I have 3/16" mainline. I've used 3/16" drops into this mainline. I've heard/read that you would get higher sap flow and decrease bacteria if you go to 5/16" drops into 3/16" mainline. Comments and advice appreciated.
3/16" drops vs 5/16" drops
I have 3/16" mainline. I've used 3/16" drops into this mainline. I've heard/read that you would get higher sap flow and decrease bacteria if you go to 5/16" drops into 3/16" mainline. Comments and advice appreciated.
2024 - 20 Taps Buckets - 97 taps - 3/16" - Drops 5/16" - Vacuum - TBD
2023 - 20 Taps Buckets - 80 taps - 3/16" - Drops 3/16" - Vacuum - 136 liters of syrup
2022 - 20 Taps Buckets - 80 taps - 3/16" - Drops 3/16" - Vacuum - 100 liters of syrup
2021 - 20 Taps Buckets - 40 taps - 3/16" - Drops 3/16" tubing - Gravity - 25 liters of syrup
2020 - 15 Taps Buckets - 5 liters syrup - Propane Turkey Frying Pan
Thor 18" x 54" - 2021
Nano RO-2022
Shurflo 4008 Vacuum
Barrie, Ontario CANADA
While it's not the "mainline" , I use 5/16 drops into my 3/16 lateral lines, the reason is because as the temperatures fall to below freezing at night, the sap in the drop will not be pulled back into the taphole. In 5/16 tubing any gases will pass the sap and the sap stays out of the tree. What sap is in the tree, if the tree is healthy, is sterile once it hits the tubing it get bacteria in the sap, thus I use the larger tubing for drops. If I used 3/16 drops, the gases would not pass the sap and as the tree freezes it would pull some bacteria back into the tree, thus starting a wound response in the tree, initiating the wound response starts the tree healing.
Dave Klish, I recently bought 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.
I use 3/16 lines and 5/16 for the drops as well for the same reasons Maple Flats mentioned above.
2016 - 2 x 4 Randy Worthen built arch and pans 11 taps; 2.625 gallons of syrup!
2017 - 29 taps; 11.625 gallons of syrup!
2018 - 30 taps; 98 pints bottled! New sugar house being built, new equipment coming!
2019 - 125 taps; 50 gallons made! New 2x6 Smoky Lake Corsair arch, drop flue pan, auto draw. Smoky Lake filter press and Steam Bottler
2020 - 173 taps; only 35 gallons made.
2021 - 242 taps; New record! 50.5 gallons made!
2022 - 321 taps; New record! 80 gallons made!
Yep it essentially achieves same result as using CV spouts. One benefit of CVs over the 5/16th drop is ability to tap below the lateral line and still prevent the backflow into the taphole.
D. Roseum
www.roseummaple.com | https://youtube.com/@roseummaplesyrup
~136 taps on 3/16 custom temp controlled vacuum; shurflo vacuum #2; custom nat gas evap with auto-drawoff and tank level gas shut-off controller; homemade RO #1; homemade RO #2; SL SS filter press
~30 gallons / year
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote