Need help - tubing system for my sugarbush
Need some suggestions on what tubing to use for my small sugarbush. Last year I had 14 taps on 3/16" line all merging to a ditchline collection point (7 along a 200' long x 30' drop, 4 from a 40' long x 12' drop and 4 from a 30' long x 8' drop). This worked out pretty good last year, but had to pump sap up a 200 ft hill to get it out of the woods. This year, I want to extend this ditch line collection point to a road about 300 ft away on about a 3 degree downward slope (300' x 15' elevation drop). I am also wanting to tap another 15 trees along the way.
Any recommendations on what tubing to use for the extension: continue with all 3/16" tubing? switch to 5/16" for the 300 ft mainline extension, with 3/16" for the 15 new trees along the 300 ft extension? Any other way? I don't have electric for vacuum so need to rely on elevation drop. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance. Gwebb
1st year tapped 5 trees, boiled in pans on rock fire - really smokey taste
2021 - 20 taps - 4 Gal on barrel stove and pans
2022 - 9.1 Gal - 41 taps this year. 14 + 7 on 3/16" gravity vacuum. 20 in buckets/bags. DIY RO system - 2/3 water gone - amazing.
2023 - 59 taps: 25 on 3/16" vacuum line/pump, 30 on 3/16" natural vacuum, 4 on bags. New 2x3 Badgerland pan anxious to try.