How many taps?

[goldnut]

I just bought a leader 2x6 and was wondering how many trees i could safely tap. I dont want to go crazy here since this will be my first year with this new equipment. I plan on using bags and buckets. Thanks Ken

[motowbrowne]

How much time do you want to spend boiling sap? You could figure that rig at about 35 gallons of evaporation per hour (ballpark). If you put out 350 buckets and have a run of 1 gain per tap, you'd need to boil for 10 hours to process the sap. If it runs like that two days in a row, you'd be swimming in it. Figure out how much time you have available and go from there.

[DASH]

With a 2X6 rig motowbrowne is right on! We have a 2x6 and this year tapped 350, there were some days we ran our evaporator 12-14 hours straight, me and my sweet wife took shifts! We are blessed, made a lot of syrup, and decided to look into an RO for next season if we continue to put that many taps in. However don't let me scare ya, it takes quite a bit of sap to "sugar your pans" so to few taps is not good either, 200-250 usually works quite well, gives you plenty to do while you learn your new rig. After a year or so with that new rig you will have a better feel for what's going to work best.

Good Luck
DASH

[goldnut]

Im self employed so I think 8 hrs would work well. I suppose I will try to start with about 150-200. Thanks for the help.

Dash, Where about are you located? I too am on the PA/OH line. I live in Transfer and have a business in OH.

[VT_K9]

When I first got into the family sugaring we were running about 150 buckets on a 2x6. Now we are running 400 with vacuum (avg. about 100 gallons of syrup). If time was there is past fall we would have been about 800.

If you want to simply run just the evaporator you will likely find comfort with about 250 taps in buckets or tubing without vacuum. This will result in a about 25 gallons of syrup depending on sugar content.

You can always add upgrades as you go....Blower (this is nice and I would recommend an air tight front), hood, steam away, RO. We added an RO after one year of 325 taps on a sap puller. Some 2x6 units are rated for 150 taps and some are for up to 400. I think it comes down to design of the unit. Then how much time do you want to spend boiling? If you want to maximize the amount of sap from trees look into a puller or one of shur flow type pumps. We ran a puller and had very good luck with it.

Find yourself a good source of slab wood and split it wrist size and let dry this summer into next year. If you have the means, keep an extra unit on hand in case you have a bigger than expected year. We normally kept half of the next year's slab wood in a bundle under cover.

Good luck,

Mike

[motowbrowne]

It probably depends on the average yields in your area too. We always used to do pretty good on buckets. In a good year we'd name 100 gallons from 300 taps. 60 was the worst we ever did units 2012, which was a disastrous year. But then I hear Mike say 25 gallons from 250 taps, which seems really low to me. Just depends on your woods and your weather I guess.

[DASH]

goldnut, my Farm is on the south edge of Erie County, Rt226 runs along my property, I’m 6 or 7 miles west of Albion. If you’re ever up this way we’d be happy to meet you.

[mellondome]

My first few years on a 2x6 I only had 45 buckets. Looking back, it was the right amount for the learning curve and full time job. It will take some time to get the rig "figured out".
The worse thing you can do is have the pressure of lots of sap to boil while you are trying to figure out how to get over 15 gal/hr from your rig that everyone else gets 35-45. As you become comfortable, add taps. Remember to have fun.

[Russell Lampron]

I just bought a leader 2x6 and was wondering how many trees i could safely tap. I dont want to go crazy here since this will be my first year with this new equipment. I plan on using bags and buckets. Thanks Ken

Your evaporation rate will depend on what Leader arch and pans you've got. If this is a used rig with the old style arch and 3 foot flue pan 25 gph is about all that you can expect on a good day. If it is a WSE arch with a max flue pan you can do much better. Things like an air tight front and blower also help add to the gph. Generally 100 to 350 taps is what a stock 2x6 will do depending on arch and pan configuration. Knowing what you've got for an arch and pan configuration will help us help you.

