How Maple Syrup is Made
Step One: Tapping and Running Lines
| A cordless drill is used with a specially designed 9/32" bit to drill the hole into the tree. The smaller size hole grows over quicker allowing the tree to heal faster. | |
A plastic health spout is gently tapped into the hole to allow the sap to flow down the blue line towards a main line. |
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Splicing tool used to install drop lines or repair blue lines. |
| Sap running down blue line towards a main line. |
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The blue line is attached to the main line by a "saddle". Dozens of blue lines are attached down the length of a main line. |
Main line connecting to vacuum and trunk (sap) lines. The tops line runs the vacuum while the bottom line runs the sap. The main line runs directly into the trunk line while the vacuum line is "looped" to the mainline. All this to supply even vacuum pressure over the entire wood lot. |
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Booster tanks are used to equalize vacuum pressure where several main lines or trunk lines come together. |
