Originally Posted by
Swingpure
I actually walked the lines today, and I by passed some lower trees to make sure I had the “crux”. One of the two lines finishing off with an 80’ uninterrupted stretch at 35° slope and the second line finishes off with a 125’ uninterrupted stretch at a 25° slope. This line actually runs by a viable tree, but the tree is only 30’ from the collection area. I will put a bucket on that tree.
Both collection buckets are side by side and the wire that holds the end of the line, will hold both line ends.
mm
From experience ...
At about mid season, 3 seasons ago my highest potential natural vacuum run had 9 taps on it. 6 taps up high then 65 feet to 3 more taps just before the collection barrel. After I removed the three taps and put those 3 taps on a individual line into the barrel and put the upper six taps on a undisturbed run into the collection barrel. Within hours the 6 taps were flowing better then they ever had before, even with the 9 taps on them. In addition the three tap line was then flowing sap at a decent rate but not even half as fast as the 6 tap run which obviously was in a natural vacuum state of obvious benefit.
Last year I had 3 on one line into the collection and 7 on another line into the collection. The 7 generated 17 inches at peak and was very close to a constant stream at peak flow on 5/16.
Now keep in mind ... I use 5/16 for whatever I do and get. If you use 3/16 results might be different I suppose.
I respect everybody's opinion on here, but about 5 years ago a humble soft spoken lady who worked at the Rutland Leader store and ran/runs a decent size commercial operation in Benson told me that "I think" you need at least 75 feet of good sloping final run after your "LAST" tap to generate decent vacuum on 5/16 and of course the appropriate number of taps and sap flow above it.
After lots of stumbling and perhaps not wanting to take a woman's word for it mainly cause I only had the 70/75 feet of final run on one of my runs, that piece of taping info I received from her has been VERY consistent with my experience in my gravity runs and not just this one.
Unfortunately the Rutland Leader store is no more.
With that said Dr. Tim Perkins does have me convinced that mathematically/physically speaking it should not matter. As he describes it and now think of it for what it is.
But .... my real world experience does not seem to back it up. Simply put the lower taps "seem" to reduce effectiveness for me. Both in forming vacuum on the upper taps and the efficiency of the lower taps.
Like everybody else on this planet it is very possible I am mistaken.
Rob
Last edited by Sugar Bear; 09-27-2021 at 08:10 PM.
If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.
Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.