Dumping buckets into ibc tote.....

[Maple Producer]

Hi how do you all dump buckets in a ibc tote? do you use a large funnel or do you just make a mess? I just got a tote for collecting and we have 250 taps with buckets so it can amount to a lot of waste due to the very small hole in the top! Or very very slow !!!

[maple flats]

Sap is too valuable to just make a mess. One way is to trace around the bottom of a bucket on the top of the IBC, then cut around it a little larger, then remove the bucket bottom and push it tight in the hole. Then put the bucket top on when done dumping. Another method is one I used when I had about 75 buckets in one very tree filled yard where the landowner didn't want tubing. I set up a barrel cut about half in height on the ground behind my truck, with an IBC in the bed of the truck. I then dumped sap in the barrel and as it got near full, I started a small 1" gas powered 2 cycle pump to pump it to the IBC. I went for more full buckets while it pumped, as I got back I dumped the additional sap, then shut the pump off. I repeated that as many times as necessary to empty all 75 buckets. I collected the farthest ones while the pump was off and closer ones when it was running. Once the buckets were all emptied, it only too about 2-3 minutes, to set the pump in the truck, the 2 hoses and the barrel and I was ready to go to my next stop.

[Ed R]

One more option is to find a milk strainer/ filter that fits your top opening. I found a used stainless one at a sale that fits the top of my 50 gallon plastic tank perfectly. You can't just pour wildly with it though. It has to be under control

[Pdiamond]

I used to have to collect from buckets along the road and the ibc in the truck. I had a funnel and used a five gallon bucket to pour with only filled it about 2/3 full and had a helper in the truck bed so I didn't have to keep climbing in and out all the time. The milk strainers are really nice if you can find them as they are bigger than the funnel and will keep more debris from entering the ibc tote.

[Maple Producer]

Thank you all for your input! I agree sap is too valuble to waste! Especially this year! Where would you look to find a large funnel that doesnt restrict flow too much? I cant seem to find much on the internet..... I may cut a bigger hole and use a bucket lid if I cant find a good funnel. Thanks again for those ideas!

[MapleCamp]

Cut a bigger hole, I make covers out of marine plywood and epoxy paint. You want an opening big enough to make it easy to clean the tote. You can also buy plastic man hole type covers, or boat deck inspection ports.

[Aaron Stack]

As Dave suggests, I cut the bigger hole to match a five gallon bucket cut about 4 inches down from the top. Depot/Lowes has a gamma-seal lid for buckets for about $8 that snaps right on and has a good seal along with having a twist off cover to make it real easy to take on and off. Attached the bucket to the tote with some silicone food safe bath & kitchen caulking for a tight fit. Climbing the ladder with a full bucket and poring without spilling was tricky so I only fill them 2/3. Easy setup and cheap at about $20 for all.

[UB29]

I modified my IBC's with large covers made for ice fishing bob houses......link below. Works great
Thanks, Bill

https://catchcover.com/categories/Hole-Covers/

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

We did the same as UB29, they work good.

[eustis22]

I use a little 1/10 HP Home Cheapo water pump (self priming) to lift from my buckets into my tote.

[Aaron Stack]

I use a little 1/10 HP Home Cheapo water pump (self priming) to lift from my buckets into my tote.

Now why didn’t I think of that!

[In da bush]

I had the same problem and came up with a funnel build out of a food grade 55 gallon barrel, some pvc,a few pvc fittings, a handful of SS bolts. I strap it to the IBC and run, works like a champ and can be put together in under an hour once you have the parts.

See attached pic

[In da bush]

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Hi how do you all dump buckets in a ibc tote? do you use a large funnel or do you just make a mess? I just got a tote for collecting and we have 250 taps with buckets so it can amount to a lot of waste due to the very small hole in the top! Or very very slow !!!

See pic below and post

[Maple River Sugar]

We still use a lot of buckets along road side and residences. To ease the handling of the buckets, not getting younger, I built this set up which has helped us immensely. With the 275 gallon tote located in the truck we simply place the 30 gallon blue barrel on the ground and pour our bucket into that. Once we are either one or if the barrel is full we turn on a Seaflo 1100 gph bilge pump which runs off of 12 volts which is wired from the truck to a box on the tote. The pump has a long enough cord and Tiger flex hose to reach from the barrel to the top of the tote also I can drop the pump into 55 food grade barrels which collect sap from lines. The time taken to pump off the 30 gallon barrel is about 7-10 minutes. I am currently altering the power box to accommodate another power source to a longer distance pump which can go out 25 feet from the truck. This will be used to reach a barrel which collects a line which has about 12 feet of head to push the sap. I will actually use the two pumps as a ladder into the truck which will cut down my time on a busy road.
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