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Thread: How to run new lines

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Corfu, NY
    Posts
    5

    Default How to run new lines

    I am kinda new to making syrup. I currently have 75 buckets but I've caught the bug bad and am working every odd job I can to afford more syrup equipment. My wife thinks the extra money is to buy a new dining room set. Funny funny girl. Anyways, I am interested in running some lines to about 100 new taps. I don't have vacuum at this point but have been advised to still strive for 5 even thou I am going to use gravity untill I can but a vaccum. The question I have is if I ever decide to go to a wet line/dry line system which at this point I know nothing about but I heard alot about it at Verona and Letchworth schools I attended. Do I need to do anything special at this point to make it easier to transition to a wet/dry at a later date? Is a wet line/dry line even necessary on 100 taps? Hopefully someone can shed some light because I am heading to the woods next weekend to start running my lines. Thank you

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Sutton,Vermont
    Posts
    838

    Default

    100 taps should not require a wet/dry line. I would recommend running a 3/4 mainline and run 5/16 tubing striving for 15 taps per lateral. This way you will have some natural vacuum. it is very easy to switch to vacuum with only 100 taps. Just don't tell the wife.
    Bob- 4 x 12 Small Bros. Lightning w/raised flues-open pans
    20 x 40 sugarhouse, all tubing-main line to sugarhouse
    1400+- for 2011 & 100% vacuum
    Polaris 500 HO w/Tatou 4s Tracks
    1 Chocolate Lab from TEXAS

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    I agree, 100 taps does not warrant wet/dry. IF and only IF you have good slope put about 15 taps or even slightly more per lateral. When you get vac, reduce to 5 if you can. That is what I was doing all day. I had run an extra branch line because I now have vacuum and I reduced the taps to fewer, trying for 5 but actually I got a range of 3-7 depending on the circumstances at each section. This branch line, about 100 taps on 3/4" line, on vacuum is about 640' long and it feeds into the main line that is wet /dry. I have other branches of about 60 to 150 taps that each empty into the same wet/dry line and then to the 1000 gal vacuum sap tank. All branches go into the wet/dry except one that goes straight to the tank.
    On yours, good elevation drop gives natural vacuum when the lateral fills with sap, flat landers should run more like the 5 tap rate because they can't generate natural vacuum.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Corfu, NY
    Posts
    5

    Default

    Thanks for responding, I appreciate your help. One further question thou if I plan on adding vacuum next season so I am only going to use gravity this season is it ok to just run 5 taps per lateral. It seems like alot of extra money to run my laterals this year at 15 then have to redo them all next season at 5. It seem like I will be tearing down alot of lines next year and redoing everthing. I have pretty decent pitch on my property so thats not a real issue. Maybe I'm not thinking this thru and it's not a huge deal to take a lateral line from 15 to 5 as it seems like alot of people have probrably done it since vacuum was only intruduced in the last few years. Please let me know if I am missing something and with the right splices etc, nothing really gets wasted when switching from 15 to 5 or if I shoudl do everything as 5 this year. Thanks

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    DeKalb, NY
    Posts
    1,707

    Default

    Just do them at 5 or less this year.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    Yes, It's OK, but you will get a little less sap this year but far more next and every year you have vacuum, assuming comperable seasons. The natural vacuum won't be there to help. You might be able to do what I did too, I ran about 10-12 taps on gravity and this year I split it, ran an extra branch across the hill and re did the lines by cutting the old lateral where the branch intersected the branch and connecting, and then going down hill to the next tap and making that an end of line tree (end ring).
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Sutton,Vermont
    Posts
    838

    Default

    Go with the plan of 5 or so taps per lateral....certainly a step above buckets. You will not notice a big difference. Except you won't have to empty the buckets!
    Bob- 4 x 12 Small Bros. Lightning w/raised flues-open pans
    20 x 40 sugarhouse, all tubing-main line to sugarhouse
    1400+- for 2011 & 100% vacuum
    Polaris 500 HO w/Tatou 4s Tracks
    1 Chocolate Lab from TEXAS

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    S adks
    Posts
    168

    Default

    This thread is right up my alley since i am thinking about starting out with tubing rather than my original plan of sap sacks. I ahve a pretty decent slope behind my house. I have mapped out where I think that my 3/4" 30P mainline should go, which is at the near bottom of the hill, running parallel and to my future sugarhouse. THe line will be 500'. From the line, I plan on putting in a dozen or so 30P laterals. THe laterals would basically g ostraight up the hill. the hill is not soo steep that you cant walk it but is steep enough. I was figuring on only adding 5-7 taps per lateral, with each lateral being 100' or so long. However, now I am learning that the more taps per lateral if you have slope the better you will be if you do not plan on adding vacume. So how many taps can I put on a 100' lateral with gravity. To give you some idea, my 500' mailine will slope 92' in elevation from one end to the other.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Hubardton,Vermont
    Posts
    697

    Default

    If not running vacuum, with your slope you are probably going to want about 20 taps per lat. Some poeple run even more. But that is a safe number.
    4x14 Hurricane Force 5
    Lapierre 1500 GPH R.O
    7800 Taps on vac.
    24x26 Sugarhouse

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

    Default

    Currently using short run tubing "sets" consisting of 12 to 20 taps some may be 100 feet in length. We have about 500 taps on these. Using Leader 30P plus some CDL fittings for the wrap around the end trees.
    Chris
    Casbohm Maple and Honey
    625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
    3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
    12" SIRO Filter Press.
    2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
    One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
    Too many Cub Cadets
    Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
    1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck

    www.mapleandhoney.com

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