Question about bacteria

[BryanEx]

I have a large honey tank (150 gallons) as a sap holding tank with a screen fitting that fits in the top. The screening is way too course to effectively screen debris from sap so I wanted to line it with a flat pre-filter. My question is if bacteria will continue to thrive if I allow the filter to dry out between uses or does it need to be washed each time I pour sap through it? I don't want to give those sugar consuming buggers any advantage but I also don't know if bacteria requires moisture to survive.

- Bryan

[500592]

Ou should proabaly just wash it in hot water a after each use

[CBOYER]

Have you read:
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/05-031.htm

[Beweller]

Take a look at Acer Project 483, and US Patent 2,880,094.

[3rdgen.maple]

Bryan from experience I can tell you that you need to wash the filter on a regular basis. One time a couple years back I made a batch of syrup in mid season that had the worst flavor ever. Someone got lazy and didnt wash the sap filter the night before and the thing stunk and after giving the sap a taste it got dumped. There now hangs in the sugarhouse several boards on nails all over the place lol. Above the evaporator one side says Clean pans/ other side says pans cleaned, next to that one is head tank valve open/head tank valve closed and by the sap dumping area theres one that reads sap filter clean/sap filter needs cleaning. There are a couple more but you get the idea. When you have someone helping you out or your just plain burned out the notes have saved me a few times. So I suggest getting 2 sap filters so one can be clean at all times and be rotated out.

[BryanEx]

Thanks everyone. It's kind of what I expected but it was one of those late night ideas when I was thinking about water leaks in new home construction. If something gets wet it must be completely dried within 48 hours to prevent mold growth so I was thinking that just maybe if I completely dried the flat pre-filter I would be okay. Guess not but you can't blame me for hoping.

[CBOYER]

Thats the difference between water and sap, if you dried sap, sugar remain and bacteria make a fest:D

[3rdgen.maple]

Thanks everyone. It's kind of what I expected but it was one of those late night ideas when I was thinking about water leaks in new home construction. If something gets wet it must be completely dried within 48 hours to prevent mold growth so I was thinking that just maybe if I completely dried the flat pre-filter I would be okay. Guess not but you can't blame me for hoping.

It would be okay if you completely dried the prefilter as long as you gave it a hot water bath first.