Noob tubing questions

[Cedar Eater]

I am strictly a hobby syrup producer, too old to get serious about making more than about 5-10 gallons per year. I have around thirty reds in tapable sizes but most of them are woods trees and my experience from last year is that I won't get much from them by running 5/16" drop tubes into buckets. Most of my trees are not on convenient slopes, but I have seven reds scattered up a north facing slope on a hill that's only 20-25' above swamp level. There are plenty of cedar trees all over the slope that I could use to carry tubing. Right at the bottom is another red that is sort of the end of the line on a trail that I can get my tractor to where I could collect from the trees on the slope. Total distance from that tree to the highest tree is about 75 yards. I know almost nothing about tubing systems except that there might be the potential for a natural vacuum to help me get more sap from these reds. So here are my questions:

1) Does this sound like enough length and height to get a natural vacuum?
2) Assuming the answer to #1 is yes, I assume I would have a main line in a fairly straight line from the furthest highest tree, and tee into that to pick up the other trees on the way down. Am I right about that?
3) What sizes should the tubing for the main and branch lines be?
4) What's a good free resource to read to tell me how to do all this?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[ronintank]

Sounds like a good place to try the 3/16 tubing set up. with the 3/16 you don't run a main line and tees. the 3/16 is the main line and winds from tree to tree all through the trees at the top of the hill, you can do this with min. slope from the highest tree to the tree lowest to your down hill run. then continue this same line to a collection drum at the bottom of the hill. From what I have read 27 is the max. for a 3/16 line but 30 might be ok.
You will not believe the sap that comes into the drum, you may sheet your self when you see all the sap.

[ronintank]

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[ronintank]

Here is a link to cdl catalog. RMG in Rudyard is a dealer and has most everything in stock.
https://webstore.cdlusa.net/en/catalog.aspx

[Cedar Eater]

Thanks, ronintank. Something I was just reading suggested that there could be a minimum number of taps in order to get natural vacuum. I'll only have 7 or 8. Will that be enough? I'm really concerned about years when the taps will be on the shady sides of the trees.

[ronintank]

7 or 8 would work but there would be more gas bubbles in the tube so there would be less vaccum in the line. The gravity vaccum will pull the sap no matter the side the tree faces.

[Cedar Eater]

Thanks again. I decided to try it this year, but I've already tapped a little low on the trees, so if it doesn't work well, I'll try again next year. I've ordered some supplies, but I'm not really sure how to install them. I saw the idea about using hollow rope at the bottom, so I'll try that.

[ronintank]

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http://i68.tinypic.com/2l90228.png

[Cedar Eater]

All the tees I've seen seem to have something extra on them. This is what I bought because I have 5/16" drop lines.

13263

What is that tube on the top for?

[Farmer Jim]

All the tees I've seen seem to have something extra on them. This is what I bought because I have 5/16" drop lines.

13263

What is that tube on the top for?

That is to snap the tap/spout/spile into at the end of the season.

[Cedar Eater]

I snapped a pic of my slope today.

13264

I'm standing next to a red that is at the low point. I plan to tap that tree, but not to include it on the 3/16" tubing run. I might be able to get a little lower by going deeper into the swamp, but not more than 1-2 feet and it would add another 50' to the run length and make it hard to get to the barrel. There's a big birch in the center of the pic and behind that at the top of the hill is the highest tree. It's a clump red that could have three of the taps. I'm revising my estimate of the elevation difference to 15-20'.

[Cedar Eater]

That is to snap the tap/spout/spile into at the end of the season.

Thanks. That makes sense.

[eustis22]

Wait...you don't pitch your spiles???

[psparr]

Yes, just keeps stuff out of the lines till you cut it off next year and add a new one.