Frozen sap in 1000l tote

[Beerclouds]

Im just wondering what everyone if anybody is using anything in their tote to keep the sap from freezing. I was contemplating using a couple aerators for a minnow bucket or a couple water pump for aquariums. As long as the sap stays moving it shouldnt freeze right? Thanks for any response.

[maple flats]

In the past, if I ever got any ice in a Tote, I just stopped using that one until it just started to melt, then I put new liquid sap in it. From there I pumped it into my SS sap tanks, Any ice remaining just became the refrigeration for the new sap. I'd be very concerned about using non food grade aerators or aquarium pumps. Who knows what they are made of? Remember, syrup is a food product.

[SeanD]

The best thing to do is collect it and boil it before the deep freeze gets there. Usually, you see it coming in the forecast and boil as much as you can before you get there. I've been caught, though. Sometimes the work schedule and the weather don't cooperate. A big run ends with temps plummeting in the afternoon and you have that day's run frozen for days. It's unavoidable. I'll put heat tape on the neck and valve at the bottom.

If it's just an overnight freeze or just for a day or so, the outside and top of the sap will freeze and you can still draw the liquid from the inside of the tank. The ice is a nice insulator and nature's RO. The rub is, all that ice eventually melts and you have more water in your next collection.

[amasonry]

hey Beerclouds, it happens.was it a full tote? in the center of that ice block is concentrate. I have a 2-foot drill bit and make a hole in the ice to pump it out and boil!

[bill m]

in the center of that ice block is concentrate. /QUOTE] Have you actually tested the sugar content to be sure? It has been my experience that the sugar settles on the bottom of the tank.

[buckeye gold]

I have never had a complete block of ice in my collection tank until this year. We have had two small runs that weren't enough to boil, plus it turned instantly cold. So I have a 40 gallon size solid block of ice. My tank is 275 gallons so it'll just be refrigeration until it thaws. Now if it was my smaller tank I'd be scratching my head too.

[VT_K9]

What is everyone's though on those floating water heaters used with watering buckets for animals? Maybe that could work to help out.

Mike

[Geroldn]

As long as the valve doesn’t freeze, an ice block in the sap tank doesn’t matter. After a few hours of running the fresh sap floats the ice block and I can draw sap out of the bottom of the tank. The only problem comes when I boil all the liquid and have a chunk of ice. It can be very hard to tell the difference just looking through the side of my cage tank.