Importance of vacuum

[Shaun]

After just purchasing a bulk tank for storage, I am curious if a dairy vacuum system is worth aquiring from the ex farmer? The terrain I will be tapping has at least 6 to 10 % pitch. Does this steep terrain negate the need for vacuum? I do not have any info on the vacuum system, other than Boumatic with the glass jar. This would be a 300 to 500 tap operation.

[Bucket Head]

Can the vacuum equipment be aquired reasonably? If so, I would get it. After suffering through this season with gravity taps and no sap, many folks are taking the plunge and going with vacuum. If I had access to tree's where I could do a tubing system I would go with vacuum.

Where about's are you in upstate NY?

Steve

[DrTimPerkins]

The terrain I will be tapping has at least 6 to 10 % pitch. Does this steep terrain negate the need for vacuum?

Sap flowing downhill in a gravity system will generate some natural vacuum (if set up properly). One problem is the initiation of sap flow. There is no vacuum unless sap is actually running. Under gravity, even with good conditions for natural vacuum, there will be no vacuum to get the sap flow started....so conditions for gravity flow must occur before the natural vacuum effect can kick in.

Rough rule of thumb is about 5% increase in sap yield for every 1" of vacuum at the taphole. So a dairy pump pulling 15" vacuum will get you roughly a 75% increase in yield.

[red maples]

if you can do Vac. DO IT!!! you won't be sorry!!!! and its quite amazing to watch that sap flow in I could just pull up a seat, with a few boilin' sodas and watch that realeaser dump all day!!!! AMAZING...folks that come think its water then have them taste it to prove it.