Tapping guidelines for current sap collection practices
Research into whether existing tapping guidelines are appropriate to use with ‘high yield’ sap collection practices which remove a much greater amount of a tree’s sap than older systems.
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Research into whether existing tapping guidelines are appropriate to use with ‘high yield’ sap collection practices which remove a much greater amount of a tree’s sap than older systems.
The goal of this work was to investigate the chemical composition of the scale that is deposited on maple evaporator surfaces during sap processing. Knowing the chemical composition of scale produced in modern equipment and how it compares to previously published values for loose sugar sand may aid in understanding how best to remove these unwanted deposits.
A wide variety of cleaning techniques are currently used in the maple industry, including rinsing the system with pressurized air and water, or attempts to sanitize with chemical solutions such as peroxide, bleach, or alcohol. However, the effectiveness of these cleaning techniques in reducing microbial populations and increasing annual sap yield is often questionable.
Although a number of factors affect maple sap flow in vacuum tubing systems, it has become increasingly apparent that sap yields are largely a function of two major influences: vacuum level at the taphole and taphole and tubing sanitation.
In mid-April 2010, an invitation to participate in a survey was sent to subscribers of two maple forums. The survey was designed to get some basic information about the operations of the respondents, to describe sanitation practices (changing tubing, spouts, etc.) and to get feedback from users about the Leader Check-valve adapter.
Feedback received from early users of Leader check-valve adapters, developed by the UVM Proctor Maple Research Center.
This research was designed to examine age-related losses in sap yield in tubing systems operated under vacuum, and to explore different strategies to reduce tubing microbial contamination induced sap yield losses.
A presentation on the effects of vacuum on sap yield and ways to optimize tubing systems.
Because of a new approach to using nano-silver, the fact that PFA has been banned, and the desire to control microorganisms in maple sap collection systems, the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center investigated the use of spouts and tubing containing antimicrobial nano-silver for suitability for increasing maple sap yield.
The goal of this project was to find alternative ways to reduce microbial contamination of tapholes. One approach we investigated was to use a check-valve to prevent microbial contamination of tapholes by preventing backward movement of sap from the tubing system into the taphole.