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Thread: Added more taps today

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default Added more taps today

    I didn't have enough sap to boil today and what I had is at 34F. So I went out and added 23 more taps making it 398 so far. If I get another break in the action I'm still thinking I'll add 50-75 more this year. Originally I only thought I had enough trees to get to about 450 max around the sugarhouse, now that I've started adding more it looks more like 475 to maybe even 500. My little BB4 pump is still giving my 26-27" vacuum at the releaser. The next line I add will be rather short one, 3/16 and be pulling from about level with the mainline, it will only have about 20 or 22 taps. The next line after that will be quite long and be pulling from 3-4' below the mainline. I will put a vacuum gauge at the end tree to see just how much vacuum is getting out that far on 3/16. At this point all I know is that I have vacuum at the end because when I get a leak bubbles rush in rather than sap dripping out. I'm hoping to see 10-12" but it might only be 2-3" especially with a 3/16 lateral about 500' long and either level ground or sloping away. It will be interesting to see. The longer the line when I do this on 3/16 the fewer the number of taps I use, the range is from 15 to 25 or so.
    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.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Middlesex, Vermont
    Posts
    320

    Default

    Great little experiment, Flats. Curious to see how it works out. Thus far I have been very impressed with the 3/16 capabilities. It is all brand new however. If I continue to expand I might switch to all 5/16. Let us know how your gauges read


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Mead Maple "It's for the kids..."
    Paul Cerminara
    2019 - First season ever
    -Goal: 3 gallons
    -Season Total: 7.5 gallons - pulled taps after running out of firewood and time
    2020
    Built 2'x8' Oil Fired with Thor drop flue pans
    -Goal: 20 gallons
    -Season Total: 55 gallons

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

    Default

    I used it for 3 seasons in traditional methods with good drop in elevation. Then in 2017 I experimented with 3 lines out at the end of a mainline, one line had 7 taps, one I think had 9 and one only had 3 and all 3 lines were pulling from between 2-5' below the mainline. Then in 2018 I added 2 lines across my driveway into the sugarhouse, one had 24 taps, the other had 25 taps. Those were as much as 6' at the far end below the mainline, and as they got to the driveway they had to climb to a height of 15', go across the driveway and then slope down at about a 35 degree decline to connect to the mainline on vacuum (26-27"). That worked so well last year I added 1 more line across that driveway and 3 more lines heading into a low area beside the sugarhouse. Those lines did what appeared well too.
    Each year after the season since I read a piece in The Maple News about using calcium chloride I've used that to clean. I fill the whole line with the cleaner, then shut the pump off and let it set from 30 minutes to a few hours. After that I turn the vacuum on and remove most of the cleaner, it seems some is still there, but very little. Then to start the next season all 3/16 fittings get changed meaning any connectors and the tees (I use 3/16 x 3/16 x 5/16 tees and a 5/16 tap) The taps are also changed every year except the last 2 years I have experimented using zap bac taps. I now plan to go back to all CV2 taps except every third year when all drops are changed, that year I use a seasonal tap.
    While up until now I only watched the sap flow in the 3/16 and liked what I saw, when I add a new long run pulling from below the mainline I will put a vacuum gauge at the end tree to see how much vacuum I'm really getting. That answer will be interesting to say the least. At this point I only know I have vacuum at the end because a leak sucks air in and does not leak sap. So far this year I've only added the one line I did today, I have up to 3 more planned.
    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.

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