Cleaning out a 55gal poly drum

[Ohio Maple Blaster]

Which would be the best way to go about cleaning and sanitizing a 55 gallon plastic drum for sap storage? It doesn't have a removable head, just two bungs. I was considering star san from a home brewing supplier to sanitize, but not sure what to use to do an initial clean out. The drums were originally used to store food flavorings. After keeping it in the shade and packed with snow and ice, is there a better way to insulate it?

Cheers
JD

[psparr]

I have a few barrels like that. I use an old hose nozzle and it just fits into the drum. I also hook the hose up to the drain of the water heater for hot water .For the initial cleaning I duct taped a dish towel to the end of a broom handle and went at it. Surely not the best way, but cheap and it worked.

[oldboyscout]

I'm wrestling with this right now. I wanted to use the bung for filling (drum on it's side), but I've seen some people cut an opening on the curved side for filling. That would sure make it easier to clean.

[psparr]

I'm wrestling with this right now. I wanted to use the bung for filling (drum on it's side), but I've seen some people cut an opening on the curved side for filling. That would sure make it easier to clean.

I made one into my sap collector. Cut out a hole in the side the size of a bucket bottom. Strap it on the four wheeler and dump into the bucket with a 2 inch hole in the bottom. Keeps the sap from splashing out. But my sap storage barrels just get rinsed with hot water and set upside down to drain. Works well for me.

You could cut the entire bottom of the bucket out and put a lid on the bucket to keep stuff out.

[Ohio Maple Blaster]

I made one into my sap collector. Cut out a hole in the side the size of a bucket bottom. Strap it on the four wheeler and dump into the bucket with a 2 inch hole in the bottom. Keeps the sap from splashing out. But my sap storage barrels just get rinsed with hot water and set upside down to drain. Works well for me.

That's an awesome setup for gathering


I'm wrestling with this right now. I wanted to use the bung for filling (drum on it's side), but I've seen some people cut an opening on the curved side for filling. That would sure make it easier to clean.

I may have found some drums with removable heads, which would make deep cleaning a bit easier. But as far as filling goes, I use one of these from work : http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/WESCO-Drum-TruckDispenser-1ABW1 So I can tip it up to fill, and lay it down to dispense using one of those 1/2 turn spouts in the bung, and not have a gaping hole in the side without a good way to seal it.

[newman_maple]

6470

I used barrels for a few years. I laid them on their sides and took out the bung inserts and threaded a ball valve to them. I made a pvc elbow that allowed me to put sap in using a funnel that fit into the pvc pipe. I used them for collection that way as well.

[Studhauler]

Newman, how did you clean them?

[newman_maple]

I used a garden hose and bleach. To rid the new barrels of the soda concentrate smell, I just washed the heck out of them putting some bleach in and rinsing well after a few hours. The smell was there for a year or two, but was not real strong. If at the end of the year they had a build up of mold or dirt (I always cleaned them a month or two after the season), I would use a bleach solution and fill them about half way with water on their side and roll them until all parts had been bleached a day or so. I used the same rule of thumb as in cleaning buckets. I never had any issues.