Cleaning "everything"!

[tappin&sappin]

This will be my 4th year making syrup. Up until now I've used all buckets. Last year I had about 70 taps out.

This year I'm going to try some tubing and increase my tap count to around 140.

One thing I've noticed is I'm usually at a loss when it comes to cleaning equipment. I've done a ton of reading on this site and know that cleaner is better.

Specific questions are as follows:
Tubing
I will only be using 5/16 P from Leader for some roadsides.
1. Do you clean only at the end of the year?
2. Should I use chlorine or bleach?
3. And what ratio? I won't have an air supply, so I'm just going to use a 2000gph 12V pump to "push" water through the tubing.

Collection Tanks
I plan on using 55gal drums (food grade) or totes.
1. Frequency of cleaning?
2. Should I use chlorine or bleach?
3. And what ratio?

Storage Tanks
I have a 300 gal SS and a 100 gal SS tank.
1. Frequency of cleaning?
2. Should I use chlorine or bleach?
3. And what ratio?

My apologies for the lengthy post. I realize there probably isn't one "right" answer, but I'd like to hear what everyone else does.

Thanks in advance,
Jake

[ennismaple]

Our tubing only gets washed at the end of the season. If you use bleach you're much more likely to get squirrel damage no matter how well you rinse it. All we use is a lot of hot water under pressure and then blow it out with the air compressor.

Our gathering tanks and storage tanks get washed, mopped and rinsed with water every day.

[tuckermtn]

We clean our small roadside tubing set-ups at the end of the season...pressure wash in and out...also wash totes that the roadside tubing runs only at end of season...wash 110 gal ss feed tank and 300 gal ss milk bulk tank approx. three times a season- with pressure washer water only...wash the pick-up 210 gal tank more often (every 3-4 gathering cycles) since it seems to pick up more crud...

we wash our mainline tubing with compressed air and pumped water at the end of the season...

we would wash our feed/ bulk tank more if we had water at the sugarhouse...its on the to-do list...

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

Wash tubing at the end of season, holding tanks get it every day

RICH

[maplecrest]

clean tubing once a year as soon as last run. clean tanks every day. go easy on the bleach if you use it. does not rinse well with cold water. cold water and a good brush. your road side tanks , you can use the dirty sap at the bottom and a brush and dump it out , works for me till i can get back with water.