Tapping

[PATheron]

Any of you guys recomend a specific solution to sanitize tap bits in between drilling each tree? Im thinking a little bottle on your belt like the farmers use and just push the bit through a rubber top with a slit in it but wondering what would be a good solution. Maybe a light bleach solution, grain alcohol,. something like that. Any ideas? Something that wont do any harm but might be helpfull for cleanliness. Theron

[happy thoughts]

When I took an Ag extension pruning course last spring, bleach, alcohol and lysol were recommended for tool disinfection. Bleach will probably be too messy in a leaky container, lysol residue might contaminate the sap. That leaves alcohol. A drinkable form would probably be best for food contact. One tool disinfecting solution I recently saw suggested was Listerine. That should work and at least you could come home with fresh breath :)

[sjdoyon]

PATheron, why would you need to clean your bit in between each tapping? We normally tap when it's 15-20 degrees. No bacteria is going to grow at that temp and especially after such a cold two-three months. Maybe it's a problem in PA. When done tapping, we throw our bits away and start with new ones the next season.

[PATheron]

Happy- I guess the listerine might be good. Never thought of that. Sjdoyon- Probly little more of an issue down here. Lot warmer weather off and on than what you folks get. I was just thinking of something to try to keep things a little cleaner. Last year I was going to let things freeze solid then I was going to tap. Never happened till the first of January untill it froze solid day and night for a week. I started tapping and in two weeks I was half tapped and making syrup. Thats the kind of deep freeze bacteria killing weather we get. The only sap I missed was the second half of my taps that werent in in January then in February I made half my crop.
Theron

[happy thoughts]

PATheron, why would you need to clean your bit in between each tapping? We normally tap when it's 15-20 degrees. No bacteria is going to grow at that temp and especially after such a cold two-three months. Maybe it's a problem in PA. When done tapping, we throw our bits away and start with new ones the next season.

Theron- sjdoyon has a point there. It's probably more important to sanitize the spouts than the drill bit.

If you use Listerine it has to be at full strength.

[Thad Blaisdell]

I think you may be over thinking it.

[waysidemaple]

We definitely have different weather down here in Pa. I've often thought about fall tapping down here with the weather the way it is. In two weeks the weather is showing 20 degree nights and 40s in the day. If you did do this you would be tapping in warm weather so maybe drill bit sanitation is important. What do you think PATheron? If I wasn't expanding this year I know I would be tempted.

Scott

[happy thoughts]

Theron You're not over thinking it too much :)Bit sanitation is recommended in some cases. I found this link for the 2009 "Handbook of Best Management Practices for Massachusetts Maple Syrup Farms"

http://www.mass.gov/agr/programs/bmp/docs/maple.pdf

"Sanitize bits at the beginning of tapping and after any subsequent contact with decayed wood or the ground by washing them in a detergent solution and then soaking them in alcohol or a solution of 1 oz. household bleach to 1 pt. water followed by a thorough rinsing with clean water. Avoid blowing into or inserting a twig into tap holes to clear wood chips as this can result in contamination of the hole: use only a clean, sterilized tool."

So I'd say sanitize it before the first tap of the day and try to keep the drill bit from touching the ground. Also sanitize the taps.

Listerine is suggested by many Ag extensions for tool disinfection. Here's a link to general pruning guidelines from Va where tool disinfection is discussed. They say stay away from bleach because it's too corrosive. It'll probably eat the bit up in short time.

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-455/430-455_pdf.pdf

[PATheron]

Happy- Ive read that stuff too and what Ive always done before is carry a couple of bits and if I hit bad wood I take the bit out put it in my pocket and put a clean one in. Then at the house I clean the bit. I was just thinking that having something to spray the bit would be even better. Maybe I could spray it with the listerine like you say. That wouldnt put anything of any amount in the sap and might help with bacteria. Wayside- I know what you mean about the fall tapping but thats completely retarded even by my standards. Even a person with my limited mental capacity knows that. Theron

[mountainvan]

I used isopropyl alcohol for years for the bit and tapholes. maple digest had an article on it years ago.

[PATheron]

Mountain van- Is that something I buy and just use straight? Where do I get it? Theron

[DrTimPerkins]

I used isopropyl alcohol for years for the bit and tapholes. maple digest had an article on it years ago.

Isopropyl alcohol is effective against bacteria (with a 5-min exposure time, a quick dip probably won't do much), but is ineffective against fungal spores and has limited virucidal activity. Several studies have shown some effectiveness at reducing microbial levels in tubing systems, however I don't believe any have yet shown that this increases sap yields.

[jason grossman]

we have also been doing this for years. there have been studies done that show that you can transmit bacteria from hole to hole with the drill bit, regardless of temp. we have been using a sponge in a cup in a belt holster for our battery drills. some guys i know that do it carry a spray bottle and spray the bit after each hole. these are 50 to 90k tap operations, so you cant say that it takes to long to do or isnt worth it when they are doing it.

[PATheron]

Jason- So your saying that isopropol alcohol, which I just checked my medicine cabinet and its in there, it says 50% isopropol alcohol, just put it in a spray bottle and spray the bit with it straight between each tree? Theron

[jason grossman]

well mine is stronger than that. there are several different grades of it. we get food grade at 99% and dilute it down a little. it is hard to say what gets the best results(tubing instal, vac ,cleanliness) but there is a small group of us that do things in a similar way and we all are usually 6-9lbs tap every year. good years higher than that.so i never care who has the most taps. i want to know who has the highest lb/tp then i look at there place. afterall who cares if you got 70k and only get 1-2lbs.

[GeneralStark]

we have also been doing this for years. there have been studies done that show that you can transmit bacteria from hole to hole with the drill bit, regardless of temp. we have been using a sponge in a cup in a belt holster for our battery drills. some guys i know that do it carry a spray bottle and spray the bit after each hole. these are 50 to 90k tap operations, so you cant say that it takes to long to do or isnt worth it when they are doing it.

Just because someone is doing something doesn't mean it is effective. For several years a neighbor of mine was dipping their tapping bit and spout in vinegar as they tapped as someone told them it might reduce bacteria in the taphole. Then, another neighbor who studies bacteria for a living and designs sanitation practices for hospitals and research facilities informed them that they were wasting their time. According to this individual there is basically nothing a sugarmaker can do to sanitize their tapping bit or spout as they are tapping. Even 100% isopropyl alcohol is not going to sanitize the bit if you are spraying it or dabbing it with a sponge. Perhaps is you soak it for an extended period of time it may kill some of the bacteria but the metal surface of the bit is porous and there are plenty of places for the little buggers to hide. Additionally, you are trying to kill an organism that has had many billions of years to develop adaptations for survival in extreme conditions. Using Isopropyl alcohol to kill bacteria on a tapping bit is liking trying to kill an elephant with a bb gun. Not gonna work.

If you could autoclave your tapping bit after each use, then perhaps you could actually come somewhat close to sanitizing your bit, but even then some bacteria will survive as will some fungi spores. You could also use a new bit for every hole but even then the bit is in contact with air so therefore there will be bacteria and fungi spores on it as you tap.

To be clear, I am not saying that you may not be able to reduce the population of microorganisms on your tapping bit by spraying it with alcohol, but you will not kill them all, and where there is one, there will soon be many, even when it is cold.