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Thread: Tap placement

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Waucedah, MI
    Posts
    54

    Default Tap placement

    So i guess i've been sugaring for 15 years now if memory serves (and it doesn't so much anymore) and every year i move the new hole over 4-6" and 2-3" lower or higher. well, after all this time, i've pretty much ringed all my trees. so, where is the best place to tap now? thanks.
    mark

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Sherburne Co Minnesota
    Posts
    125

    Default

    Sapwood should be plenty thick at a 15 year cycle.
    March 2011- my brain had a weird spark
    3 taps then 14
    2012- 35 taps
    2013-GBM 2x4 150 taps
    2014- Custom 2x10
    2015- Smoky Lake 2x2 syrup 2x8 drop flue
    2016- turbo 2000 and 36 cfm sihi 500 taps,
    2017- SL filter and bottler

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,390

    Default

    Go up or down a foot or so and start again.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    10

    Default

    Why do the taps need to be replaced each year? Sanitary reasons? Do they clog up? I was going to reuse mine from last year, but if they won't function properly I'll get an order in for new one's. Thanks in advance.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Waucedah, MI
    Posts
    54

    Default

    Thanks for the feedback guys!
    Abbattoir- i wash mine at season's end, let them dry really well, store them in a plastic coffee can, and use them again next year.
    mark

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Quaker Hill, CT
    Posts
    328

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Abattoir View Post
    Why do the taps need to be replaced each year? Sanitary reasons? Do they clog up? I was going to reuse mine from last year, but if they won't function properly I'll get an order in for new one's. Thanks in advance.
    It depends on the taps you are using and how many taps you have to deal with.

    If you are using metal taps and take the time to clean and sanitize them after each season you can reuse them many many times.

    If you are using the cheap plastic taps they are very hard to actually get clean and sanitized to a point where reusing them won't effect your production. Not that it can't be done but doing it on any sort of scale is very time consuming.

    Keeping the taps very dry during the off season also helps to reduce the transfer of bacteria from one year to the next.

    Typically for the cost of the cheap plastic taps its just much easier and cheaper to replace them yearly to get the best results.
    2017 25 taps on buckets got me hooked 1 gallon of sweet
    2018 51 taps on 3/16 tubing/ DIY oil tank evaporator 8.5gallons finished
    2019 60 taps 7 gallons finished ended season short
    2020 New 2x4 divided pan ready to get away from the headache that is steam table pans
    2021 off year due to pandemic and projects
    2022 back at it

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