Stainless Steel bulk tank refrigeration

[DocsMapleSyrup]

Has anyone attempted to repair a bulk tank by pulling off the outer skin and rebuilding the cooling lines or built a refrigerated bulk tank from scratch? I'd like a 200-300 gallon refrigerated bulk tank that works and they are hard to find.

[Bucket Head]

If the leak can be located, a small amount of stainless is cut out of the outer skin, the leak is welded and the patch is welded back on. (I think they pressurize the tank with nitrogen and then listen to the entire tank with a stethoscope to find the "hissing". But it can not always be located. Tiny leaks don't make enough noise.) There is a short video somewhere on Youtube showing this process. But its timely and very expensive- if it can even be repaired. Find your closest dairy equipment dealership and ask if they have people who can do that. Sit down first though... Those folks will be able to explain the process better.
Or you might want to find a small uninsulated tank and put it in a small insulated room with a compressor/condenser unit and keep the room cold. Like a walk in cooler at a restaurant. A local brewery here keeps some of the tanks cold that way- they cool the room instead of the tank.
Either way, cold sap and/or concentrate is a worthy investment in my opinion.