3/16" Cleaning

[wnybassman]

I'm going to be starting this process, probably tomorrow after work. Is there any reason I couldn't mix up a batch "One Step - No Rinse" brewers cleaning solution and send that down the lines from each tap location starting from the top?

[motowbrowne]

The reason not to use bleach is that it leaves a residue that squirrels may or may not want to eat. They'll chew through your tubing to get to it. Rinsing with water is sufficient, but you can use bleach if you want.

[wnybassman]

The reason not to use bleach is that it leaves a residue that squirrels may or may not want to eat. They'll chew through your tubing to get to it. Rinsing with water is sufficient, but you can use bleach if you want.

One Step is not a bleach solution, it's oxygen based.

[tuolumne]

I am uncomfortable using any cleaning solutions. We have out 1850 taps on 3/16". We clean top down with hot water and have had great success. We average about 1-1.5 gallons of water per lateral (20 taps average) by syphoning out of a bucket at the top tap. The hot water works amazingly well. We transport a barrel of hot water with the tractor and draw off pails. This is only an option if you have access to the top of your sugarbush like we do.

[GramaCindy]

I am uncomfortable using any cleaning solutions. We have out 1850 taps on 3/16". We clean top down with hot water and have had great success. We average about 1-1.5 gallons of water per lateral (20 taps average) by syphoning out of a bucket at the top tap. The hot water works amazingly well. We transport a barrel of hot water with the tractor and draw off pails. This is only an option if you have access to the top of your sugarbush like we do.

This is my first year tuolumne, and I like the idea you use to clean your lines. I have some questions...I will be taking my lines down after cleaning, do I put the tap into the holder on the "T"?

[ronintank]

This is my first year tuolumne, and I like the idea you use to clean your lines. I have some questions...I will be taking my lines down after cleaning, do I put the tap into the holder on the "T"?
I rinse with water top down then take my lines down each season i roll them up and hang them in the barn, i do not put the taps into the holder i leave them hang to let any water in the line to evaporate during the summer

[RileySugarbush]

This is my first year with tubing, 3/16. I use compressed air chucks for disconnects to my shurflo and plan to hook up the pump with a tank of hot water on the recirc line and rinse, pulling taps from bottom to top as I go. I will probably get wet. Once all off, I plan on hooking up an oilless air compressor at the bottom and blow them clear, and repeat the bottom to top routine, plugging the taps to tees as I go after the line is clear.

We will see how that works. I'm also considering a brief rinse with 6% peroxide as a first step, but am not as interested in getting sprayed with that.

[wnybassman]

I just ended up starting at the top pulling taps and squeezing a couple good squirts of hot/warm water down the line after I cut the tap off. You could watch that flow down the line each time so you could tell when it was past the next tap location. I'll go back through after a few days and put the ends of the drops on the T's

[GotSap?]

I'm going to be starting this process, probably tomorrow after work. Is there any reason I couldn't mix up a batch "One Step - No Rinse" brewers cleaning solution and send that down the lines from each tap location starting from the top?

I've been cleaning with StarSan for several years now. It is used for sanitizing homebrew equipment and the residue has no effect on flavor. If it is good enough for homebrew, which is incredibly influenced by just about anything, it should be just fine for maple lines.

[Paddymountain]

I bought a little 12v RV diaphragm pump and mounted it to a beard that I sets on top of a barrel. I start at the bottom pumping up the hill, pulling taps
and letting it flush, and then putting the spiles in the T's. when I get to the top I walk back down, shut the pump off, and walk back up taking the spiles out of the
T's. I then wait a week or so, and replace the spiles in the T's, Good to go for the next season.

[warners point]

I start at the top of each line. I tried going from the bottom but my pump didn't have enough power. I used some cleaner I got at the home brew store. It's a powder that when mixed with hot water will sanitize and leave no residue. I still flushed everything with clean water. There was no mold in the lines this spring.

[wnybassman]

Went around and plugged up some of the drops today. I must have been real inefficient in that woods this year. The water I flushed into the lines wasn't even running out in spots because of how flat the lines were. I had to traverse across the slope this year to get it to the tank, which I put halfway down the slope. Just didn't have time to get everything set up as we bought the land rather late in the fall. Next year the tank will be at the very bottom and I will have excellent slope all the way to the tank and/or mainline. I might be surprised how much more sap I will be getting out of those trees, and the other half that I will be able to pick up.

[VTnewguy]

Just curious how people inject water into the 3/16? Just cut off the tap on the end of the line and hold into a bucket? Thanks in advance.

[wnybassman]

Just curious how people inject water into the 3/16? Just cut off the tap on the end of the line and hold into a bucket? Thanks in advance.

Picked up a couple condiment bottles (ketchup and mustard) at the dollar store. Nice sharp tip on them. A couple good squeezes sends a bunch of water down the line.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

These work awesome and what I've always used

https://m.lowes.com/pd/Zep-Commercial-32-oz-Plastic-Spray-Bottle/3621238

[samcirillo]

we were told by local CDL dealer/rep to start at bottom---remove taps from tree and use a hand sprayer to squirt a couple squirts of hot water and work your way up to end of line-----leave a couple days for water to drain/dry and then repeat with a 15 ml squirt of " food grade " isopropyl alcohol [ with syringe ] plug bottom and work up plugging spiles as you go along and done !! The alcohol will vaporize within the tube sanitizing it and dissapearing ...ready for next year.... We will be trying this method in the next week or so.... we only have three lines @ approx 20 taps per line...more next year.... 250 taps this year 7800 litres sap...

[GramaCindy]

we were told by local CDL dealer/rep to start at bottom---remove taps from tree and use a hand sprayer to squirt a couple squirts of hot water and work your way up to end of line-----leave a couple days for water to drain/dry and then repeat with a 15 ml squirt of " food grade " isopropyl alcohol [ with syringe ] plug bottom and work up plugging spiles as you go along and done !! The alcohol will vaporize within the tube sanitizing it and dissapearing ...ready for next year.... We will be trying this method in the next week or so.... we only have three lines @ approx 20 taps per line...more next year.... 250 taps this year 7800 litres sap...
Don't quote me, but I'm pretty sure that Isopropyl alcohol is not legal in the US.

[DrTimPerkins]

Don't quote me, but I'm pretty sure that Isopropyl alcohol is not legal in the US.

You CAN quote me.....isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is NOT legal in the U.S. as a maple spout/tubing sanitizer.

http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc/Do%20Not%20Use%20IPA%20as%20Maple%20Sanitizer%20in %20U.S..pdf

[VTnewguy]

Good on the spray bottle.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I start at the top of each line and work down and do as suggested above in flushing. Lot of my lines are 3 years old and look about like new. I leave them to hang for at least a week to get them good and dry. When you pull top tap about half dozen squirts sends the water gushing down the line at a rapid pace. I do each drop also which is more work but I think makes a difference at the start of next year. Also helps to flush junk out of mainline and we start making light syrup right off the bat, not waiting until the lines flush out and wasting sap running on the ground or dumping some or all of the first run. I use Permeate to flush all my lines with. May sound silly and more work to some but it seems to make a big difference and flushes out a lot of junk out of drops, laterals and mains.

[samcirillo]

interesting that IPA is not recommended in US....note that we can only use " food grade " IPA..... not tech grade....

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/maple/ontap/ontap-1215-4.htm

[Sugar Bear]

As a rule of thumb I will not clean my sap lines or equipment with anything that makes up a measurable amount of the gasoline that is added to my car.

Just a rule I have ... no science whatsoever behind it.