Annual Tubbing Take Down Practices

[SeanD]

I have a spinning Jenny that I have thought about using, but I opted against, thinking that the line hooks, drops, etc, would all get hung up on the stone walls, bark, branches, etc. that they do even when I'm doing it by hand. I figure I'd spend my time running back and forth from snag to reel, snag to reel. How are you able to get around that?

3/16" is way easier to manage than the 5/16", but it does retain more pockets of sap than the 5/16". Sometimes with 5/16" I can give the line a shake and it will get the liquid moving down or out of the drop, but not so much with the 3/16". I can't get a compressor out to any of my lines, but as I was taking it down this year, I wondered if a bicycle pump would be strong enough to push the liquid out - if I could figure out a way to put a fitting on it.

[Greensprings sugar]

You do have an occasional snag, and definitely don't want to wrap around trees for tension. In most part once line is on ground, it slides right past and around trees, even with drops still attached. We cut end of reel off and used all thread to be able to remove end of reel once finished, slide a piece of 4" pipe over all thread to keep rolls from knotting up. When finished run zip ties thru pipe and around tubing. Makes great rolls! Label each run and lots of pictures for next seasons setup

[Sugarbush Ridge]

I wondered if a bicycle pump would be strong enough to push the liquid out - if I could figure out a way to put a fitting on it.

I have used new garden sprayers both for water-air mix to clean and blow out and then peroxide mix to sanitize. I take off the wand and connect both sprayers to a"Y" with 5/16 and then 5/16 to spout. I have only tried this in 5/16 but not on 3/16,, so would it work with 'maybe' a wood chip in line at a "T"????

[Sugarmaker]

Well I got started with the take down and have a mess this year. I had sanitized the lines and did not drain them after. The spouts are pluged into the cups. So most of the drops have liquid in them. My plan is to remove the drops and replace with new drops and new fresh spouts. I am going to do this back at he sugarhouse not in the bush. Also I reconfigured several systems to bring a pair to the same gathering point. This will reduce gathering time/ stops and be a little more efficient. Will probably use next larger 50 gallon containers at these spots.
Neighbor and CDL dealer Gary B showed me his method of removing old drops with a small butane torch. soften and pull the tubing off. And using boiling water to soften and install new drops. Will take some time but maybe we will get some more sap too?

Regards,
Chris

[Ghs57]

Well I got started with the take down and have a mess this year. I had sanitized the lines and did not drain them after. The spouts are pluged into the cups. So most of the drops have liquid in them. My plan is to remove the drops and replace with new drops and new fresh spouts. I am going to do this back at he sugarhouse not in the bush. Also I reconfigured several systems to bring a pair to the same gathering point. This will reduce gathering time/ stops and be a little more efficient. Will probably use next larger 50 gallon containers at these spots.
Neighbor and CDL dealer Gary B showed me his method of removing old drops with a small butane torch. soften and pull the tubing off. And using boiling water to soften and install new drops. Will take some time but maybe we will get some more sap too?

Regards,
Chris

I'm sure I am going to reconfigure a few lines next year, which could make next year difficult. I'll have to move the location of some drops, and I won't be able to do that ahead of time. So it will be done in the field when reinstalled. That's ok when it's 60 like it was this year, but not so when it's 30.

I replaced all my drops this year, and I assembled them ahead of time indoors using my old rice cooker to boil water and soften the tubing. It worked great. Just had to deal with the line connections in the field. If I go ahead with some reconfiguring, I may just make up another big batch of drops and install those as I go instead of trying to move the current ones around. Once I reestablish the lines, I hopefully will not keep changing them.

I like the torch idea too.

[Ghs57]

Also, the air compressor worked great to blow out the lines. I then used my Sureflo to pump the sanitizer through. We have not had good weather since, so the lines have not been stored. I still need to pressure wash my drums and IBCs. The pan is full of sour sap, and will remain so for the next few moths. Funny though, it's been so cold that the sap has not turned yet. It's a little cloudy, but still smells OK.