3/16 on gravity. Sap Output and sag.

[KJamesJR]

Okay so two issues...

I set up 3/16 of tubing today. In one area I have 19 trees on a line. From the first tree to the bucket is about 30ft if drop or more. The amount of sap I’ve gotten on this line in just 5 hours is crazy.

How many gallons per day roughly will a tree put out on a setup like this? I’m using 5 gallon buckets chained together with overflow lines. Since putting the lines out at 1pm I’ve filled a bucket and a half, roughly 7.5 gallons. Need to have an idea about how many more buckets I need to add to this.

Second issue... again on this 19 tree line, I ran the last drop about 30’ across a brook and she’s saggin now because it’s full of sap. The grounds frozen so I can’t drive anything into the ground to support it. Any suggestions?

31 taps today put out today in 3/16. Roughly 19 more to go or until I run out of tubing.

[Lano75]

Potentially 2 gallons per spout. I was close to filling a 55 gallon drum with a line of 21 trees in 24 hours.

Try and pull your line tighter to reduce sag, your vacuum will pull it through a sag though!

[georgelineman]

Lano75 is right . I have a 225 foot run with 17 taps with about the same drop as you and I am getting 40 gallons + or - every 24hours going into a 55 gal drum. 23.5 on the vac. gauge. some days a little less but not by much

[buckeye gold]

Typical run will be a gallon a tap on days it just runs, but on those ideal days you will get 2 gallons plus. The other day I had three runs (50 taps) emptying into one tank. In 18 hours they ran 160 gallons or over 3 gallons a tap. I assume I have those lines set up at optimum performance.

[BSD]

as far as the sag in the lines. just pull on it and use a chinese finger trap with hollow core rope to keep tension on it. you can pull much harder than you might expect on it.

[KJamesJR]

Wish I could plop a 50 gallon drum right there but I’d have no way to move it or get the sap out so it looks like I’m going to have to add more buckets. This week is looking like a good week for sap up here in the northeast.

[KJamesJR]

as far as the sag in the lines. just pull on it and use a chinese finger trap with hollow core rope to keep tension on it. you can pull much harder than you might expect on it. I got it pulled pretty tight. If I took the big concrete block off the bucket the tension would shoot said bucket back into the woods. The run is just so long the line is sagging and swaying. I might have to stick a lawn chair under it or something to keep it straight. The sap was still running through it pretty good. It’s all froze now.

[DrTimPerkins]

Prop it up some with posts (or weave around saplings). A small sag is acceptable, but large sags will produce some backpressure and reduce your yield somewhat. It'll still run, but you'll get less sap.

[buckeye gold]

If it's not too high. Go to a Tractor Supply farm supply and buy some step in electric fence post, the gray ones. /16th tubing snaps right in the top slot. You can prop lines up to 42". I have several along my slope. If not them you can get longer garden post and zip tie to them. All of them cost around $2.00 -3.00.

[KJamesJR]

If it's not too high. Go to a Tractor Supply farm supply and buy some step in electric fence post, the gray ones. /16th tubing snaps right in the top slot. You can prop lines up to 42". I have several along my slope. If not them you can get longer garden post and zip tie to them. All of them cost around $2.00 -3.00.

I have that electric fence post but I can't drive them in to the ground. I think I've solved it though. I'm going to run some cable between two trees across the clearing and use that to prop the line up.


New issue this morning however... The overflow tubing that was working wonderfully yesterday failed this morning. So the first bucket of sap overflowed out on to the ground. Wife sent me a pic and the overflow tube looks clear of ice. Looks like I'm going to have to cut out of work early today to tackle it.

When putting in overflow tubing, should the tube end where it meets the bucket (or just beyond the drilled hole) or should I extend the overflow tube deep down into the bucket? I'm trying to figure out which physics work better here.

[KJamesJR]

17677

This is what the current setup looks like.

[wnybassman]

I just think you're ready for a bigger storage container.

[KJamesJR]

I just think you're ready for a bigger storage container.

Yeah... I think i'll pick one up this weekend lol.

[Maple Time]

I have a 55 gallon screw top barrel at the end of my line, I just dip 5 gallon buckets in to empty it.

[KJamesJR]

So the overflow tubes seem to be working fine now. Not sure what went wrong with them. I just rearranged them a bit and almost three buckets full on this line although flow has been slowing down a bit.

I like the idea of a 55 gallon drum with a screw lid, does anyone know where I can order one of these without buying in bulk?

[sap retreiver]

Many places in nh have them. Try craigslist, Sunnyside maple, place in Northwood on rt.4

[Lano75]

I bought my blue food safe barrels on craigslist for about $60.00 a piece. Now I just saw some for 30 the other day. If you can get the ones with a removable lid with clamp. They are easy to clean.

[tgormley358]

For the sag, a friend showed me how to use a little rope to pull the line laterally one way or other perpindicular to the slope, which is the same as weaving it around other trees but that option isn't as available once you've run your line top to bottom. Y ou can always add a rope later to tighten up.

[maple flats]

Side ties work, Leader and maybe other dealers also carry a holder with a nail hole. If you try some of those I suggest you use junk trees as much as possible and even then use aluminum nails. That way if one gets missed and does not get removed it will not cause an issue with a chain saw. Leader calls that a tubing support part # 4747. Another way is to use wire ties or twist ties around smaller brush to hold for fewer sags.