sap ladder

[Asa Matras]

Hey folks.
We need to set up a sap ladder over a trail, any guidelines? how high can you pull sap up? Its got to be high enough for the occasional horse back rider.
Thanks in advance

[DrTimPerkins]

3/16” or 5/16” lines?
How many taps after you cross the path?
Vacuum level?

A better option, if the trail isn’t used in the spring, would be to set up a line that can be disconnected and taken down in the summer/fall and reconnected for the season.

[Russell Lampron]

It takes 1 inch of vacuum to lift a column of sap 1 foot. If you are using stars to make your ladder it will handle 10 taps per leg which is 60 taps per 6 way star. I've got a ladder close to my house if you want to come over and look at it.

[Asa Matras]

5/16. No more than 40 or 50 after the path. We're probably gonna have 20-25" of vac.
Disconnecting isn't really an option although thats our first choice.
We're probably gonna to use the 6 way star system and raise the upper line 8 or so ft above the lower incoming line.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I had 12' ladders of 3 stars each and they worked fantastic. at the time I was running around 20 HG's

[DrTimPerkins]

Should work fine with that configuration. Don’t go any higher than necessary.

[Asa Matras]

Thanks guys

[VT_K9]

We have a section where the mainline beyond the ladder is about 75'. It is 3/4" and has about 30 taps on it. We lift about 8 feet in the air. The ladder is necessary to move sap higher to maintain slope to the collection point and it's high enough to allow access under the line.

It is located near the sugar house. By watching the sap ladder I can tell when the vacuum is at or above 18"...that's when the ladder starts working.

Mike

[calvertbrothers]

5/16. No more than 40 or 50 after the path. We're probably gonna have 20-25" of vac.
Disconnecting isn't really an option although thats our first choice.
We're probably gonna to use the 6 way star system and raise the upper line 8 or so ft above the lower incoming line.

Last year I had a problem with my movement of sap through my ladder, my system was tight and pulled 25” of vacuum I had to get a needle valve to let just enough air come in the system to move the sap. But that created another problem of it freezing. I guess with higher the vac the more complicated it gets at least for me. 22” of vacuum stopped the freezing of the line if you ever have any issues with that kind of stuff.

[Haynes Forest Products]

For me the higher the vacuum the more gas came out of the tree and the better the ladder worked. I still don't see why anyone would walk their woods to seal up every little leak to increase the vacuum and then go and make a leak with a valve.

I just don't buy the idea it helps. Now I know it makes things jump around and it looks like things are zipping around but is the volume of sap into the releaser really increase over the entire day. Replication boys replication.

[BreezyHill]

The reason for adding an injector of air is to provide bubbles for the sap to ride up the ladder on.

If your system is not in need of added bubbles then you close the injector and rely on the gases and leaks in the system already. If there is not enough bubbles the sap will pool at the base of the ladder.

Only raise the sap as far as is needed...this is great point. Shorter ladders require less bubbles, easier to maintain, and easier to clean. A single star will work very well for only 50 taps.

Make sure it is on the south side of any support trees. Sun to thaw it quicker is a big plus. Dense woods cause longer thaw times.

There are several producers on here that have years of experience with multiple ladders. So just ask any questions prior to the build.
Good Luck!

[KReinisch]

i have been following this thread and I see that it is recommended to have a star for ever 50-60 taps. SO if I were to lift 500 taps, I would need 10 stars?

[maple flats]

I even ran a test ladder last year where I was tapping 25 taps in sugars and 24 taps in red maples. I ran each starting about 6-7' lower than where the ladder was to lift. I ran them in 3/16 and needed no air inlet needle valve because in the 3/16 tubing the air will not pass the sap. I lifted at the ladder to 15' off the ground with the line starting at about 3' off the ground (but remember, the low end of the lateral was between 6-7' lower). The laterals (2 of them) then crossed the driveway to another tree, wrapped around that just above a limb at about 14.5 ' above the ground and then sloped at about 35-40 degrees down to the main line which had 26-27" of vacuum all season. Anytime it dropped below 26 I walked the lines and fixed the leaks. That experiment in my non scientific mind was a total success.
KReinsch, If you have 500 taps to be lifted I suggest you use 1/2" risers and run 10 of them. You will need a good vacuum pump to handle that many, both in vacuum level and CFM.