Puple sap in storage tank

[Ron Engesether]

new to tapping, Yesterday i cleaned my plastc storage tank with cascade liquied gel and pressure washer, rinsed it out and dumped a gallon of clear good sap in it. and today it was purple. Why reaction to soap, anyone see this before? If i rinse again should it be Ok?

[tapper]

Rinse rinse rinse. You cant rinse enough if you use soap. I never use soap because it will give your syrup an off flavor. Some guys use a little bleach but even then double or triple rinse.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I always use the blue Dawn dish detergent to wash out the inside and outside of all my woods tanks at the end of the season and just rinse good. You wouldn't eat out of dishes that weren't washed with soap, just make sure you rinse good.

Funny how maple people are scared of soap. I remember when I was up at Verona about 4 or 5 years ago when the guy from Proctor or OSU asked how many people used dish detergent to clean with, I was the only one in a room of probably 150. It was like he dropped a poison pill.

He used the same analogy, you wouldn't eat out of dishes that weren't washed with soap and it is a good thing, just rinse good. Funny thing that some producers will use muriatic acid which is extremely toxic but won't use a little dish detergent. Works good to clean up tanks at the end of the season, especially good for the outside to wash off the brown mud stains on the bottom and sometimes on the side and to help clean out the bacteria on the inside.

[ibby458]

We also use detergent. The best test for adequite rinsing is tasting your rinse wiater. Keep rinsing til it don't taste like soap no more.

[VtSugarhouse]

Do not use any detergent in any sap or syrup usage container.
If you have to use something then use vinegar and then rinse it well.
You use vinegar to clean your coffee pot now dont you?

Using any soap or detergent will end up in a funny taste in your syrup.


Just a suggestion!!

[Flat47]

Actually, I use vinegar to get rid of scale deposits and bleach to clean with, in that order. And, of course, rinse rinse rinse.