Tap Viability over time using 3/16 gravity vacuum

[M.MacKenzie]

What is the length of tapping season that is productive using 3/16 gravity vacuum? This definitely influences how early a person will want to tap.

[DrTimPerkins]

It is dependent upon the weather (mostly temperature) and the spout/drop sanitation used. If you reuse spouts and don't clean them effectively, then it can be only 4-8 weeks, with lower production in the last 3-4. If you have good sanitation (new spouts with periodic drop replacement), then 8-12 weeks, but with some drop off in production in the last 4 weeks (most producers won't even notice it much). If you have new spouts with new drops, or use CVs, or a new tubing system or really good cleaning with new spouts, then 12+ weeks with good production right through until the sap turns buddy. Note these are just approximate lengths of time as much depends upon the temperatures. If it's really hot (>50 deg F) for a few days, almost any tubing system will slow down or stop, especially if it is sunny and hot and you're using black spouts.

3/16" tubing systems are somewhat more prone to backflow issues than 5/16" systems, so it is important to 1) keep them clean and 2) keep them leak-free.

If you're on pumped vacuum, it can also depend upon the pump management (if you shut it off when there is unfrozen sap in the lines) and leak management (more leaks = more backflow) and the type of releaser you use. Mechanical releasers create small pulses of backflow each time they dump -- electric releasers do not.

Producers on gravity (buckets, bags, tubing w/o natural vacuum), especially if they reuse spouts, can have active production seasons as short as 4-6 weeks, thus have to be much more choosy about when they tap.

[buckeye gold]

Dr. Tim - Thanks for your willingness to always help us all learn and push for "Best Practices". I put up 3/16th for the first time this year. For a few years I have fall tapped on buckets and bags. This year I done 40 taps on 3/16th and expected to abandon them by January 10th, but they are still going strong. Now I am wondering if the increase in production from this tubing is going to drown me in sap....I may have added more work than I anticipated. I know this seems like a good problem and it probably is, but I am wondering what I have done to myself. I see a lot of people getting on the 3/16th tubing band wagon and it makes me think there will be a lot more people needing to learn how to care for their setups. If I may make a suggestion, would you consider a podcast or an article on cleaning and year round care for thoseof us who would rather not learn the hard way. I know your incredibly busy, but you are the ALL KNOWING grand MAster of maple!:)

I would pledge a small donation to Proctor and bet a lot of others would too, if that would help persuade you. Perhaps Maple Trader or maple News could sponsor it...hint hint

[Cjadamec]

I'm only in my second season with this hobby and jumped from 30 taps with milk jugs on the trees my first year to 50 taps on 3/16th tubing for my second season. 1 week into my second season and 150 gallons of sap later (more than my total collection all of last year) I'm blown away by what the "best practice" methods yield in results.

I think I missed the part where I could expect my taps to stay running for as long as 12 weeks on a brand new setup. I now feel much less anxiety about having set my taps in January to get these first runs. On the other hand now I'm worried my wife is going to kill me when I'm still making syrup in march...

[DrTimPerkins]

Given you are tapping 50 trees, you can knock that out in a few hours. Therefore you should only tap when you have a good stretch of sugaring weather in the forecast. Typically only the really large producers (thousands or tens of thousands of trees) tap real early...but that is because they have to start early in order to finish when good sugaring conditions typically occur. They will capture a portion of the early sap runs because they have a portion of their bush tapped in (but often not all).

[DrTimPerkins]

This year I done 40 taps on 3/16th and expected to abandon them by January 10th, but they are still going strong. Now I am wondering if the increase in production from this tubing is going to drown me in sap....I may have added more work than I anticipated. I know this seems like a good problem and it probably is, but I am wondering what I have done to myself.

One of the big issues of tapping early is that you need to be prepared to make syrup early, and for a LONG time (assuming you're using good vacuum and good sanitation). People sometimes don't realize that you're really extending your season by doing this. The research done some years ago (by Tim Wilmot) on timing of tapping showed that you didn't really negatively impact your season totals if you tapped early AND boiled that sap, but you didn't really add much to your season totals either. Trees tapped early dried out a little earlier. The really big producers MUST start tappiong early in order to finish in time for the season. As a result, they do capture some of the early flows. We aren't really sure yet how much new sanitation practices can stave off the taphole drying practice, but it is something we are investigating.

