Storge size for 25 taps

[Rockwood]

If I tap 25 taps this year, how much storage would I require per week?

Thanks

[maple flats]

You should plan at least 2 gal/tap/day. You will only get that in the best weeks but it bothers you to dump sap. Be prepared.

[Toblerone]

25 taps x .3 gal syrup per tap = 7.5 gallon syrup x 42 gal sap per gal syrup = 315 gallons sap per season / 6 weeks per season = 52 gallons sap per week.

Now, there are lots of variables there and several assumptions/guesses. So double the capacity and you should be fine. I'd go with about 100 gallons of storage for a week. When I first started, we had about 25 taps and we used two 40 gallon Rubbermaid Brute waste cans (NSF#2 safe for food contact!)

Good Luck

[PerryW]

Are you saying you are gathering only once per week?

If you collect daily from gravity taps, a typical run would be around 1 gallon per tap on a typical sap run (more with good trees), but if you have good sap weather, you could end up with 175 gallons in a 7 day week.

If you gather weekly, you also have to worry about the sap freezing solid and damaging the tank if we have a cold snap.

[Farmboy]

If I were you I would get 4 55 gallon drums. That way you have more than enough storage space. Just make sure there food grade.

[wcproctor]

Here's a good one you all. Yesterday two guys came to me to bye some tubing . This is there second year taping last year they had 20 taps in. this year there planing (OK are you ready) 100. OK so I was very excited for them. So I ask the question that size evaporator do you have. We don't but we are getting a small SS tub about 3' round. "O boy". Well what do yo have for storage? A couple of small buckets. "O boy". So I gave them my number and told them to call me on Monday. As I walked away the only thing I could do was scratch my head. "O boy"

[kinalfarm]

what is the evap/rate of your 2x6 flat pan? thats what i have and i also have a homade float valve and a blower with both pans conected. last year i got about 12 gal/hr but i had really thick pans and no continuous flow im hoping for at least 15 is this about right?

[wnybassman]

I have had days when my 15 taps have spit out 40 or more gallons in a 24 hour period. That's optimum conditions and rare it lasts for seven days straight.

[Rockwood]

O.k. let me quantify may original question.. I'm going have 25 taps, collected daily in the evenings, stored for up to 7 Days.

I take it from all the responses that my 50 Gals of storage would not be adequate.

Just for your info I'm boiling on a 2 X 3 W.F Manson.

Thanks for all your responses.. there appreciated.

[stoweski]

This is my first season. I found a clean 200 gal. poly tank on craigslist to use as storage so I could run up to 50 taps. I also have a 55 gal. drum that I'll use only if the tank is full. Lastly, I have a 35 gal. tank that I'll be using in the bucket of my tractor to collect sap while emptying buckets. I have three different areas on my property that I plan to collect sap and each one leads back to the sugarshack. So I guess if necessary I have 290 gallons of storage capacity.

I will be boiling on weekends only unless time during the week permits - highly doubtful.

I figured on average 1 gallon per day would give me my 250 gal after 5 days - some trees bleed more some less. Since there will really be five days between boils I think that will work out. Oh, and with the evap and reservoir I figure that will eat up a few gallons too.

Maybe not the best method of figuring how much storage capacity I need but with a 1/2 pint and that much sap I'd better prepare for some long nights!

Keith

[BryanEx]

Use your 50 gallon storage and then just keep some 5 gallon pails with lids around for overflows. The nice thing about 5 gallon pails is that you can easily pack them in snow to keep your sap fresher much longer. When I was running 25 taps I used all 5 gallon pails for storage. That way I could keep it cold and I could also check each one for spoilage before adding it to the rest of the batch. On the rare occasion I had more sap than pails I would turn out the oldest and keep the freshest. With 25 taps I think I had about a dozen pails with lids and I numbered each one to keep track of age.

[PerryW]

Between the volume of your sap buckets, a few full 5 gallon gathering pails and the volume of your 2x3 pan, you could probably get by with a 100 gallon tank.

In any event, if you fill everything up, you will have a long weekend of boiling on that 2x3 at maybe 10-15 gallons per hour.

Be careful on extremely cold weeks because things can freeze up. You may have to insulate the tank and remove the ice (a good thing because it raises sugar content with no boiling)

Also, be careful on extremely warm weeks because the sap will lower in quality and eventually spoil.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Here's a good one you all. Yesterday two guys came to me to bye some tubing . This is there second year taping last year they had 20 taps in. this year there planing (OK are you ready) 100. OK so I was very excited for them. So I ask the question that size evaporator do you have. We don't but we are getting a small SS tub about 3' round. "O boy". Well what do yo have for storage? A couple of small buckets. "O boy". So I gave them my number and told them to call me on Monday. As I walked away the only thing I could do was scratch my head. "O boy"

But this is not all so bad. Sometimes school of hard knocks is the best teacher. LOL!

[Littlesap]

Last year was my first year and I went from 12 buckets to about 30 over the course of the season. I had one 35 gallon brute can, two (I think) 15 gallon wine casks that I got from Lamoth's and a few random buckets. I too boiled only on the weekends and only ever filled to capacity once.

Understand that I had no idea what I was doing and it seemed like the weather really cooperated with my weekly boiling strategy, but you might be OK with your set up. If not you can always go to a restaurant supply store and pick up one of those brute food grade trash cans. A little pricey compared to other options but if it's Wednesday and you are brimming, it could solve your short term problems. Or you could just call in sick and start the fire :lol:

[wcproctor]

But this is not all so bad. Sometimes school of hard knocks is the best teacher. LOL!

So I stopped over to see how they did and I think they may be OK because they taped all 100 on 1 5/16 line and they taped about 20 trees about the size of my arm :o and I'm not a big guy. "O boy"

[KenWP]

I have to stop laughing. So they have 100 taps on one little bity line. Is it hopefully straight up and down on a hill. If it does run they will be tres excitied when that line is running full of sap. Unfortunatly the trees would have to wait in line to dump sap into it. I can see those wild US trees fighting as too who's first to fill the line.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Probably with 100 taps on that line as long as it has slope, they might get 200 gallon of sap in a day due to natural vacuum they are creating. Just need to find someone to boil the sap for them and give them a gallon of syrup for every 200 gallon of sap and they would be way ahead.