IBC Totes that held Sodium Hydroxide and Nitric Acid

[ADK_XJ]

Hi all, I was offered several totes that previously held sodium hydroxide (lye?) and one each that held nitric and phosphoric acid. They've been rinsed by the business offering them and I would wash them thoroughly again but what would all of you think in terms of using these for (temporary) sap collection out in our woods?

We don't sell our syrup at retail but I do like to be as conscious of food grade standards as possible...is there too much risk of contamination with these containers?

[VTnewguy]

Why take the chance with a food product? I would think you could find used totes that had food products in them. Just my two cents.

[Super Sapper]

Are these from a food plant and were food grade chemicals? If so you can wash them and then rinse the acid ones with a baking soda water mixture and a vinegar water mixture on the sodium hydroxide one. These chemicals can be food additives if they are food grade, if not there can be all sorts of extra stuff in it.

[maple flats]

I wouldn't chance it. Plastic is porous, you will never be certain all of either chemical is 100% removed. For too dangerous for sure.

[Pdiamond]

I bought my tote from the local maple supply store. I know I paid a little more for it. but I am also sure it was food grade and it cleaned easily. My opinion. stickwith the food grade.

[maple flats]

Back in 2003 I bought a 550 gal new plastic upright tank to use as a sap tank. I rinsed it 3x using municipal water and put it into service. By the next weekend I had made enough syrup to bottle some. I gave my daughters (2) each a half gal and had another set asside to give one of my sons, the other son is single, he was to get a quart. About 2 hrs later one of my daughters called and suggested I taste the syrup. I had tasted it off the bottler, as soon as it barely cooled enough to taste it, with no issue.
I opened a jug and tasted it, strong plastic taste. I ended up repacking all of that syrup into a 30 gal barrel to sell as commercial, threw out the used jugs, threw out 200-300 gal of sap and hauled that tank back home, washed it out using dawn dish soap then rinsed it for about an hour. Then I tasted the water from the tank, no off taste. I then put that tank back into service and had no further issues.
That problem cost me hundreds, but I learned!
I don't want you to suffer a similar issue, and make someone sick or even get sued for big bucks! Don't risk using anything not food grade.

[buckeye gold]

my quixk andwer is no. I personally have never used a plastic tank that wan't new food grade, only used to haul water or previously held wine (i have one barrel that was a wine barrel). It is just not worth it. Do you want to go buy food from a market and later find out it had chemical residue? The golden rule applies in Maple syrup production, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".