I bought my 2x6 Algier in 2000 planning on putting out about 200 taps and had over 300 taps before I even put sap in it. It was a bit overwhelming at first but I have since added a hood and pre heater, a bubbler and a high efficiency arch. I also added an RO and vacuum in 2005 and the new arch this season. I'm putting out 725 taps now and can handle the big runs with ease.

[mol1jb]

This was my first year on 2x6 raised flue pans on a homebuilt arch. It was quite a change from my last rig and took me a few weeks to get it fine tuned. I tapped 120 on 3/16 with shurflo so that would equate to around 200 buckets. I would recommend starting with a base boil rate of 25 gph in your mind since it does take some time to get your evap running to maximum levels.

[Sugarmaker]

Well I hope to discuss this topic with Ken today as he may be in the area. DASH is within 10 mile of me, just cant remember seeing his sugarhouse yet.
I would say the 250 taps with no R.O. is about average tap count for a 2 x 6. more taps and you just need to stay out there and boil longer.
Regards,
Chris

[motowbrowne]

Like it says in my signature we averaged 105 gallons per season with the 2x10 we had from 2012-2016. It's probably different in different areas, but here it seems that 40% of the sap for a while season will come in 2-3 days.

My experience with moving up to a bigger cooker last year is that boiling is FUN again. Partly it's because it's pretty cool getting to burn bigger wood in a bigger firebox and watching the sap come into the float is pretty awesome, but I think the real different is that I don't have to boil for 10-16 hours at a time. Those long days really get old in my opinion. Yeah, you can probably do 350 taps on a 2x6, but if you're out to have a good time, I think either reducing that number or adding a small RO would make it considerably more enjoyable.

[goldnut]

You guys are a wealth of knowledge and I cant tell you how much I appreciate the information.

Chris, As happens all to often my world blew up!! LOL I wont be coming up your way today but perhaps tomorrow or Tuesday. I will give you a call. Thank you sir!

If I loaded this right, here is a pic of the 2x6 that I just bought. What does the WSE stand for on Leader evaporators? Thanks fellas!

18488

[Sugarmaker]

Ken,
Not a problem! Looks like a nice evaporator with low miles! Welded Stainless Evaporator???? I dont know.
Regards,
Chris

[Russell Lampron]

You guys are a wealth of knowledge and I cant tell you how much I appreciate the information.

Chris, As happens all to often my world blew up!! LOL I wont be coming up your way today but perhaps tomorrow or Tuesday. I will give you a call. Thank you sir!

If I loaded this right, here is a pic of the 2x6 that I just bought. What does the WSE stand for on Leader evaporators? Thanks fellas!

18488

WSE stands for wide side evaporator. It means that the sides of the arch are straight all of the way to the floor giving it a larger firebox than evaporators that taper in near the bottom. The one that you bought looks like a WSE which is the better one.

[VT_K9]

That evaporator does not look like a WSE. Here is a picture of a 2x6 WSE:18493

Yours appears to have two float boxes where the WSE has a single box. Nice to see you have the hoods. That will help out.

Mike

[goldnut]

Well the smart thing to do was to get the manual out that I got with it! If all else fails...read directions. It is a WSE according to that. It does only have one float box. I have the packing list.

18497

[DaveB]

That's a WSE firebox with a Leader American set of pans. I had a similar setup but with a Max Flue pan. I wound up having to sell it (long story) but I would get over 50 GPH on that setup with everything dialed in right. That's a nice setup with the hoods. If you pair that with an RO you would have no problems with 350 taps or more.

[goldnut]

Thats great news Dave! Thanks

[mellondome]

How many taps is all in how much time you have to boil and how many extras you add. With hoods, preheater, and RO, 1000+ taps can be boiled in only a few hours a day on a 2x6.

[Super Sapper]

Collection time also needs to be considered. If taps are spread out and take a long time to collect that is less time to boil.

[skixcvt]

Collection time also needs to be considered. If taps are spread out and take a long time to collect that is less time to boil.

Truth. I’m going more tubing with fewer buckets next year.