I know NOTHING about tubing, any advice would be great!

[Starting Small]

I looked at a few websites to order some tubing, taps, and something to tie into the lines. I quickly found I was out of my league and totally baffled by all of the options. Stubby spouts, "smart" spouts, 1 inch tubes, 3/4 inch tubes, Lapierre vs Leader, is there like a starter kit or something out there or a list that you all could put together for a small operation with maybe 10-20 on tubing. I know I really do not need tubing with that small number but I really want to try it this year. Thanks!

[500592]

Just get a roll of 5/16 and some tees and some health spouts along with some end line rings do a search tons info

[Starting Small]

I saw food grade home brewing tubing for .70/ft. Is there any reason why I should avoid this? Thanks again!

[Ecnerwal]

It's far more expensive than maple tubing, and it's not designed to sit out in sunlight/the woods.

Leader 30P direct from Leader (may be cheaper elsewhere) is $53/500 ft, or a shade over 10 cents a foot. That will buy you about 76 feet of brew tubing that may not fit maple fittings properly, probably degrades in sunlight, and won't reach very many trees.

[Starting Small]

Interesting, what am I looking at then for $1.40/ft? I told you I know nothing! Haha, I see now the tubing you are referring to. Thanks for your help!

[Ausable]

I looked at a few websites to order some tubing, taps, and something to tie into the lines. I quickly found I was out of my league and totally baffled by all of the options. Stubby spouts, "smart" spouts, 1 inch tubes, 3/4 inch tubes, Lapierre vs Leader, is there like a starter kit or something out there or a list that you all could put together for a small operation with maybe 10-20 on tubing. I know I really do not need tubing with that small number but I really want to try it this year. Thanks!

Starting Small - Something I'm going going to try this year - that I read last year. I only have 55 trees to tap and some are in clusters and when they are flowing good I loose sap from overflows. Ordered several 7/16 single opening plastic tubing spiles. The nipple on the spile is for 5/16 ID soft plastic tubing which I will attach and run thru the lids of holes I will drill - into 4 and 5 gallon plastic pails. Now this will get lots of chuckles from the big producers that tap thousands of trees and use miles of tubing ----- But Hey! I tap 55 trees - so this works for me. --whatever ya do - have fun -----Mike--

[spencer11]

this year is my first year with tubing to. what i would get to start out are- spouts, "T"s, end rings, connectors,and tubing. just use 5/16" lateral line. i got mine from leader. here is a tubing starter kit. http://www.maplemadness.com/backyard.html it only has 6 taps with it but is something to start with.

spencer

[Starting Small]

What do the end rings do? Don't the ends just go into a collection bucket? Also, without sounding like a total idiot, what is the different between a T and a connector?

[spencer11]

what an end ring does is when you are at your first or last tree your tubing needs to stay tight. the tubing goes through the end ring and loops back around the tree and connects back to the end ring so it slides on the tubing so you can tighten it later. a T is for when the tap connects to a drop line the drop line connects to a T and the T connects to the rest of the tubing line. picture a upsidown T and thats what it looks like. a connector is just a straight connector to connect 2 peices of tubing. i will try and get some pics tomorrow so i can show you what im talking about better. hope this helps.

spencer

[Redmaple]

Get 1 roll of 5/16 rigid tubing for $49. Get 20 lapierre 5/16 seasonal elbow spouts, 1 for each tree. You are going to need a line T for each tap also. I would seperate the trees into groups of ten. Connect all 10 trees in each line onto one big loop of your tubing. Put the open end of the line into a 30 gallon drum ect.

[Starting Small]

Perfect that was just what I was looking for!

[spencer11]

i got all my stuff from leader. i think there website is more user friendly than others. havent been on the laperrie site in a while though.

spencer

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

Here is a video of some tubing end sliders and how they are used, you may not get this kind but this is the idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y3KPIvlyZc
hope this helps.
J.C.

[twitch]

When i wanted to learn about tubing i found a huge set up and took my self on tour of it learned a lot by walking around in the woods

[foursapsyrup1]

Twitch,
Your mailbox is full again

[twitch]

I got it cleaned out

Twitch,
Your mailbox is full again

[Starting Small]

J.C. that link was great. I ended up going out to lamothe sugar house today and they were very helpful in advising me what I would need and of course I did not sound too dumb since I learned from everyones advice on this thread! Thanks again!

[Clarkfield Farms]

Just a small point to make on the brewing tubing - in addition to the other comments made, it won't hold up to stretching and will not hold to the fittings properly, and will collapse/constrict around the ends of the fittings as it does stretch.

You picked a good way to go. Last year, I apprenticed(?) under Dave Klish (maple flats). I also try to get as much time in with him as I can this year, but ironically I was called back to my j-o-b on the same day that I told Dave I'd be available to help... :( There is no substitute for learning this the right way. No faster way, either. I've learned a lot on here, like you, but hands-on with the right mentor is the way to go. I also got to spend a couple of hours with Steve (bucket head) and his Dad (sorry, name escapes me!) one day near the end of last season and learned a lot, but everyone knows that it's just not the same as being around all aspects of it like when you're working it. Still, you do learn a lot just by touring like you did. Ain't it great? :) What a wonderful bunch of folks we get to know......

[Bucket Head]

My dad's name is Ron, and feel free to stop in for another visit this spring! Its always a good time talking about sugaring!!

Steve

[Starting Small]

So I ended up buying tubing and run the tubing into buckets. Anywhere from 2 -6 taps per bucket. I noticed when checking today some sap in the line sitting there. I also noticed that there is a slight uphill grade for a few inches in the line connecting the taps. (This has 6 taps between 3 trees grouped together). As more sap comes out of the taps will it push the sap in the line down to the bucket or will it just backup? Also, is vapor lock something I need to worry about with only 6 taps per grouping? Thanks,