Tubing Theory and Layout
The basics behind determining the best place to install a mainline and laterals in your sugarbush.
Topic: Sap Production
Showing 71 – 80 of 268 resources
Check valve spouts with 3/16-inch tubing
Details a study of 3/16″ tubing conducted in West Virginia.
When Tubing is Tapped Out: Recycling Maple Plastics
As the maple industry has grown, so too has the use of plastic sap tubing. Solutions are needed to help producers dispose of tubing when it is past its useful life, in ways that ensure it is not merely ending up in landfills.
Economic Impacts of Tapping into Stained Wood
Maple producers get lower sap yields and reduced profits when they hit stained (brown) wood when tapping.
Modern Maple 5/16” Vacuum Tubing Systems
The components of a maple sap collection system focusing on 5/16″ vacuum systems.
Tapholes: Straight or Slanted?
Is there any difference in sap yield when tapping at a slight angle (the historical recommendation) or tapping straight in (the current recommendation)? While there might be other considerations suggesting that tapping straight in is advantageous, from a syrup yield perspective, there is no apparent difference.
Taphole Staining and Sap Yields
The compartmentalization (walling off) process in maple trees and how it affects how to tap for maple syrup production.
Tapping Below the Lateral Line for High Maple Sap Yield
Maple producers sometimes have a difficult time locating areas on the tree that will produce unstained wood and good sap yields. This video suggests approaches maple producers using vacuum can take to counter this problem.
Tapping Maple Trees for High Sap Yield
Best management practices to achieve high sap yields when tapping maple trees.
Research into Designing a Walnut Specific Spile
During the 2019 sap season, Future Generations University, with funding from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, began a series of tapping studies on tree species other than maple. We tapped and made syrup from black walnut trees. We had trouble developing the expected natural vacuum on the 3/16-inch lines, even though they had plenty of slope. We assumed that the problem was related to vacuum leaks associated with a poor seal in the soft wood with the minimally tapered spouts.