stainless spouts

[chenango maple]

Just curious if many are using the BME stainless spouts for tubing. They seem like a good idea if they can be used year after year and stelilized. Throwing away plastic spouts and money every year just doesn`t sound like the best idea. Are there downsides to using them?

Thanks

[Goggleeye]

I used the BME stainless spouts last year on gravity tubing, and they worked great. I just ordered 200 more yesterday.
For some reason, if you search "BME," it won't pull the threads that talk about it, but here are a couple of threads where we've discussed them.
http://www.mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=5620&highlight=stainless+taps&page=2
http://www.mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=6693&highlight=stainless+taps
Hope this helps.

Mark

[chenango maple]

Thanks Mark. Sorry I missed that discussion. I had thought about it but did not know they were out there till today. I am on gravity tubing as well. I think I may give them a try.

Charlie

[michiganfarmer2]

Ive boiled the blue plastic spiles to kill the previous years bacteria. They didnt even get soft

[Groves]

Ive boiled the blue plastic spiles to kill the previous years bacteria. They didnt even get soft

They might not have even gotten clean.

Word on the street is that the porous nature of the plastic (however small) is enough to keep the bacteria from being eliminated by boiling.

[SilverLeaf]

Where can one get these BME spouts? I checked my normal catalogs (Sugarbush Supply Co, Leader, Anderson Maple) but couldn't find them.... :confused:

[whalems]

Try this http://www.berkshiremaple.com/sugaring_equipment.htm

[shane hickey]

Try this http://www.berkshiremaple.com/sugaring_equipment.htm

Sugarbush supply has them just not in the catalog I seen the yesturday Probably have to call them. shane

[xyz5150]

Sugarbush supply has a lot of stuff that's not in there catalog if your looking at the on line catalog its a 2009.

[Rhino]

I read the post about boiling the plastic taps, and also the one that said that the pourous make-up of the plastic taps will prevent the bacteria from being killed. Here is food for thought..(not sure if this was discussed?) but a few years back i seen a study/test done on useing sponges in kitchens for washing dishes/counter tops. They tried different ways of getting the used sponges to be as bacteria free as possable and the best way that worked was to put it in the microwave for awhile, (can't remember how long) But i wonder how that would work to sterilize plastics taps and how long you can leave them in before melting takes place if at all. Maybe boiling first and then nuke em for awhile. Anyone do this allready???