Mesmerized by watching the sap !!

[TerryEspo]

This afternoon I was watching the sap flow (slow, slow) in my tubing.

I was holding some lines up to see how quick it would collect in the tube before dropping it down again to flow out, just playing around.

I am curious as to what is going on inside the tubing.

My lines had sap in them but it would not flow real good, if I shook the line it would flow some, I would jiggle the drip end and then sometimes a continual flow would pour out , but then stop and collect again at its own pace. There would be sap for 10 feet up the tube at the drip end but just drip,,,,,drip,,,nothing I would call a fast drip or continual.

That sap I would call was just LAZY and creeping at its own pace, there would be sap in a line but not flow staight out. Eventually it would drip out, but just lazy.

I would grab the drip end and and suck on it and the sap would come no problem. Ha ha, I know.

My lines are tight, not vented, good slope.

I did notice when I cut a dropline here and there, to tighten a drop the sap would flow no problem. I am not saying I want to vent.

Is it because the sap is not flowing good yet ? If it was warmer would I have a better flow and not Lazy sap?

Anyone know what I,m talking about ??

Thanks.

Terry

[unc23win]

Terry
That sounds about normal. Drives you nuts watching it doesn't? It looks like its not moving but it is. Usually when its flowing good it will actually look like its not moving at all. All those drips add up. You would be surprised how many taps it takes on gravity to get a stream.

[TerryEspo]

Hi Unc23,,,,lol, ya, makes me crazy watching it.

That is why I would lift a line to see it collect, then I would let it go, amusing to me !!:lol:

My best performer today was a line with only 7-8 trees on it and had about 2 gallons of sap in the bucket, it is dripping into the bucket, just not when daddy is watching.

I suspect the temps being just a touch above freezing plays a part in it also, was cloudy today too.

All in all it is fun to play around with.

Terry

[JAMIE]

Terry,
Watch wayyyy to the east tomorrow for smoke and steam we are test firing my new evaporator tomorrow...O BOY!!

[TerryEspo]

Yeah Jamie....

Take some pics for us and post them,,,,please, love to see it.

I am just itching to try mine too.

I have about 10-15 max. gallons of sap right now from the last two days. More to come as I am drilling my taps in a few more every day. Its nice to see the taps in the trees instead of just hanging off the line.

I may get the turkey frier going if I dont get enough sap in the next 48 hours to fire up the new arch. Hate to waste the little bit I have now.

50 gallons min. in order for me to try the new arch.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Terry

[DonMcJr]

LOL! Been there done that still do that!

I realized all you can really see is the bubbles of air and the sap is actually moving below them and sometimes the bubbles move a little too!

Nope I don't watch my tube lines at all! :lol:

[PerryW]

Unless it's running real good, or you have 20+ taps upstream, that's what sap does.

[aws]

I got two lines each with twenty taps on them and it is real fun watching it pour out on a good day, the bubbles often get pushed down the line at a pretty good clip. Not to mention the sound of it echoing in the barrel as it falls in. My other hobbies are watching paint dry, and proving that a watched pot really does boil.

[DonMcJr]

You guys who like watching sap flowing in a Tube line (and paint drying LOL!) should get into Beekeeping! I never thought I'd sit at my hive and watch them work but I do and it's actually quite relaxing!

[happy thoughts]

Yup Terry, you got it bad:lol: We all do I think. I always liked to listen to the drops hit my buckets and time them :o. Now look on the bright side. If I remember correctly you were in Florida about this time last year. At least this year you can obsess over things from the comfort of home and you don't need to wear Mickey Mouse ears :evil:

[ennismaple]

Terry - That means everything is running just right! Watch all you want but don't mess with it to get the sap out faster.

With our vacuum lines I want to see the sap barely moving, like a few inches per second. If its moving faster than that it means there's a leak somewhere that needs to be fixed.

[TerryEspo]

Hey Happy Thouhts,,,great memory on you.

Yes, March break is our Florida palce, but not this year. Probably home addition time so not family trip in March, maybe this summer as construction goes on, we will see.

I spent a few hours out back today drilling more taps into my lines, slow going, but going.

Weatherman has changed the last 2 days to lower the actual temp, the day of the temp, not the day before,,,,ggrrr. Who neededs a person to tell you the actual temp at the actual time ??

Lets see if he does that tomorrow too !!

Anyway, all good here, cooking supper for my darlings before they get home from school and will go back out after supper to see how much dripped.

Later.....

Terry