Check valve vs other style taps

[KING MAPLE]

What is everyone doing with there taps.
I'm using leader check valve
But quite expensive...
Need to change drop lines this year..wondering what tap to use.

[sapman]

I've used check valves since they came out. Good results. Changed drop lines for this year and used CDL signature spouts. Looks like I'll have about the same yield as usual. But I've noticed the runs seem harder than ever. Ive gotta think the angle of the spout and no restriction does yield more sap per run. But obviously the question is, if I hadn't changed drops, would the hole be drying early due to bacteria.

[Buddy 58]

I have tried a lot of different taps over the years . The check valves and the clear seasonal taps all gave me the same results . Season starts - Season ends . I am speaking for my situation and location . I change drops every 3 years . I am thinking of trying ( Smokey Lakes ) 5/16 stainless steel taps , on his site he is offering them for $42 per 50 . My concern is how large the rib is for holding the drop .

[minehart gap]

I used leader check valve adapters, Lapierre clear spouts and CDL signature spouts this year. Check valve spouts dried up 2 weeks before the rest, signature spouts gave me trouble with vacuum. I change the drop every year except on the check valve spouts. I'm going to try Zap Bac for some next year.

[Kh7722]

In my opinion what is there really to compare to?, year to year is so different even run to run or tree to tree. Some trees run like a faucet and others barly drip. Whoknows why this really happens but I believe that every spile has their good points and their bad points and that we can believe anything we want to believe. In my case, i have found that the clear disposal spiles for .14 cents work great, last all season can see the sap moving, and nothing like brand new every year. Just my .2 cents (or .14)
Kevin

[Russell Lampron]

I started using the check valve adapters when they first came out and switched to the CV2's when they came out. When I first switched I had Lapierre stubbies and adapters in two sections of my woods and check valve adapters in the other. The section on check valves ran long after the other sections quit and when I pulled the taps I noticed that there wasn't much bacteria slime in the check valve section and the other sections were loaded with it.

[blissville maples]

Polycarbonate cdl spouts are hands down the best as far as sealing, cheapest, and I like the angle of the tap as it gets the tubing away fro the tree and gives more room to grab the tap to remove- especially on the thick barked old trees

[blissville maples]

In my opinion what is there really to compare to?, year to year is so different even run to run or tree to tree. Some trees run like a faucet and others barly drip. Whoknows why this really happens but I believe that every spile has their good points and their bad points and that we can believe anything we want to believe. In my case, i have found that the clear disposal spiles for .14 cents work great, last all season can see the sap moving, and nothing like brand new every year. Just my .2 cents (or .14)
Kevin

Spot on!! There is no year, no two trees, no sugarbush, and no two tapholes that are the same as the other. I've said this from day one, it takes a concious sugar maker who can really understand the results and see them rather than rely on numbers, the numbers can be unreliable, but the "feel and experience"" one gets is not

I will say this- focus on being clean at the tapholes and new spouts and drops!!

[nymapleguy607]

Has anyone ever used the DSD star taps before? They look like they would be nice taps but with the reduces tap size makes me worry about decreasing the overall sap yield.

[hogisland42]

I had been using the cdl signature spouts the last few years and they were fine. I tried ones from h2o this year and I like them a lot. they seal very good in the tree

[DrTimPerkins]

In my opinion what is there really to compare to?, year to year is so different even run to run or tree to tree.

And that is the reason we do research. We do multiple years of trials, we size match trees, we measure a large number of trees, all are within the same stands, tapped by the same person, same vacuum level, same leak checking...same EVERYTHING as much as possible, EXCEPT for the spout (or spout and drop, or way to clean). Do this for several years and you have your answer. Even better...have a couple of places doing similar things (UVM PMRC and Cornell) and compare their results.

When you do that you find that the answer (in terms of net profit generated for each sanitation approach) varies somewhat depending on your yields, however in general:

1. Any type sanitation is better than none in terms of improving sap yield.
2. Replacement (new spouts, CV spouts, new spout/drop) approaches tend to be more cost effective than cleaning.
3. CV spouts often tend to produce the highest level of net profit.
4. If you don't use CV, then drop replacement every 3 yrs with new spouts every year is pretty good. If yields are really high (> 0.5 gal syrup/tap), drop replacement every other year is better.
5. Cleaning with chlorine bleach is good, and produces good net profits, but you need to rinse or let the first sap run on the ground and may have to deal with squirrel problems.
6. New spouts every year is reasonably good (but produces lower net profits than CV or new drop/new spout periodically).
7. Other methods of chemical sanitation are not as good as replacement, and may produce negative net profits when labor costs are factored in.

[O3C]

Thank You for a nice condensed version of answers to several questions I had. I did not get the sap quantity that I thought I should have on 3\16 gravity . Looks like new drops for next year. Ron

[Mark B]

Switched my woods entirely to Zap Bac spouts this year, both gravity and vacuum. However we are having an off year here in central Maine temp wise. Anyway it will be a couple of years with the rotation pf spouts and drops before I can definitely say what I think.

[DrTimPerkins]

I guess the additional caveat I would note is that there is only a fairly small amount of added benefit of using CV spouts or Zap-Bac spouts the first year with new drops. The majority of the benefit upon installing new drops is due to the new drop/new spout effect, so I'd go with a standard spout the first year. While there might be a small additional benefit from CV or ZB spouts the first year, it makes more sense to wait until the next year before installing either.