hoses

[hentird]

need some help. are there any food grade hoses that can be used for collecting sap. I want to run between 50 and 100 ft of hose from collection tanks and the tank on my truck. I have multiple collection tanks so would be coiling and un coiling hose alot of times. I see come garden hoses and they all seem to say they are not food grade approved. Wanted to go with a 5/8 to 3/4 inch hose. Thank you,Tom..

[Haynes Forest Products]

DANG that gorden hose I drink from aint food grade. I think a good garden hose that is used for water and then sap would be ok for this. look in a brewery alot of garden hoses for cleaning. fish market uses hoses to wash up and clean the fish. I fill a kettle with a garden hose and cook sweet corn.
The problem with water in hoses is when it sits under pressure and then you drink it that is when the taste is transferd to the liquid.I would bet that 95% of the pumps we use to transfer sap to tanks with the hoses dont say food grade. I think the key is we boil everything we use. Heck I bet water pipe doesnt say food grade. all my mainlines ball valves and fittings dont say food grade. That good hanney metal hose reel you buy to make your life easy isnt food grade.

[Brian Ryther]

I buy a lot of my misc fittings from McMaster Carr. Under the product description it will say if it acceptable for food. I also check for things like it's vac. rating, pressure rating, temp range etc.. We are making food that will be consumed by others. It is important that the public should not have to worry where it's food comes from. You can consume anything you desire, in any manner, so long as you do not impose the same careless standards to others. I also drink from the garden hose, but I would not buy bottled water that was packaged from hose that ran a lawn sprinkler.

[Dennis H.]

I don't know if they make "garden hose" in the size you need but form my RV experience potable water, drinking water, hose will most likely be white in color and say that it is for potable water.

Potable, that is a funny word for drinking water, who the heck came up with that word??

[brookledge]

Just like Dennis said go to an RV supply store. Other options is a dairy supply store. They make a clear flexible tubing that is FDA approved for the dairy industry.
Keith

[sapman]

I've always used 1" "Tigerflex" hose. Not sure if it comes in 3/4" or not, and it doesn't coil as well as garden hose, but won't kink. I'm hoping to adapt it onto a large hose reel next season to make collection more efficient. FWIW, I found my best price for the stuff last season from Sugar Bush Supplies in Michigan.

Tim

[Haynes Forest Products]

I woulnt say my practices are careless. and the state of wisc. thinks there just fine. its the use of non food grade rocks they used to use that worries me think of the harm to the pilgrims. I would put my operation up against anyones with the use of all stainless pans ,complete kitchen with hot water for cleaning and you will not find any food grade LEAD in use in any part of the operation. My floors get powerwashed and the walls and ceilings get shopvaced at the start of every year and i have a hood covering my pans to keep out non food grade flies

[Father & Son]

I bought 3 50ft sections of the white garden hose for potable water at a rv dealer this year for 3 pumps stations. After I had purchased it I found the same thing in the automotive dept at WalMart with the rv supplies. Might want to check there too.

Jim

[markcasper]

Hains forest products,

The state of Wis. DOES NOT think garden hose is ok in my operation and chances are that they have just not seen yours yet. I had to buy milk hose from Fleet Farm for transfer pumpimg almost 8 years ago or so. I got buy for a long time.

[hentird]

Thank you for all your ideas. I will check them out . Tom..

[Haynes Forest Products]

I have 4 garden hoses in both the kitchen and the evaporator room and all are hooked up to water lines and are used for cleaning equipment and floors. they run the power washer and as a emergency flood for my pans. I clean my bulk tanks and truck transfer tanks with them and the state is well aware of them. The state has taken water tests from them. I would bet that you would have no problem drinking nice cold lemonade from a big picknick cooler filled from the coaches GARDEN hose.

[markcasper]

Notice that the garden hose had to be replaced for "transfer pumping" of sap, with something food grade. As far as washing and rinsing of equipment, the inspector has never said anything about using a garden hose for that.

Do you use a big green garden hose between your tank and evaporator?

[Haynes Forest Products]

Nope I use copper water line with milkhouse clear plastic hose so i can see the sap flow and it also allows me to stick a themometer into it so i can monitor the sap temp. It then runs thru a SS 50 plate heat exchanger and into float box with plastic tube.

[jrthe3]

is the 5/16 and main line i buy from leader rated as food grade have not seen in any were but have not looked real hard i know the hose that i got for my filter from maple guys this year had food grade printed right on it


hay haynes what do you use with the heat exchanger for

[Haynes Forest Products]

I have copper coils that run water thru my flue stack that run into the heat exchanger at about 210 degrees that is circulated with a pump. It has all the same components that a home boiler system has expansion tank ,pressure relief, auto fill from the water system. The raw sap gravity feeds into the plate exchanger and then into the float box. i used a small exchanger 3.5 X 7 10 plate and may sap came in at at about 45 degrees and then into the pans at 80 degrees. with my 5X10 by 50 plates i hope to get the sap up to around 200 degrees entering the pans and that will save alot of fuel.
You cant run sap in coils thru the flue stack you will burn the sap so thats why the exchanger. I think a thread on how others pre heat their sap would help others save on fuel but not blow up their operations