tapping?

You are right, I did drill at a bit of an angle. I thought I read somewhere that that helps with the flow. So I should drill them level from now on?

Thank you very much for the link.

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Originally Posted by GeneralStark

The study you are referring to can be found here: http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc/tapping.pdf

Your conclusions aren't totally correct. If you are talking about bucket or gravity taps, you may be able to get away with early tapping on a cold year, but in a warm year not so much.

With vacuum tubing and good taphole sanitation (cv spouts/seasonal spouts, frequent drop change) tapping early generally produces more sap, though weather is certainly a factor.

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Originally Posted by acrete

You are right, I did drill at a bit of an angle. I thought I read somewhere that that helps with the flow. So I should drill them level from now on?

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That looks like a Check valve (CV2) spout and they are suppose to be drilled level. I thought they came with directions in the bag maybe you didn't buy a whole bag.

https://www.bascommaple.com/item/lacsp/spout_leader/

Those are the spouts I am using. I bought 50 of them.

I put out 15 taps and got 15gallons plus or minus in 24 hours. I ment to put more out today but work is so busy right now I didn't get to it this morning

anyone read on the older black CV spouts whether or not you should be drilling at a slight angle compared to level on gravity?

All taps, wether on gravity, vacuum, or buckets should be drilled straight in rather than at a downward angle. We all know the tree creates pressure to allow sap to flow and therefore does not need to be at a angle to drain out. Drilling at a angle is only asking for a oblong hole and a leak.

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Originally Posted by adk1

anyone read on the older black CV spouts whether or not you should be drilling at a slight angle compared to level on gravity?

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They came with instructions suppose to drill level.

Drove home with 35 gallons of sap this evening. I'm very happy to get the chance to do a test boil on the new evap and shack this weekend before the real runs happen.

We built a 2 handed tool this morning then a tubing un-spooler and headed out to the hill behind my brothers house. Strung up 3/16 line zigzagged up the hill and got everything nice and tight. Threw together the drop lines and figured it was getting warm out and "It is February" so we went ahead and tapped. Got 18 in on the line. Gonna get back over there tomorrow morning and run another line with about 12 more on the other side of the yard. Sap was running pretty good into the collection drum this afternoon. These are all on natural/gravity vacuum and I put in new check valve taps and used a brand new drill bit so I am hoping that these will run well into the spring even though we are tapping a tad early. At my house the trees are too spread out and I don't have the hill for this kind of setup so I am 100% buckets here. So I am not tapping at my place yet. Maybe 2 more weeks if things stay looking like they are now.