+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 18

Thread: sap per tap

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Upstate NY
    Posts
    185

    Default sap per tap

    Hey folks!
    Just wondering what you all are getting per tap. I have roughly 2000 taps and all of them are on vacuum. I pull anywhere from 24-26 inches of vacuum. This year we pulled an an average of 17.5 gallons per tap. I feel like this should be better. What about you guys?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Stockbridge,Ma
    Posts
    285

    Default

    That is between 1/3 and 1/2 gallon of syrup per tap. Sounds about average. The micro climate where your trees are can have a big influence on your yearly production. I am finishing up today and will end up at one quart per tap. 1300 taps all on gravity.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,391

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by KReinisch View Post
    This year we pulled an average of 17.5 gallons per tap. I feel like this should be better. What about you guys?
    Sap yield varies due to a lot of factors. The key categories are: season, trees, vacuum, spout sanitation.

    To help answer your question, it would be helpful if you would describe your operation in more detail:

    1. What is your vacuum level at the end of your mainlines?
    2. How many CFM does your pump pull (or what are you using for a pump)? How many taps?
    3. Vacuum management (pump on/off or on all season)?
    4. Electric or mechanical releaser?
    5. Single or dual-conductor mainlines? What size mainlines? Plastic or SS fittings? Avg slope of mainline?
    6. 5/16" or 3/16" tubing?
    7. What is your average number of taps per lateral?
    8. Average diameter of trees? At what point do you put in a 2nd spout? How often do you hit brown wood when tapping?
    9. Spout/drop sanitation practices (new spouts each year, clean spouts, CV spouts, dropline replacement interval, chemical sanitizers used and how, etc.)

    Sorry. I know that is a lot, but each of those things and more will affect your yield. Some have big effects -- some small, but lots of small impacts will add up. For example...let's say it's an older bush and you hit stained wood 10% of the time during tapping. That will reduce your average yield across your entire woods by about 5%. Similar types of things happen with all those factors...and they tend to be cumulative. The details matter.
    Last edited by DrTimPerkins; 04-03-2020 at 08:31 AM.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Lanark, ON
    Posts
    2,387

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by KReinisch View Post
    Hey folks!
    Just wondering what you all are getting per tap. I have roughly 2000 taps and all of them are on vacuum. I pull anywhere from 24-26 inches of vacuum. This year we pulled an an average of 17.5 gallons per tap. I feel like this should be better. What about you guys?
    17.5 GPT is nothing to be disappointed in. We used to think that 10GPT was good, meaning we made about 1L syrup per tap. With high vacuum, good tapping and tubing practices you should be able to get to 20 GPT but many producers would gladly take your 17.5 GPT.

    If you had 500 taps it's easier than keeping 2000 tight which is easier than 20,000.

    We are currently about 17 GPT and will probably be at 18+ by the time we shut down this weekend.
    4,600 Taps on vacuum
    9,400 gallons storage
    3 tower CDL RO
    3.5'x14' Lapierre Force 5
    Twitter & Instagram: @ennismaple
    www.ennismaple.com

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Upper Valley, NH
    Posts
    146

    Default

    I have been fairly consistent through the years in my little microclimate. This year I have an average of 21.6 gallons per tap and I'm a bit over 1/3-gal syrup per tap. These are woods sugar maples. The sap run has been long, but sugar content has been lower than other years. All my taps are on 3/16 lines, natural gravity with good slope that pulls about 25-27 in mercury.
    2023: Award Winning Maple Syrup and Honey!
    2023: 200 Taps on 3/16" "natural vac"
    2022: 150 Taps on 3/16" "natural vac"
    2022: Lapierre Vision 2x6 with Preheater & Marcland Autodraw
    2022: Brand new post and beam sugar house
    2022: 4"x40" RO
    Kubota L4701, Kubota BX2380
    2 Black Rescue Dogs, 2 Livestock Guardian Dogs, Many Bee Hives, A Flock of Icelandic Chickens
    30 Acres of Wooded Bliss
    vikingmadeforge: Artist Blacksmithing & Bladesmithing
    https://blackdogbeesandmapletrees.com

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

    Default

    As a comparison we had about 12 gallons of sap per tap on short run gravity tubing systems (5/16).
    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

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Bristol, VT
    Posts
    1,978

    Default

    32 gpt here this season...
    About 750 taps on High Vac.
    2.5 x 8 Intens-O-Fire
    Airtech 3 hp LR Pump
    Springtech Elite 500 RO
    14 x 24 Timber Frame SugarHouse
    16 x 22 Sap Shed w/ 1500 gal. + 700 gal. tanks
    www.littlehogbackfarm.com

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Upstate NY
    Posts
    185

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by GeneralStark View Post
    32 gpt here this season...
    5/16? What type of tap are you using? What size mainline?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Stockbridge,Ma
    Posts
    285

    Default

    I guess I have never been really concerned with how much sap I get but how much syrup I make from each tap.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

    Default

    Bill,
    Yes that is important in the final count. The 184 gallons were made off of 700 taps so .263 gal of syrup per tap. This helps show the sugar content in your sugarbush. Which in my case I dont own a sugarbush. Just a lot of trees in the com,unity. I am a littl off topic as the OP didnt mention the qty of syrup made.
    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

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts