Antimicrobial (silver) spouts

[knsh]

Has anybody had experience with ZAP-BAC spouts by Maple Innovations? I can't find any information from the manufacturer. They appear to be a very well made spout, but do they give protection for the claimed 5 years?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I tried them and was not impressed at all.

[happy thoughts]

I *think* Dr Tim is doing research on anti microbial silver spouts. I seem to remember reading that in an article somewhere though I might be mistaken. If the research exists and is completed and published, you might try checking UVM to see if there's any news about them. They may not be the same spouts you mention by that manufacturer or contain the same amount of silver. I do know that silver has antimicrobial properties and has been used for many years as an Rx ointment for burns. Should be interesting to see if that also works on maple spouts and tap holes.

[maple flats]

I read someplace that the silver generally works for only 1 season. By the second season the silver's effect is vastly diminished. I think I either read that in a report from either Dr Tim Perkins or Steve Childs, Cornell Maple Specialist.

[DrTimPerkins]

I *think* Dr Tim is doing research on anti microbial silver spouts.

Been there done that....http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc/antimicrobial.pdf....not doing it any more.

Short story is that we were studying silver antimicrobial spouts (and dropline) for a few years before the current product came out. Our work was right around the same time we were developing the CV spout. If it gives you any hints...we stopped working on the silver spouts and focused all our attention on the CV spouts. This was mainly because the antimicrobial fittings (not the same exact spout as the one now sold) worked for the first year, and then the efficacy dropped off quickly after that. A company subsequently came out with a silver antimicrobial spout, and later an adapter version. They were also considerably more expensive (especially when they first hit the market). We've never tested these. Steve Childs (Cornell Maple Program) has done several years of work on them since they came out. The antimicrobial effect does diminish over time.

They are NOT allowed in organic maple syrup production.

[Catskill Mt. Maple]

The attached page is from the NY " The Pipeline"