Originally Posted by
Hop Kiln Road
Perry, I think the experiment would have a 30p line with 15 taps on it and then run the 30p 30 feet down a 10% grade to a barrel. Then put 15 buckets in the same area. I think the results would be close to mine.
Some of my lines already have 4 to six taps on 8 ft laterals and those lines have consistantly out produced others which have 10 to 15 on long laterals and good slope.
You might be right. I think the big problem with overloaded laterals is they take longer to thaw. I notice trees trying to run (sap leaking out under pressure) but ice in the lines prevented the sap from flowing. Short laterals with only 5 taps would prevent this problem.
The only reason i have these long laterals is I have sever small groups of maples that are 500+ feet from the top of my mainlines up a steep hill. It was NOT cost effective for my to run a mainline all the way up to these isolated groups of maples, so I use the 30P as a pseudo-mainline to pick up these isolated groups of trees. Sure looks impressive when they are running full-bore!
2012: Probably 750 gravity taps and 50 buckets.
600 gal stainless milk tank.
2 - 100 gallon stock tanks
one 30 gal barrel
50 buckets
3' x 10' Waterloo Raised Flue wood fired evaporator w/ open pans.
12" x 20" Filter Canner
Sawmill next to sugarhouse solves my sugarwood problem
Gather with GMC 3500 2wd Pickup w/ 425 gallon Plastic Tank.
Been tapping here in Lyman NH since 1989 but I've been sugaring since 8 years old in 1968.
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