Hitting the Slope
Analysis of the importance of slope on a variety of tubing systems.
Author: Perkins, Timothy D.
Showing 61 – 70 of 124 resources
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Why are my tapholes leaking and what can I do about it? (Part 2) Being able to recognize what is really a leak and what is not takes some time and thought and experience. This article offers some tips.
Tree Size Matters
In order to develop models of tree size and yield we measured the sap volume and sugar content from a wide range of tree sizes during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. This article explores the findings.
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Why are my tapholes leaking and what can I do about it? (Part 1) There are often several issues involved in leaking tapholes, and sometimes the applied remedy itself turns out to be the actual problem.
Assessment of the Flavor of Syrup Produced with High-Brix RO Systems
Concentrating sap with reverse osmosis (RO) substantially increases the efficiency and profitability of processing maple sap into syrup by reducing the amount of fuel and time required to complete concentration to syrup density in the evaporator, with gains proportional to the level of sap pre-concentration. Because most flavor development in maple syrup occurs through nonenzymatic browning reactions as sap is processed with heat in the evaporator, it has often been speculated that reduced evaporator processing time resulting from the use of RO might also result in perceptible impacts on syrup flavor. However, a series of controlled experiments conducted at the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center using the same sap processed to different levels with RO determined that concentrating sap up to 21.5% prior to boiling in standard maple evaporators had no substantive effects on syrup composition or flavor.
Understanding the relationship between tree size and yield
There are several important factors that affect the yield of sap from trees during the production season. One relationship that it sometimes overlooked is the one between tree size and yield.
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Should I use 3/16″ or 5/16″ tubing? One of the first questions maple producers face when deciding to tube (or retube) a sugarbush is whether to use 3/16″ or 5/16″ tubing. This article explains some of the general rules that can be helpful in narrowing down the pros and cons of each approach.
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How long can I store sap? Sap is a highly perishable product. This article explains what happens as it is stored, and how to avoid problems.
Is Tapping Below the Lateral Line A Good Idea?
This research was conducted to determine whether tapping below the lateral line in vacuum tubing operations results in the same quantity of sap from a taphole as normal (above the lateral line) tapping, and thus whether tapping below the lateral is a reasonable management alternative which might be employed to increase the size of the tapping band in maple sap production. It will also inform us as to any tradeoffs (reductions) in yield that might result from this approach.
Long-term average a better predictor of air temperature
Short and long-range weather forecasts can both be useful to determine the proper time to tap. But both also have limitations.