End of year cleaning cast iron and aluminum taps

[Wannabe]

I'm sure this has been gone over on here but I cant find it. I'm looking for recommendations on cleaning taps at the end of the year. I have some of my Grandfathers OLD cast iron taps and some of the newer cast aluminum taps (7/16"). In previous years I had been boiling them in a big pot with a small amount of bleach added, and then rinsed very well obviously and air dried and put in closed bucket till spring. I have heard of people using vinegar and etc. Just looking for what else has worked for others. Not looking for comments on changing to 5/16" taps etc.

[Mr Sugar Maple]

This is my 9th season, we have aluminum and stainless taps. What I do is first clean each spout with a spout brush, then boil them for 30 minutes, drain and put them in a oven pan and bake them at 450 degrees for an hour. then into quart freezer bags. Hope that helps. and God Bless.

[cbhansen]

I soak taps in a PBW solution for 30 minutes at around 120 to 140 deg F and then rinse in starsan for 60 seconds followed by a good clean water rinse. Don’t leave aluminum in starsan for an extended period. PBW is ok for “industrial aluminum”.

[Russell Lampron]

When I tapped buckets I washed my taps in hot water and used a spout brush to clean the inside. I didn't use any soap or other chemicals. I then boiled them and let them air dry. When it was time to tap I boiled them again just before I headed out the door. I used to get up to 6 weeks before the tap holes dried up.

[Michael Greer]

Over the last few years I gradually switched over to Sapmeister stainless 5/16 spouts with bucket hooks. They are easy to brush out and smooth and straight inside. They also look sturdy enough to last the rest of my life.