I guess in my opinion, too many producers get itchy drill fingers around this time of year. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't. For smaller producers (on gravity), it typically doesn't, but they see the big guys doing it, so they want to get going too.


I see a lot of people getting on the 3/16th tubing band wagon and it makes me think there will be a lot more people needing to learn how to care for their setups. If I may make a suggestion, would you consider a podcast or an article on cleaning and year round care for thoseof us who would rather not learn the hard way.

We already do presentations and articles on a variety of subjects. We are still investigating how best to deal with sanitization aspects of 3/16" tubing. It is not entirely the same as 5/16" tubing, so that's slowed us down a bit. Hopefully by the end of this season, UVM PMRC and our Cornell Colleagues will have some better information on how to deal with 3/16" tubing cleaning. At this stage, it does appear that flushing or chemical cleaning is MORE important than in 5/16" tubing.


I know your incredibly busy, but you are the ALL KNOWING grand MAster of maple!:)

I would pledge a small donation to Proctor and bet a lot of others would too, if that would help persuade you. Perhaps Maple Trader or maple News could sponsor it...hint hint

Thanks for the compliment, but let me be the first to admit that while I know some things...I don't pretend to know everything. If people want to make a donation, I would suggest you start by supporting the NAMSC "Penny per Container" program (voluntary donation of $0.01 per jug when you purchase containers).

[buckeye gold]

thank you for a very informative reply Dr. Perkins. All very good information.

I do make syrup early and have used early tapping with the intent of extending my season. I am lucky I have far more trees available than I desire to tap so I can simply tap new trees when some dry and slow. so perhaps people shouldn't use me as a reference for when to tap LOL. I have read many of your publications on your web site, but I didn't recall any specific articles on 3/16th tubing care. I still think a chat or webinar would be great.


If people want to make a donation, I would suggest you start by supporting the NAMSC "Penny per Container" program (voluntary donation of $0.01 per jug when you purchase containers).

I was totally unaware of the above program, thanks

[DrTimPerkins]

I still think a chat or webinar would be great.

I have done those in other venues. I don't know if MapleTrader has that capability, but I am open to doing one at some point....but not until after the 2018 season is over.

Not 100% confirmed as yet, but I think I'll be coming to Ohio Maple Days in January 2019.

[markcasper]

Producers on gravity (buckets, bags, tubing w/o natural vacuum), especially if they reuse spouts, can have active production seasons as short as 4-6 weeks, thus have to be much more choosy about when they tap.

Dr., I'd have to disagree with you. In my 34 years of sapping, I have found that with buckets/bags you only get about 2 - 3 weeks and they start clogging up. First there is one or two trees (always south side) empty, next day there is a couple dozen, pretty soon its 1/3 to 1/2. We are in agreement as far as them not running as long, but 4-6 weeks is a bit of a long shot IMO. I and others used to wait until the trees were running good before tapping in the spring. Right or wrong, we were afraid of tapping too early, then getting a 7 - 10 day stretch of warm, balmy nights before getting a return to more normal seasonal conditions. There were several seasons where this happened and we held off tapping until it was going to start freezing at night, all for fear of the tapholes closing up.

[buckeye gold]

Not 100% confirmed as yet, but I think I'll be coming to Ohio Maple Days in January 2019.

cool, I usually attend in Morrow county. I missed this year as I had a business conflict, that could not be missed.

[GeneralStark]

I tap in January now and have no issue going into april with a new drop or spout or a CV2 spout. The trees budding early is the bigger challenge which is why I like to take advantage of the early runs. I do have about 40 taps now on 3/16 with mechanical vacuum and I do agree that cleaning it is important. I rinse it with a vinegar/water mix on vac. when I pull the taps by pulling some through each spout. I also don't use a 3/16 drop for more than two seasons. This seems to be working pretty well for me so far.

[DrTimPerkins]

I also don't use a 3/16 drop for more than two seasons. This seems to be working pretty well for me so far.

Thanks for the feedback.

[M.MacKenzie]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS!
Malcolm