Pumping maple sap

[lhfarm]

I got the following message from a young friend. I have no experience with maple sap, so not really sure how to advise her. I'm hoping someone here might have a suggestion -

Hey Barry!
I have a farming/plumbing question for you. I am working with a couple out in Jackson County to make maple syrup this year. We set up a bunch of tubing to collect sap from about 100 trees into a big 325-gallon container at the bottom of the valley. We then hooked up our 3.5 HP pump with some 1"
tubing and tried to pump the sap up to the top of the hill where the boiler is. Alas, the pump wasn't strong enough to get it to the top of the hill.
We were about 15' (vertical) shy of the top.

None of the solutions we came up with seem great but here's what we're thinking.
1. get a bigger pump (maybe 5 HP)
2. try replacing some of the tubing with a smaller diamemter (3/4") to try and increase the pressure 3. pump in stages using a second pump

Steve has already spent a bunch of money on this project and is hesitant to spend any more so we're hoping to find the cheapest solution possible. Any ideas? Have a big pump sitting around you'd be willing to loan or rent out?

thanks
Maggie

 

[PhilNH5]

Around here the sugar shacks are built low in the valley just for this reason.
But it's to late for your freind. There are others on this board who may offer a better answer.

If not you can try this site Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association & Vermont Maple Foundation

If the sap is already running I would suggest they collect the sap in their 325 gallon container and then cart or carry it the rest of the way to the sugar shack. Many containers designed for sap collection are designed to be hauled in a cart or sled as well. Can he put the collection container in a tractor wagon, leave it there and haul it up when it is full?

This will buy them time to figure out their problem.

Phil

 

[DieselPower]

Somehow I think it would be to thick to pump. Like Phil said the building should be lower than the tree's. They will probably have to transport it up the hill.

 

[jimmy1]

I do not know how but it can be done. There is a maple syrup producer near where I live. He has his boiler set up in his shed in the yard at his farm and he has line running from his bush to the shed. They are orange lines and they run through the bush then along the fence line to the shed. These line run up grade and at least 1/2 mile in length, from the bush along a hay field to the shed.

Sorry I do not know the logistics or cost but it is possible.

Good luck
Jim

 

[BTDT]

One of these may work. I think they pump pretty thick liquids.

USED: Depa air powered diaphragm pump, model DH40-UL-P-T-T, 316L stainless

 

[lhfarm]

None of the solutions we came up with seem great but here's what we're thinking.
1. get a bigger pump (maybe 5 HP)
2. try replacing some of the tubing with a smaller diamemter (3/4") to try and increase the pressure 3. pump in stages using a second pump

Would decreasing the tube size help? I don't know enough to say. I'll also try to find out how high up the shed is from the collector tank and see what sort of pump they are using.

 

[mwechtal]

Somehow I think it would be to thick to pump. Like Phil said the building should be lower than the tree's. They will probably have to transport it up the hill.

Nope, maple sap is about as thick as water. You have to boil a LOT of water out of it to make syrup.

Mike

 

[DieselPower]

Hmm, didn't realize it was that thin. I just know what it looks like when I pour it on my flap jack's. I guess their problem is the distance they are trying to pump it.

 

[DANOCHEESE]

Yep SAP is just like pumping water. treat this like an issue with pumping plain old h2o.

 

[schmism]

smaller tubeing will only hurt you.

pump design and HP is the only thing that is going to do it for ya.

called feet of head when your looking at pump specs.

You MIGHT try moveing the pump up the hill a bit as some will support a number of suction feet, but usually its a 0 sum game (20' suction 20' head, or 0' suction 40' head) but again it depends on pump design.