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Thread: Tapping in Bug Tussle

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Clayton, IN
    Posts
    138

    Smile Tapping in Bug Tussle

    I lack 7 taps of 106 total to be all tapped for 2018. I put 40 in on tubing during last weeks thaw. Updated equipment this year includes a home built RO and a Lunchbox Vacuum for the taps on tubing.

    Wishing you a Sweet Season!
    John

    100+ Taps, 40 on 5/16 tubing

    Lunchbox Vacuum/Releaser, hodorskib's Small Scale RO

    3x7 Stainless Flat Pan

    No chickens........yet.

    http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/c.../Maple%20Camp/

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Lebanon, IN
    Posts
    291

    Default

    Hey John,
    how's your season going? We're doing a lot better than the last couple of years. We're hoping we can get a little more sap over the next few days, but I'm not sure how long the holes will stay open on our taps with bags, since we tapped mid-January.
    Doug
    Maple Creations
    Coatesville, IN
    350 taps on 5/16 tubing & 4 Lunchbox pumps
    MemProTec Concentrator 300 RO
    Wood-fired 30"x8' D&G Model 500 raised-flue w/Steam hood & blower
    Smoky Lake finisher, D&G filter press,
    http://www.facebook.com/maplecreations

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

    Default

    If those taps were sanitized or new taps you should get 4-6 weeks on bags, on tubing with vacuum you usually will get 3 months with good sanitation practices.
    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
    May 2002
    Location
    Lebanon, IN
    Posts
    291

    Default

    They were sanitized, but this is the end of the 6th week, so we're starting to push the limits. A few of them are starting to get some purple slime on them, so that's a bad sign. Unfortunately we've had quite a bit of warm weather lately, so that's not helping.

    If our tubing lines continue to run we might be able make a little more, we'll see. The forecast isn't all that great. We could add 12-15 on tubing & around 30 bags if we feel energetic & the forecast looks good for another week or so
    Doug
    Maple Creations
    Coatesville, IN
    350 taps on 5/16 tubing & 4 Lunchbox pumps
    MemProTec Concentrator 300 RO
    Wood-fired 30"x8' D&G Model 500 raised-flue w/Steam hood & blower
    Smoky Lake finisher, D&G filter press,
    http://www.facebook.com/maplecreations

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    illinois
    Posts
    132

    Default

    3 months!! wow that is a game changer
    I know it is not a "game" for many people....but i am sure you know what i mean

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Lebanon, IN
    Posts
    291

    Default

    Yeah, my wife said something about it being a long season earlier in the week, and it has been, but we really need to replace our syrup pans, so we're making as much as we can to sell.
    Now it's looking like good weather at least through the middle of next week, so we'll keep squeezing out as much as we can
    Doug
    Maple Creations
    Coatesville, IN
    350 taps on 5/16 tubing & 4 Lunchbox pumps
    MemProTec Concentrator 300 RO
    Wood-fired 30"x8' D&G Model 500 raised-flue w/Steam hood & blower
    Smoky Lake finisher, D&G filter press,
    http://www.facebook.com/maplecreations

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

    Default

    I just had to review the thread on Bug Tussle!
    Good luck with your season.
    Regards,
    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

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    North Shore Lake Lemon, Monroe County
    Posts
    135

    Default

    Really disappointed today. I drove down to my property expecting a huge haul and there was only about 20 gallons in my tanks, and a bunch of crap in it, so I dumped it all. Two of my lines were just starting to run, but it will be so warm tomorrow it will spoil before I get back down, so I left the lines out. Then, I decided to go repair leaks on the lines not running, and found I've lost my fitting pliers. Not my finest day. Hopefully we'll have one more run after it cools down Friday, but I'm seeing some buds on the smaller trees that get a lot of sun.
    2014 - 8 taps, turkey fryer, 130 gallons sap, just under 2.5 gallons syrup.
    2015 - 50 taps and counting.
    2016 - 60 taps on 3/16 and a Bill Mason evaporator on order.
    2017 - 115 taps on 3/16, homemade r/o.
    2018 - 150 taps on 3/16, r/o a big help, but lots of leaks killing yield.
    2019 - sticking with 150 taps or maybe less, focusing on good vacuum and less waste to increase yield. Doubling up my r/o, and made a vacuum filter that looks promising.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Clayton, IN
    Posts
    138

    Default

    Hey Doug,

    I also put in my taps mid January but I think the we have had a slower warm up than 2017. I have enough syrup to equal about a quart per tap. Better than the last two years. I plan to stay in a while longer.

    To your question from last year about tubing slope on my 40 taps, I think it is less than 4% on 5 year old Leader 5/16". How do you have your 3/16" tubing set up and how is working for you?
    John

    100+ Taps, 40 on 5/16 tubing

    Lunchbox Vacuum/Releaser, hodorskib's Small Scale RO

    3x7 Stainless Flat Pan

    No chickens........yet.

    http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/c.../Maple%20Camp/

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Lebanon, IN
    Posts
    291

    Default

    Sorry John, I thought I had replied, but I guess I got happy fingers & it didn't post.
    We have our 3/16" lines on a property just north of Coatesville, on the west side of 75. We're working with an average slope over 7%, with a total drop of about 40'. So far in our second year of using the tubing we're really happy with it. Even with a short drive to get there & pumping ot into our transport tank we really like being able to collect sap from 50+ trees in about 20 minutes.
    For next year we're going to look into access to another nearby property that has a bit less slope, but it drops about 30' total, so that should still create decent vacuum.
    Our taps with bags are mostly dried up, but the tubing is running well. We pulled some bags from dry holes & moved them to trees we hadn't tapped to stretch things out a little, but it looks like we'll be wrapping up this weekend.
    Doug
    Maple Creations
    Coatesville, IN
    350 taps on 5/16 tubing & 4 Lunchbox pumps
    MemProTec Concentrator 300 RO
    Wood-fired 30"x8' D&G Model 500 raised-flue w/Steam hood & blower
    Smoky Lake finisher, D&G filter press,
    http://www.facebook.com/maplecreations

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