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Thread: lesson learned about [clean] taps

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Kent Ct. USA
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    369

    Default lesson learned about [clean] taps

    You'd think after 20+ years, you'd have this all figured out, but its still a learning thing. End of Feb, some of the trees i'd tapped first week of Jan had slowed, some stopped. The near 70 degree days didn't help - Anyway, I took some 2 dozed buckets off & pulled the taps, went to some trees farther out, harder to get to that I hadn't tapped & did so. 1st run was o.k., almost immediately though, they start to slow up, some stopped pretty quick. I took them all down Thursday, all were done except for the last one, this one i'd put a brand new unused tap in. The taps I reused were all coated with a slimy goo, the slots sealed right off. Probably cost me a few gallons of syrup in the end, maybe this will keep someone else from repeating my mistake though. Clean taps only! All done for the season, a little over 1400 gal of sap, 200 behind last year, but good none the less.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Cornwall, CT
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    356

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    Interesting and makes sense. I have my 30 taps soaking in hot water as I type. Wish there was a good way to remove, clean and re-use my 3/16" taps....
    1980 - 6 taps, stone fire pit, drain pan evaporator, 1 pint of syrup
    2016 - 55 taps on 3/16 and gravity, new sugar shack, 2x3 Mason XL, 16 gallons of syrup
    2017 - 170 taps on 3/16, 2x4 Mason XL, NextGen RO. 50 gallons of syrup
    2018 - 250+ taps on gravity and buckets, 2x5 Smokey Lake arch and Beaverland pan.
    2019 - 250+ taps on gravity. A few buckets. 35 gallons of syrup.
    2020 - 300+ taps on gravity. 50 gallons of syrup.
    2021 - 280 taps on gravity and 40 buckets. 35 gallons of syrup.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Danbury, Connecticut
    Posts
    331

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    I'm using seasonal 5/16 for a cost of $.16 each I will replace them each year. UVM research shows huge declines in reused plastic taps.
    2016 - 36 Taps - File Cabinet Arch + Food Pans
    2017 - 2.5'x10' drop flues - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 122 Taps
    2018 - 16x20 Sugar Shack - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 235 Taps

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    All of my taps are new every year. I started tapping Jan 8, finished the last on 2/20. I'm still going on 4/1. You will never get that on taps that were usaed before except maybe SS taps that were properly cleaned. At the price of taps you are being penny wise and pound foolish using taps more than 1 season.
    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.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    N 42° 7' 22.3109" Mendon, MA
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    89

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by maple flats View Post
    All of my taps are new every year. I started tapping Jan 8, finished the last on 2/20. I'm still going on 4/1. You will never get that on taps that were usaed before except maybe SS taps that were properly cleaned. At the price of taps you are being penny wise and pound foolish using taps more than 1 season.
    Couldn't agree more!
    Miscoe Hill Maple
    2015 PJ Evaporator (Phaneuf) 2x6 drop flue
    2x6 WF Mason Arch
    ~250 taps on a Guzzler & Shurflo
    12x20 WF Mason Filter/Canner
    12x16 Sugarhouse

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Beaver Falls,NY
    Posts
    249

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    Every year I think of trying something different. Up to this point, I have cut off the spouts, boiled, cleaned with special pipe cleaners, boiled again and then left soaking in a closed container with Hypochlor most of the winter. I would change them out every other year with new ones, but it is a big pain in the butt since we keep expanding. Am torn between cleaning the spouts and lines and leaving them on, or replacing all spouts every year. Just seems a waste to throw all those spouts away. Has anyone tried a rotation of spouts where you soak them in sanitizer for 2 years, then use them again every third year? I'm thinking any microbes would be eliminated after soaking that long.
    4x12 arch
    new custom flues
    New custom front pan
    600 buckets town trees
    1500 3/16 taps
    D&G filterpress
    16x32 3rdgen canner
    member NYMPA
    Director American Maple Museum
    Director NNYMP COOP
    Asst. Chief BFFD
    Retired(now working for free)
    2015 Mahindra 70hp

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    6,391

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    Brushing them in sanitizer, then a one-hour soak in the proper strength solution (preferably with some occasional agitation) is enough, followed by a thorough rinse, then a good drying. Store them in a dry, non-humid, preferably cold location (freezer?). This will get them close to new, but is really only cost effective if you don't include your time spent doing it.
    Last edited by DrTimPerkins; 04-09-2017 at 07:11 PM.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Kent Ct. USA
    Posts
    369

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    Last batch of taps I bought were 1.50 ea. - I can't throw those out -

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Beaver Falls,NY
    Posts
    249

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    Dr. Tim
    If I considered my sugarin time and labor as valuable, I probably would have sold all my equipement 40 yeasrs ago.
    4x12 arch
    new custom flues
    New custom front pan
    600 buckets town trees
    1500 3/16 taps
    D&G filterpress
    16x32 3rdgen canner
    member NYMPA
    Director American Maple Museum
    Director NNYMP COOP
    Asst. Chief BFFD
    Retired(now working for free)
    2015 Mahindra 70hp

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    East Windsor, CT
    Posts
    3

    Default

    I boil all my taps at the end of season and beginning of season. Tapped late in January. I have 40 buckets with 7/16 cast and they lasted over 1.5 months... there are 3 still running!
    I have 10 5/16 plastic that i reused from last year and all are still going! Tapped at the same time! But sap is getting buddy now. Turned out to be a weird but ok season.

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