Tips for Tubing Rookie?

[Sapling]

This will be my fifth season. I have inventoried at least 30 maples on my property. They are mostly reds with modest production. Last season I tapped 22 of them with antique taps and buckets. That’s all I have. This season I plan to tap more. Several of my trees are grouped together. I have one set of four big trees that all touch at the base and one set of three like that too. Rather than buy more antique equipment, I bought some 5/16 tubing, plastic taps, tees, and food grade 5gal buckets. My plan is to tap a few of the clustered trees with plastic rather than metal hanging buckets and move the hanging buckets to the more remote single trees. I don’t plan to run a main line, or even laterals. My plan is to tap the grouped trees with plastic, tee them together and drop right down to a 5gal. bucket. On a few of the very large single more remote trees, I may put a plastic tap above the metal tap/bucket as a second tap, with a drop right into the metal bucket as a way to get two taps in the same tree. Does this all sound reasonable? Any tips, warnings, or suggestions for my plan?

[Clinkis]

This all sounds very reasonable. I did what you are describing for many years when I still used buckets. I used to put my big trees into a 5 gallon bucket. All I can suggest is replace your plastic taps yearly as that will help maximize your sap flow from year to year.

[morningstarfarm]

Sounds very reasonable..just be aware that reds are notoriously Fickle on gravity..to get good consistent production you need them on vacuum..

[Haynes Forest Products]

Sapling, Yes and NO What I have found when I did it

You want a lid but not one you have to pry off every time so get the blue lids from Loews they snap on and off with one hand. Bring your sap lines/lateral in a hole on the side just under the lid. Leave the hole a little sloppy and use Zip ties o secure the tube by putting the tie on the inside of the tube so it cant pull out Dont let the tube hang down into the bucket more than an inch or two......What the tree giveth the tree will taketh away so dont let it get sucked back into the tree. If you put a hole in the top of the lid and it rains or snow melts on the lid it will contaminate the sap thru the hole. Do not put one tap above another NOPE. If you feel the tree can support having 1-2-3- taps space them out in a pattern that will work next year and every year after.

Putting 3 taps with T's on one line into the bucket will be fine and it is called a leteral

[5050racing]

What I do on a couple that I have on 5gal buckets I drill a hole on the side that is tight just to be able to force the tubing in 2-3" and just put a rock on top to hold lid,then when u go to dump bucket the tube doesn't pull out ,or fall out on that big run day,just how I do it

[Sapling]

Thank you all for your input and encouragement. Some good suggestions here. Looks like I have a plan. Should be able to go from 22 taps to about 32 with this plan!

[maple flats]

I did similar to what Haynes Forest Products said, except I used spring clamps to hold the tubing in. When I did that, I was collecting in 5 Gal cooking oil jugs. I then made a hole in a cap that screwed on the top and put the spring clamp on the tubing. Then I had extra caps and I just unscrewed the cap, swapped the jug and screwed the cap with the tubing attached to the next jug.
At that time I had 70 taps and I ran tubing for 2-3 taps into a jug. The jugs were free at restaurants but I had to clean the oil out that was left in. I think my wife didn't need to buy cooking oil for about 2-3 years back then.

[mellondome]

I did similar to what Haynes Forest Products said, except I used spring clamps to hold the tubing in. When I did that, I was collecting in 5 Gal cooking oil jugs. I then made a hole in a cap that screwed on the top and put the spring clamp on the tubing. Then I had extra caps and I just unscrewed the cap, swapped the jug and screwed the cap with the tubing attached to the next jug.
At that time I had 70 taps and I ran tubing for 2-3 taps into a jug. The jugs were free at restaurants but I had to clean the oil out that was left in. I think my wife didn't need to buy cooking oil for about 2-3 years back then.

Probably cut down on defoamer usage as well!

[eustis22]

so this is my second year with 3/16 and I walked my lines and found what I think might be squirrel chews in some of the sections between tees...my questions are:

A) since I don't know if the chewing went all the way thru, whats the best way to check for leaks? I figured to replace my tees and spouts when tapping and to let the lines flush for a couple of days to wash out bugs/shavings/etc.

2) if they are chewed to leaking, would I just replace the sections between tees or the whole run?

[bmbmkr]

so this is my second year with 3/16 and I walked my lines and found what I think might be squirrel chews in some of the sections between tees...my questions are:

A) since I don't know if the chewing went all the way thru, whats the best way to check for leaks? I figured to replace my tees and spouts when tapping and to let the lines flush for a couple of days to wash out bugs/shavings/etc.

2) if they are chewed to leaking, would I just replace the sections between tees or the whole run?

I'm new at tubing also, but I'd use these

https://www.bascommaple.com/item/ipcsh316g/316_tubing_fittings/

Good luck this year

BMB

[5050racing]

Yes very frustrating same here finding all the chews,I just used the union that was in last post,the tubing stretches nice,you need what is called a set of blocks to pull n hold ends together to splice.

[Sapling]

Thanks again everyone. I tapped everything this past weekend. I think it went well, but need to wait for the first run to see for sure how I did. Still too cold here. Here's a photo of one of my cluster trees. Any input for next time around is welcome.15349

[hogisland42]

I think that bucket is gonna fill up fast once it starts running. Looks like 4 or 5 taps

[Sapling]

I think that bucket is gonna fill up fast once it starts running. Looks like 4 or 5 tapsI hope so! It's four taps in this photo. The trees are reds. Historically my trees (almost all reds) have had very low volume runs, except for the two sugars I have.