Used flavoring barrels for sap collection

[Jmsmithy]

Hello fellow sweet people and Happy New Year


I've come into possession of some used, 35-50 gallon, HDPE barrels w/ lids, bungs etc for use on my gravity laterals (everything else will be vacuum this year!). They are good grade, got from a friend who manufactures soft drinks. These barrels held flavorings. Issue I'm having is I can smell the "flavors" in the buckets. I have been airing them out, will also be washing w/ MILD bleach solution ( 1 cup bleach to 20 gals water).

Do you think the residual scent could effect sap quality? Would the boiling process negate any potential issues?

Appreciate any and all thoughts.

[mellondome]

It will effect the sap flavor... and the boiling process will just concentrate that flavor.. causing adultered syrup.

[BreezyHill]

I would try an old dairy farm trick...Sodium BiCarbonate, baking soda, drop in a cup full and add some arm water and cap the barrel. Roll the barrel, tip it end for end several times so the solution contacts the entire barrel surface several times and drain and rinse. This trick removes many nasty residuals from plastic and metal containers.

Ben

[DrTimPerkins]

Do you think the residual scent could effect sap quality?

Yes, it if there is any residual smell it could affect the sap flavor.


Would the boiling process negate any potential issues?

Not very likely. If anything, it will amplify it as the flavoring agent gets concentrated by the boiling.

You can try the bicarbonate as Ben suggested, however leaving the barrels out in the sun open (for a summer) is probably your best bet, and even that it might not work. HDPE can definitely absorb and retain flavors.

[Biz]

I've acquired some 20 and 30 barrel food grade drums that had ginger ale or root beer concentrate. The baking soda alone does not get rid of the odor, even after soaking a week with a box full. Bleach seems to work better, I tried 2-3 cups per 20 gal, soaked for a week, rinsed, followed by a week with baking soda. Jury is still out on whether they will be suitable to use for sap collection, still soaking.

Dave

[1arch]

I have found the hot water from my steam away has great cleaning and cleansing properties.

[Bucket Head]

Soda flavorings are tough. I have a HDPE barrel thats cut in half that I use for a dumping station on the back of the pick-up. It had a lemon-lime type flavoring in it and you can still, very faintly, smell it. The sap is'nt in the barrel very long so it not an issue. However, eight years ago I purchased some 15 gal. HDPE containers that had Dr. Pepper syrup in them. I could'nt use them! To this day they still smell of it! I only use one of them in my operation. I cut the top off of one and I use it as a trash can in the sugarhouse.

Steve

[Sweet Shady Lane]

have you tried some hydrogen peroxide solution mix, I have used that a few times and it seems to work and then let them air dry

[SeanD]

I've had very good results with Powdered Brewers Wash (PBW). I've never used it on anything with soda flavoring, but I do have barrels that had safflower oil in them and it cleaned them up very well. There were no traces of the oil and the smell was of new plastic.

Sean

[SDdave]

Defintely try the baking soda. Had some fudge barrels and vinegar barrels dumped a couple of boxes in each one, filled with about 20 gallons and drove around the bumpiest roads South Dakota has to offer. Took the smell right out of them. Best of luck to you!

SDdave

[NhShaun]

I picked up a bunch of 5 gal food grade buckets for 1$ each. They contained a few different flavors of organic fruit concentrates and i am having a tough time with the smell as well. I rinsed with hot water several times. Then tried the baking soda method using about 2 cups per bucket. Filling them to the top and putting on the lids, then letting them soak for 4-7 days. Rinsing again with very hot water and air drying. Out of 20 buckets only 10 of them came out with no smell. The other 10 still have the flavoring smell. Not sure if should use more baking soda, or less water. I might pick up a pound of PBW this week and give that a try.