation like that. I'm going to cean mine while they still have the fresh sap in them, but that is easy with only 400 taps!

[Russell Lampron]

I used to wash my tubing with a mixture of water and compressed air. Now I turn on the vacuum and go to each tap with a pail of water. Hold the tap at the top of the water so that some air can mix in and it cleans pretty well. I don't get a shower of sour sap and I use a lot less water.

[Squaredeal]

You bet the big guys wash.
I have been to a few 50 thousand plus tap operations in Qc and they all wash by vacuum.
In fact, the biggest operations I've seen have been the cleanest.
They know that cleanliness=quantity and quantity.

[vtmapleman]

I still wash my lines with water/air - yah you do get a bath but that is what the grandchildren are for - I turn the vacuum on once we complete a main line - it will put down most of the water. Once I am all done we will then go to each tap and drain the loop - again this is where the grandkids come in handy, of course you have to bribe them with a few dollars - just the cost of doing business.

[Sugarmaker]

Brent,
I took down the tubing about two weeks ago. and the lines were frozen. so there was sap in them. It was not buddy sap, but doesn't smell great after setting in this warm weather. I should have all the tubing rinsed with warm water and compressed air agitation today. Note that I bring all the tubing sets back to the sugar house. Less walking but kind of a tangled mess.
I rinse each drop and then go back and blow the majority of the water out of the lines. If I feel up to it I may post some pictures of my washing set up.
As far as buddy sap I would think it should clean up the same as good sap.
Happy washing.
By the way how did that new rig preform? Is there a thread that you started on it?
Chris

[Brent]

Chris
Thanks for the feedback. Going to have a sap shower any minute soon.

I did post a bit here and there on the new rig.
One here http://www.mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=12759&page=4

We used a grand total of 1.4 cords for the full season. It will take a bit of work to get a total of what we made with it but I was astonished how little wood it ate. And I never did get my stainless tubes fitted !!!!

[sapman]

I've heard that some of the bigger operations do not clean. So I'm assuming some do and some don't, just like the rest of us?

[sapman]

I should mention that I have not been to the bigger operations. Just going on what I've heard.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I think that most of the really big operations don't clean there. When I say really big, I am referring to 40,000+ taps. The man hours just isn't worth it to them.