Its my first year putting in tubing. Its my fifth year sapping. Put in 50 taps Saturday on my home place. Put in about 1000 feet of 5/16 with two lines, hooked up to a Sureflo 4008. I've been learning about adjusting the flows to get max suction. At first when it didn't seem to work, It was only pulling out of the recirculation line. I got discouraged and wondered what to do. Then I used a C-clamp to close off that line and the other two started pulling like crazy.
It has been a nice soft start because I'm really not ready. I put in forty taps in another grove hooked to a one inch mainline but will have to wait to Thursday to put in another 40, before I hook up the pump. That will be the one inch line going right into the pump. I do have a screen to keep ice out. Its supposed to get over fifty degrees on Saturday and Sunday so I think things will pick up quickly.
I have two other groves I need to get tapped, the mainline is up but no laterals yet. I learned a lesson this year. Get the line work done in the Fall before the cold and snow arrive. It just makes it so much more difficult to get around.
When I'm done tapping I plan to have about 5-600 taps out.
I'm also a professional knifemaker and I have a show to display and sell on the 13,14 so having the syrup season come early has made getting everything done more difficult.
So in order to get production going, I have to get my two RO systems completed, my evaporator set up, wash buckets and tanks, move tanks to locations and pumps set up.
Is a lot for one guy. Yes I have a full time day job. Once I RO to about 12% I plan to freeze concentrate until I get a little more help to evaporate.
My evaporator is a Smoky Lake 2x4 Hybrid, and my filter is flat approximately 18 x18 inches. I know these two parts of my process will be maxed out. The ROs will help but I expect to have a lot of sap.