Freezing of 15 Gallon Plastic Drums For Storage

[concord maple]

Anyone know if these drums will split if frozen solid? I have around 12 gallons of sap in a couple of them that are packed with snow about half way up the outside of the drum. Temperatures are supposed to below around freezing during the day and around 20 or upper teens at night for a few days. I left both bung lids loose. Wondering if these will split if the sap freezes solid in them.

[TerryEspo]

I think you will be o.k. for a couple days unless the temps REALLY drop and freeze everything solid.

You can tighten the tops too since you have ample room left inside, the freezing air will go inside the loose tops and freeze everything sooner.

You have snow around them, that helps insulate from freezing too.

I would do it if me.

Hope that helps.

Terry

[wnybassman]

I have never had my 15 gallon drums freeze solid, but they do freeze from the outside in, and had ice a few inches thick around the perimeter before.

[PerryW]

If you are worried, put snow up to the tops of the drums. Snow is a good insulator; we were staying in a hut on the top of Mt. Mansfield , VT and a friend of mine put an aluminium mess-kit pan of water outside covered by snow in the late afternoon. The temps dropped below zero for the night, but in the morning, there was hardly any ice to be seen!