multiple hanging tubing on 7/16'' taps?

[trea_bagger]

How you guys doing, cut me some slack seeing I'm brand new to this.

Basically there are clusters of Maple trees throughout my property, many of these are larger trees capable of holding 3 taps. Without using a pump, would it be feasible to simply drape tubing out of each tap into one Large 5 gallon food grade collection bucket per tree (at the base of the tree). Basically to save me from having to use 3 buckets per tree on my larger ones? Will the flow/production of sap be interrupted in comparison to hanging buckets? Also I've seen many tubes for 5/16'' taps. Is it unconventional to tube these older 7/16'' taps, and is the tube readily available?

best,

[500592]

The tubing is meant for the tubIng spiles and yes you can run the tubing into the bucket but if you have some slope you could run gravity.

[MapleME]

Trea,

I did what you are talking about for a few years and it works great. I did 3 or 4 taps in to a 5 gallon pail buried in the snow at the tree trunk. I just bought the semi rigid tubing and some "y" connectors and it worked great. One thing you will find it that unless you plan on collecting every day, you will fill that 5 gallon pail up VERY fast. My second year I did 2 taps per pail and that gave me a little more wiggle room with not collecting every day. The 5 gallon pails fill fast. Also another trick is to just drill a hole in the lid of the pail and stick your down spout tube through that...does a nice job of keeping debris and moths and other buggers out of your sap. Just snap the lid on in a couple spots though....in the cold, they can easily shatter or snap if you are trying to pry it off the entire way around.

Thats my experience. worked well and was a great way to do it for me.

[SevenCreeksSap]

Funny log on name. - Last year on our yard trees with metal taps I was using the white plastic waterline you get from Lowes like for under your sink, right into buckets with lids. If you dont want to buy a whole roll of syrup tubing it'll get you by. On the other hand your likely going to go bigger next year and use the tubing anyway.

[Etown Maple Syrup]

I bought Blue P30 tube from Leader. Softer and easy to use. I bought stiff green tube, I will not buy again. Here are two pictures of my tubes to buckets. I also started out with clear tube from the hardware store. My lids are just sitting on top of my buckets for easy access. Yes, higher winds will blow the buckets over so time your collections after the high winds not before so the sap weight holds the buckets in place. Gravity will help to pull the sap out of the tree down to the bucket. 500450055006

[Bucket Head]

We did the tubes and buckets collection system for years and it worked great. If you don't want to lose any sap, go with one tap per bucket. The large metal buckets that hang on the trees are four gallon. On a good day they will fill up. So two taps on a good tree will have an eight gallon run potential, meaning three gallons of your sap will be on the ground because of your five gallon capacity bucket. We only set the lids on too so we did'nt have to wrestle the lids in the cold. We would put a brick or a rock on the lid to help keep both lid and bucket in place when it was empty. Of course, on really windy days we chased some pails, but you wind up chasing the metal ones too on those days. Its just all part of the fun we call sugaring, lol.

Steve

[trea_bagger]

Thanks for the advice and responses guys. ^Unfortunately I can't do gravity seeing as my trees are clustered amongst a ton of oaks, it just wouldn't be feasible. Before I posted the thread I took a look and saw the leader 5/16'' leader tubing. I couldn't find any maple oriented 7/16'' tubing anywhere. Basically seeing as I have 7/16'' taps I'm trying to avoid having to buy the 7-5'/16'' plastic leader adapters. I'll end up taking a ride to the hardware store and seeing if I can jerry rig something up. Also, I never realized metal hanging buckets were 4g I grossly underestimated that. All part of the fun in being new to the game.

[500592]

They do there are taps made specifically for tubing and they are cheaper than metal

[MapleME]

yeah tea, don't gerry rig something this simple mate...They make it really easy for you.

Second pic, middle of the page is the plastic spill meant JUST for tubing (i.e. doesn't have a hook or any way to attach to bucket).

http://www.bens-maple-syrup.com/articles/maple-syrup-tools-of-the-trade/

Better pic here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/happilyretired/5571190986/

Then just spend the money on the correct 5/16 flexible or semi rigid tubing from any local supplier. After that all you will need if your tapping bit, and you are done!

Some local syrup equipment suppliers may sell it to you by the foot and not by the roll. You probably don't need 100 feet :)

We are all new once, and I think you will find the advice by those who have "figured it out the hard way" is well worth listening to. I learned so much from people on the trader it was amazing. And I still am learning.

Good luck