Galvanized buckets

[Clinkis]

In my quest to find some more sap buckets I discovered that my neighbour has a bunch of galvanized buckets he will sell me cheap (wants a couple jugs of syrup). I stopped over and had a look at them today and they are in very good shape. In my thread regarding plastic buckets I jokingly said that I liked the look of galvanized but figured that all the lead solder couldn't be good. So....are galvanized buckets still safe to use? Is there any documented evidence that there is any health risk using them? Obviously I know there is some lead in them but are they still widely used?

[spud]

I would buy the buckets as long as you tell your customers you"re using them. There are no more health risk eating syrup from those buckets then buying food at the local grocery store. But out of respect to others you should let them know. Smoking, drinking and eating at fast food joints is going to kill you long before a little lead in your syrup will.

Spud

[adk1]

I am torn on this issue. I know some who still use stock tanks for their main sap tank and the sap may sit in it for a few days etc. i think that if in a sap bucket that gets dumped everyday the sap isn't in the bucket for a long enough period of time to be a major issue. If it were me, I wouldn't do it but to each their own

[Ausable]

Clinkis - I wouldn't worry about it. We have a problem in this Country - We Operate in extreme's and seldom with common sense. If You melt lead, breath in the fumes and handle it everyday - You will probably get lead poisoning. If You collect sap in old time buckets You will be fine.

[mapleguy]

I agree Ausable, can someone tell me of one incident of lead poisoning from consuming syrup? I know I'm not the most popular on any site, but I would think improper disposal of permeate and the chemicals used to wash out RO's is more harmful. Just like "fracking", with all the toxic chemicals used don't tell me they don't get in the water supply. Use those pails ,but empty once a day and you will be fine.

[Clinkis]

Thanks for the feedback. This pretty much echoes what I was thinking. I always empty my buckets everyday anyways.

[adk1]

I understand all the points made and trust me I am no expert on this subject but I think it boils down to the point that lead is accumulated in your body over the course of time. I am sure that someone more knowledgable than me will chime in on the topic.

[Sugarmaker]

All good comments. Just make sure they are not the old Turnplate (SP?) type those did have way more hazards. If these are the newer Wheeling style, go for it. The key to using these is keeping them emptied as mentioned. Don't forget that the only way to tell if you have any amount of lead in a product is to get the finished product tested.
Regards,
Chris

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Back in the mid 90's thet State of VT wanted sugar makers to send in samples of there syrup to be processed for lead. My brother in law did and he had a old 3x10 english tin leader eveaporator. What the state sent him back in the findings of his syrup the lead was so far below the PPM allowed that it would probably never bother you.
found this but cant remember exactly what his was I do remember it was lower that allowed.

A provisional tolerable total dietary intake of lead was established by FDA in 1990 of 6 ug @day
for children, and 75 ug @day for adults (Carrington, 1996).

The State of VT allows lead up to 250 ppb

[n8hutch]

If I owned galvanized buckets I would probably use them.however if I had to buy buckets I would avoid them, It seems like maple production is trending away from galvanized/lead soldered materials and I wouldn't want to be the guy with say 500 buckets that are virtually worthless when nobody wants them anymore.

I also tend to agree that people get a little carried away worrying about lead contamination, as has been said there probably would never be enough to make you sick. As a society we used lead pipes for water services for years. But now a days we know better & I think it goes W/O saying that lead should be avoided whenever possible.

[Sugarmaker]

I agree that the price of buckets seems to be dropping I saw hundreds of wheeling type galvanized buckets sold this summer in Ohio for under a buck each. Lids were maybe 20 cents each.
I moved away from buckets for ease of gathering. They are still a very effective way to hold sap.
Regards,
Chris

[heus]

Clinkis - I wouldn't worry about it. We have a problem in this Country - We Operate in extreme's and seldom with common sense. If You melt lead, breath in the fumes and handle it everyday - You will probably get lead poisoning. If You collect sap in old time buckets You will be fine.
Best post I have read in a long time.

[bowtie]

the thing I have to say about it is if you can avoid it why wouldn't you, to me that is common sense. lead accumulates in the body, so I would guess that no one per say has died of lead form maple syrup but it surely does not help. with all the chemicals we are subjected to why take a chance adding to it. I believe galv buckets are "outlawed" in Canada, I do not think it is to sell more aluminum buckets, there is a reason. i know that some will say that we used to have lead pipes and lead paint, but i would counter that in those times life spans were much shorter. even bascoms has stopped selling galv gathering tanks and storage tanks. i think about this way, my family may use anywhere from 5-8 gallons of the syrup i make vs 1-2 quarts for my average customer, so you are risking your family more greatly than anybody else. that does not sit well wit me. to me that is common sense.
what about sap sacks they are cheap and there is no cleaning after the season, just recycle and start new next year.

[backyard sugaring]

We have a old farmhouse with big maples out front.I have several old buckets we put a bag inside them. This way we still have the old look and don't have to worry about something leaching into our sap. Good Luck this season. Lee

[sugarsand]

Everytime that we, as producers become more Enlightened and Educated on the proper way everything is to be done, it means that somebody, somewhere has or will think of a way that this equates to the contents of our wallets.

[killingworthmaple]

Ok here is my 2 cents worth. I was at a maple meeting the other day and this subject was discussed with people in the know. Yes lead does leach out of the buckets the turnplate are the worst. The longer you let the sap sit in the buckets the more lead leaches out. Keep in mind that you are boiling it down and concentrating the lead. Will you died from using old buckets no, is lead good for you no.

Here is how I handled it in the past I bought the old buckets cheap then I bought large 2 1/2 gallon zip lock bags from Wal-Mart and lined the insides of the bucket and overlapped the bags over the top worked perfect for several years till I upgraded. I had great looking, cheap, safe buckets.

Nathan

[Clinkis]

As expected, there is a wide array of opinions on this. Although everyone agrees there is lead associated with using these buckets there doesn't seem to be a concensus on how much. I live in Ontario and have never heard anything about these buckets being outlawed although I'm sure they are discouraged. I wonder if I might just spend the extra money and get the aluminum buckets. I found a local supplier that has them for $4.