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Thread: How are you getting 2 GPT??

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2020
    Location
    Richmond, Vermont
    Posts
    34

    Default How are you getting 2 GPT??

    Trees finally all started producing yesterday.

    This is our first year. Was prepared for 2 gpt sap storage but during the best run yesterday only averaging 1/3 GPT.

    I tapped 49 trees with 5/16” taps for buckets. None are under 10” DBH. Most are woods trees but some are on the edge in the open. Some of my largest trees are most poorly producing.

    Is this typical? What can I do to increase sap volume next year? Clear out some trees in the woods to get maples more light? I like hauling buckets, rather not go to tubing or vacuum.

    Maybe just more tap more trees next year?
    Marty, Sam, Henry, Jim, Brandi
    Richmond, VT

    --
    2021: 49 bucket taps, 50 tubing, 8 gallons. Closed valve, burned front pan ended season early
    2022: 49 bucket taps, 50 tubing, 24 gallons. New front pan!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Wind Lake, WI
    Posts
    520

    Default

    Vacuum. Mechanical or 3/16 gravity. It's not like that's expected every day though. 2gpt is a really good day. If your trees just started producing, it'll be a bit until the best runs.
    42.82N
    2015 - Small operation. 25 buckets. One excited 5 year old and one 35 year old that feels 5 again.
    2016 - One year older. New Homemade 2x4 Arch, Smoky Lake Pan and looking at 52 maples, 17 box elders and 2 walnut trees.
    2017 - Shurflo 4008 hooked to 42 stingy silver maples and a few Norways. A couple buckets on sugars and Norways. 10 box elders.
    2018 - ...a few more taps.
    2019 - ...more taps on 3/16 gravity. This spiral is heading downward in a hurry.
    2020 - 4x400 RO - RB20 (uh-oh!)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Williston, VT
    Posts
    615

    Default

    Marty -

    As Little Tapper said - the secret is vacuum, although I would have expected more than the 1/3 gallon. It was a slow start for us yesterday without much flowing until mid afternoon and might have been similar over on your side of the mountain.

    However with vacuum, my results were quite different - We boiled this morning with about 2,400 gallons of sap from 1,450 taps (1.65 gpt) on high vacuum.

    Ken
    Last edited by TapTapTap; 03-18-2021 at 07:59 PM. Reason: Corrected total # taps
    Ken & Sherry
    Williston, VT
    16x34 Sugarhouse
    1,500 taps on high vacuum, Electric Releaser & CDL Sap Lifter
    Wood-Fired Leader 30"x10' Vortex Arch & Max Raised Flue with Rev Syrup Pan & CDL1200 RO
    https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinhillmaple/

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    CT
    Posts
    25

    Default

    on a good day, I get about 5gal/day per yard tree and 2.5gal/gal per woods tree. Some smaller woods trees will be at 1gal/day. Also, 50 taps on vacuum yield me 100gal/day, which are a few yard trees and mostly wood trees. The is in NE CT.
    Pete

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2020
    Location
    Richmond, Vermont
    Posts
    34

    Default

    Well, 27 gallons on 49 taps today so getting better! Just over 1/2 gal per tap. Had two trees that filled the 2 gallon bucket. The only tap not dripping I’m realizing is an oak...
    Marty, Sam, Henry, Jim, Brandi
    Richmond, VT

    --
    2021: 49 bucket taps, 50 tubing, 8 gallons. Closed valve, burned front pan ended season early
    2022: 49 bucket taps, 50 tubing, 24 gallons. New front pan!

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

    Default

    A really good run for us on gravity would be about 1.5 gallons of sap per tap. MAny days its more like .5 GPT.
    Regards,
    Chris

    Keep boiling!
    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
    Feb 2015
    Location
    48892
    Posts
    36

    Default

    A really good run for us is 3gpt typical is about 2gpt our key to those numbers is my 18 year old son who can hear all the vacuum leaks so we can maintain 26-27hg.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    Which variety of maples are you tapping? Some give lots more than others. Also, you might not have gotten to the best part of your season yet, the season is just getting started. You are fairly far up in Vermont, 1/ gpt is likely good at this point in the season, it will get better after a brief colder spell.
    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.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,391

    Default

    How deeply did you drill? How hard did you tap in the spouts (how deeply seated are they)? How'd you know when to stop tapping them in?
    Last edited by DrTimPerkins; 03-19-2021 at 11:42 AM.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,391

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by m2salmon View Post
    The only tap not dripping I’m realizing is an oak...
    That'll pull your average down a bit
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

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