Keeping Sap Thawed

[catfisher]

We added a 160 gallon stainless steel bulk tank this year which is just outside our shack, wondered if anyone used an electric tank de-icer to keep sap from freezing up and/or to thaw frozen sap when it gets real cold?

[kitkat]

Yep just bought a tank de-icer from Tractor supply. This one sinks but they make a floater also.
110v, just plug it in. I use it in my plastic 275 gal. holding tank. Says it is unharmful to plastic. So far, so good, but I haven't filled the
tank yet. Seems like the more sap in the tank would be less likely to freeze. Maybe a little ice on top.

[Michael Greer]

It will be a LOT easier to keep it from freezing, than to thaw it after it freezes.

[Kelly Wells]

We are frozen solid on the mountaintop. Several 55 gallon tanks full, frozen and can't be used. Waiting on Tractor Supply - should have a deicer here by 1pm to protect what I hope will be some fresh flow coming with today's above freezing temps. A lot of waiting around for the last week or so. It did give us a chance to restock the wood. Burned A LOT of wood boiling in sub and near zero weather.

[maple flats]

When I get ice in a tank, I simply leave it there to help keep the next sap coming in colder. You will find that it melts rather quickly when new sap flows. If on a head tank, just thaw the outlet pipe and then add new sap, in short order the ice will float and you can start using the tank. If the ice chunk is a large % of the tank you just need to keep new sap entering so you don't run out in a boil.

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

The tractor supply sinking heater worked great for me, I put it in 250 gallons of sap when it got to single digits for a few days and it didn't freeze, just a skim of ice on top, no problem!!

[Suckmytap]

does anyone have a brand / model they would recommend? is it better to thaw a completely frozen tank with a sinking or floating de-icer? i am seeing quite a few on amazon with very mixed reviews. i need to thaw a 275g tote cube

[amasonry]

i have 275 totes. when they freeze it is never solid. just get a 24" drill bit and ream a hole. mine have 4 to 8" of ice in them. leave the ice in tanks u will need it by the end of the season

[maineboiler]

I have struggled with freezing sap this year as well. The worse is when the holding tank is frozen, I can't unload from the collecting tanks (I am old school and have buckets and pails that I manually collect) and then every thing freezes solid. This can shut down my operation. I resorted to using a Mister Buddy propane heater and adding hot water to the holding tank this past weekend. I like Dave's advice, but some time here in Maine the holding tank is frozen solid and I just can't add any more sap. I'll be checking out this tank heaters you have been talking about