plastic barrels for bulk syrup.

[twobears1224]

does anybody use plastic barrels for bulk syrup?? i saw a ad in the maple news for them i am wondering about them.i see they have 35 and 45 gallon barrels.one of the 35 gallon drums sells for $85.00 and you can get your own serial numbers and personal id on them.
i know guys use the plastic 5 gallon jugs but,i,ve never heard anybody say they use bigger plastic drums.

delbert

[shane hickey]

For long term storage I wouldn't think that they would last very long, I would think that you might get a plastic flavored taste in the syrup, I use 55 gal drums from sugar bush supplies for $45.00.
shane

[Randy Brutkoski]

I am thinking about getting some. I only have 25 ss 40 gal. barrels.I would hate to waste new stainless drums on the mersh. I dont care what that stuff goes in. Is there a number i can call where they have these plastic drums.

[wglenmapler]

The barrells are actually pretty good. We got 60 last year because we couldn't get stainless for the new woods we picked up. The greatest draw-back is the course thread bungs. They are just harder to deal with in that way. We had no spoilage or flavor issues and they actually do drain completely when they are tipped upside down with the bungs out. Don't know how long I would want to keep them, but I know the flavor is better from these than from steel epoxy lined drums.

[danno]

I don't know why clean plastic would negatively effect the taste of syrup - isn't that what we bottle most of our syrup in?

[twobears1224]

DANNO:thats what i was thinking.
SHANE:what do you mean by "not last very long" the syrup or the barrel?
we used expoy liner barrels once and we wouldn,t use them again...all the one's i,ve seen are made of thin metal and don,t keep syrup every good in my opinion.i like stainless steel barrels but,dang there pricey and just one or two isn,t even a dent in the amount you need to have.
i was hoping some of the bulk buyers would chime in with there opinions.
RANDY:i,ll get you the info tomorrow..theres two companys with ad,s in the maple news.it,s downstairs and i,am headed to bed now.

delbert

[markcasper]

I would think the bacteria would start to be an issue after a few years use. It is an issue with the plastic taps, eh? Thats why we all put new plastic in the tapholes. Just my opinion.

[shane hickey]

[QUOTE=twobears1224;123598]DANNO:thats what i was thinking.
SHANE:what do you mean by "not last very long" the syrup or the barrel?
we used expoy liner barrels once and we wouldn,t use them again...all the one's i,ve seen are made of thin metal and don,t keep syrup every good in my opinion.i like stainless steel barrels but,dang there pricey and just one or two isn,t even a dent in the amount you need to have.
i was hoping some of the bulk buyers would chime in with there opinions.
RANDY:i,ll get you the info tomorrow..theres two companys with ad,s in the maple news.it,s downstairs and i,am headed to bed now.

I usally buy 500 gallons of syrup a year to fill my contracts, They claim that they can taste the plastis in the syrup after 6 months. Yes we use smaller platis containers and I can taste the plastis to. Syrup will pick yp any flavor that it has contact with. I sold metal containers and shipped them out and had 1 complaint that the syrup tasted like metal. "I never heard of such a thing" but to make the costermer happy I exchange it for glass. Thats all I use now for small containers. SS in barrells, these barrells are expensive but they will last a life time. If you sell in bulk then charge $200.00 for the core charge that's what I do.

[twobears1224]

RANDY: theres two ad,s in the maple news for plastic syrup drums...heres the info.

plastica 1-888-854-2303 they call it there evolution barrel and it,s 35 gallons

the other company is anchor plastics 1-800-964-9771 ext 222
or www.anchorplastics.qc.ca
they have 35 and 45 gallon drums there$85.00 and $90.00 and you can get your own serial numbers and personal id on them

delbert

[peacemaker]

theres a guy in bennington vt selling food grade 30s and 55s he is always on craigslist http://burlington.craigslist.org/grd/

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I would think the bacteria would start to be an issue after a few years use. It is an issue with the plastic taps, eh? Thats why we all put new plastic in the tapholes. Just my opinion.

Yes, but raw sap is bacteria laden and hasn't been pasturized like finished syrup, so I wouldn't think bacteria would be the same issue especially if barrels were flushed good every year and hot packed should kill any bacteria as long as syrup is proper density.

[twobears1224]

well,i still don,t know what to think of plastic barrels for bulk syrup.
but,shane i do have a diffrent opinion then you do on plastic and metal containers.you couldn,t give me a gallon of syrup put up in metal containers every one i,ve ever seen/tasted had a strong metal taste..now plastic i,ve never tasted plastic in a gallon or smaller sized container.
i was hoping we,ed get a opinion on plastic from the bulk buyers but,maybe they don,t see enough large barrels to have a opinion.i know producers use those five gallon jugs alot but i,ve never heard or seen 35 gallon or bigger barrels used for syrup. :confused:

delbert

[markcasper]

I talked with a packer recently and they mentioned of bacteria being a problem after using them a few times. They did not say they wouldn't purchases syrup in them ,however, the idea of plastic barrels was frowned on by this particular packer. To what extent I don't know.

I asked him about steel barrels and he said in Vermont and Quebec epoxy lined drums will only be allowed to be used once after this year is through.