Tapped 52 trees yesterday. The only ones that were dripping were the black walnuts in full sun.
The 20 taps on vacuum were only getting about 10-11 in/Hg of vacuum with the pump running dry. Not sure if this is to be expected or not. First time on mechanical vacuum.
2020 - 1st year - 13 black walnut taps - 4 bottles syrup
2021 - 50 taps, 22 black walnuts/28 red maples - 4 gallons syrup
2022 - 54 taps, 11 black walnuts/41 red maples, 20 on solar shurflo vacuum - 8.5 gallons syrup
2023 - 47 taps on 45 red maples, 43 on solar shurflo vacuum
If you're using a diaphragm or peristatic style pump, you won't build much vacuum unless you have a recirculation line. Those pumps are designed to move liquid, not air, so if there is no liquid the vacuum will be fairly modest. If they are moving liquid, they will also move some air (so you'll get better vacuum). This is why whenever you see one of these pumps being demonstrated the vendors will always have a recirculation line on the pump to show high you can pull the vacuum.
The solution is to install a recirc line with a needle valve so you can adjust it to get maximum vacuum for the flow conditions you're experiencing on different days.
Regardless though, on real warm days when the trees are off-gassing a lot, the vacuum will drop somewhat.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
Thanks for the advice regarding the recirc line, Doc. I thought about it when putting together the pump and plumbing but decided against it since I didn't know how to keep the sap from the recirc line from freezing in the pump when it shut off other than putting a small heating strip near the pump, but I also was leery of adding anything else that might drain the battery preventing the pump from pumping at all; it's all on solar panels and a deep cycle battery.
When I checked it this afternoon, there was sap in many of the drop lines, but wasn't getting sucked into the lateral which is above the drops on many of the trees. When I shut the pump off, the gauges on the ends of both laterals still held at 10-11 in/Hg. Does that mean my taps and connections are tight/no leaks?
2020 - 1st year - 13 black walnut taps - 4 bottles syrup
2021 - 50 taps, 22 black walnuts/28 red maples - 4 gallons syrup
2022 - 54 taps, 11 black walnuts/41 red maples, 20 on solar shurflo vacuum - 8.5 gallons syrup
2023 - 47 taps on 45 red maples, 43 on solar shurflo vacuum
If the vacuum holds (or drops very slowly) with the pump off the system is either very tight or everything is frozen up (so it is tight). If you're tapping below the lateral there will ALWAYS be sap in the dropline (which would be inverted in that case, so going down), unless it got pulled back into the tree. That is normal. Only movement of air will pull the sap up out of the line in that case, which would defeat the purpose of the vacuum.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
So in a tight system without leaks, all my drops and laterals will eventually be filled with all sap and no air, right? And when all the drops and laterals freeze solid, how long does it usually take for them to thaw (in the woods/shade) once it gets over 32deg? I have my Shurflo set to turn on at 34deg.
2020 - 1st year - 13 black walnut taps - 4 bottles syrup
2021 - 50 taps, 22 black walnuts/28 red maples - 4 gallons syrup
2022 - 54 taps, 11 black walnuts/41 red maples, 20 on solar shurflo vacuum - 8.5 gallons syrup
2023 - 47 taps on 45 red maples, 43 on solar shurflo vacuum
I have about 250 taps in so far this season. Today I hooked up the tank of my gravity bush that has a little over 100 taps. Sap was dripping
fairly steady; no stream, but a fast drip. Also turned on the shuflo pump on my 50 tap bush, it started flowing fairly good right away.
Tomorrow, I'll get the vacuum at the house up and running. I don't expect to get enough to boil, but it's a start.
Still have about 50 buckets to put out, and maybe 35 or so taps on 3/16. Looks like we'll get froze out over the weekend, but next week is looking good.
115 red maples on vacuum
100 taps on 5/16 gravity
35 taps on 3/16 gravity
50 taps on shurflo vacuum
about 60 buckets on giant roadside sugars
neighbor bringing from 45 taps
30'x 8' Aof/Auf Evaporator
Homemade 125gph Ro
Lots of Homemade Equipment!
http://s848.photobucket.com/albums/a...%20Sugarshack/
They may not entirely fill with sap. There will be some gases in the system too. The droplines that go UP will be sap-filled most of the time though.Originally Posted by Openwater
The amount of time it takes to thaw depends on a lot of things. Air warms faster than tubing and tubing will often thaw faster than the trees do. Temperatures in the woods vary quite a bit from spot to spot, especially if the elevation or aspect changes or you have softwoods mixed in or cold drainage areas. You'll just have to play around and find which temp settings work best for your location.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
Thanks for the insight. Yeah, the drops with a loop that go UP to the lateral are full of sap from bottom of loop up to the T. About 1/2 of these 20 taps are below the lateral.
2 days ago I noticed in the late afternoon when the temp started dropping, that bubbles were very slowly moving backwards in the lateral. I'm assuming that means my almost level laterals still have a minimal downward pitch towards the pump.
2020 - 1st year - 13 black walnut taps - 4 bottles syrup
2021 - 50 taps, 22 black walnuts/28 red maples - 4 gallons syrup
2022 - 54 taps, 11 black walnuts/41 red maples, 20 on solar shurflo vacuum - 8.5 gallons syrup
2023 - 47 taps on 45 red maples, 43 on solar shurflo vacuum
Squirrel damage is fixed, we'll all of it that I have found for the third round since Christmas. I think washing half a dozen bulk tanks and the RO and I'm ready to tap. I should be all plugged in by the end of the week.
Let the games begin.
Matt,
Minehart Gap Maple
Collected a good 20+ gallons of sap today.
The reds in the floodplain and along the creek definitely running better than the ones up on the side of the mountain.
2020 - 1st year - 13 black walnut taps - 4 bottles syrup
2021 - 50 taps, 22 black walnuts/28 red maples - 4 gallons syrup
2022 - 54 taps, 11 black walnuts/41 red maples, 20 on solar shurflo vacuum - 8.5 gallons syrup
2023 - 47 taps on 45 red maples, 43 on solar shurflo vacuum
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