Tubing Layout - Opinions Requested

[snoskier16]

I have secured permission to tap on a friend's property this coming season and I'm looking to get some opinions on the best way to layout the system.

This property has been tapped for the past couple of years using 3/16" on gravity with fair success (my thought is due to installer error, but that is beyond the point). The satellite image below gives a layout of the property.

Basic property info:

Electicity is marked with the yellow marker & collection tank to be located in that area.
Most of the sugar maples are along the orange line (~500' in length)
Elevation from the top of the property (bottom left of the image) to the collection tank is ~20'
Approximately 70 taps available
Limitations:

Tubing must be removed at end of season
Cannot cut across the yard with tubing
Cannot block driveway
http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=21563&stc=1

The system that I'm thinking is that I'll setup a Shurflo pump at the collection tank since I have electricity available. I'll run 3/4" mainline up the orange line and use 5/16" laterals to get that whole row of trees. The green line is where I don't have a great solution for, aside from using another pump and collection tank on a separate mainline (~500' in length). It is easy to get the electrical up and over the driveway, but the sap is another story!

Opinions are welcome and appreciated! Thanks!

[TapTapTap]

Hi Hartland Hollow,
I noticed that you are marketing your maple syrup as organic. I don't know what rules you are subject to in CT but in Vermont we would need a forestry management plan (among lots of other things) to become certified as organic. I assume you wouldn't have a FMP for the residential parcel.
Ken

[DrTimPerkins]

From your webpage. “Pure maple syrup is naturally organic and we don’t add any chemicals during the process like many other sugar makers do.“

Don’t want to make this an argument about organic, but I can tell you that implying other producers use chemicals in making pure maple syrup would be illegal in Vermont, and likely is in most other places as well.

[TapTapTap]

In addition, I don't think you can reasonably assert that your syrup is chemically free if the sap is gathered from trees on a property that isn't within your direct control and is a residential property. Chemicals are frequently applied to residential lawns and would be a violation of the organic certification rules.

[snoskier16]

While I appreciate the feedback, my questions still remain unanswered.

We don’t use defoamer (i.e. Chemicals) in our process so we are correct in our statement. We also aren’t claiming to be certified organic and in CT you can market products as organic if you are following organic practices and annual sales are below a certain threshold. Our current sugarbush is completely under our control and as “wild” as they come!

[DrTimPerkins]

"...we don’t add any chemicals during the process like many other sugar makers do.“

That statement implies that "many other" producers do add chemicals and therefore their syrup may not be safe. I guarantee you that statement would not fly with regulators in Vermont and many other places. It falls under the food libel and defamation regulations or generally within "food disparagement laws." I know of examples where entire shelves of product had to be pulled and new label plates made for containers to avoid similar wording problems. A good (or maybe "bad") example would be something like, "...We don't use paraformaldehyde in making our maple syrup."

[DrTimPerkins]

I have secured permission to tap on a friend's property this coming season and I'm looking to get some opinions on the best way to layout the system.

...

The system that I'm thinking is that I'll setup a Shurflo pump at the collection tank since I have electricity available. I'll run 3/4" mainline up the orange line and use 5/16" laterals to get that whole row of trees. The green line is where I don't have a great solution for, aside from using another pump and collection tank on a separate mainline (~500' in length). It is easy to get the electrical up and over the driveway, but the sap is another story!

Opinions are welcome and appreciated! Thanks!

i'd suggest putting a tank on either side of the driveway and run the 3/4" vacuum line up and over the driveway with a small releaser on the orange side end. You won't need a releaser on the green line since the Shurflo will serve that function. Alternatively, if the height isn't too much, try a 5/16" sap ladder, although this probably won't work very well with such low CFM and no introduced air.

Alternatively you could put a Shurflo on either side of the driveway, but use the discharge side of one of them to pump to a tank on the other side of the driveway.

So you'd either need 2 Shurflos or 1 Shurflo + a releaser.

[TapTapTap]

We don’t use defoamer (i.e. Chemicals) in our process so we are correct in our statement.

Hi Hartland Hollow,

I didn't mean to be hypercritical and hope you weren't offended. I apologize if I came off that way.

If you're willing to share can you explain what your technique is with the defoamer, or more specifically - lack of defoamer? I'm switching over to certified organic and I need to explore my options with defoamers.

Thanks

Ken

[maple flats]

Hi Hartland Hollow,

I didn't mean to be hypercritical and hope you weren't offended. I apologize if I came off that way.

If you're willing to share can you explain what your technique is with the defoamer, or more specifically - lack of defoamer? I'm switching over to certified organic and I need to explore my options with defoamers.

Thanks

Ken
Check your state, safflower oil might be an option.

The statement on your website that others add chemicals might get you into a big lawsuit by large producers who have far deeper pockets than you do. First of all, has your lawn ever had chemicals applied, if yes, how recently? There will be lots more questions if you push the point, I don't think you really want to open that can of worms.

[minehart gap]

Please correct me if any of what I understand is incorrect.
* 70 taps available from 2 different directions
* Electric is available at the low point but a driveway is in the way for one of the directions.
*A sureflow pump is or will be available.
* Taking power over the driveway is acceptable

After reading a little on this site, I believe that I would look at the option of using 1/2" mainline going both where your orange line is and also up and over the driveway then along the other side of the property. That would allow you to have 1 collection tank and vacuum pump and according to some others, the bigger sureflow pumps will lift sap under vacuum. Possible look at the use of a sap ladder to get over the driveway.

[Biz]

How many taps on the line that needs to cross the driveway? If 25 or less, for a lower cost solution you might want to consider using 3/16 for the mainline, and just run it up over the driveway and into the Shurflo pump on the other side. The 3/16 tubing should pull sap up and over the driveway without a problem. For the larger run, a mainline setup should get you the most amount of sap, but it sounds like you would need to put it up and take it down every year. You could consider a couple runs of 3/16 there too, if mainline is not the best option. Just keep tap count to 25 or less.

Dave