washing tubing with peroxide

[The Sappy Steamer]

I was wondering what rate of dilution you folks that use hydrogen peroxide to wash your tubing are using. I am using the equivalence of 1000ppm of 5% as recommended in the Maple Syrup Producers Manual. I let it sit overnite and wash it with fresh water the next day. It doesn't appear the peroxide is really doing a whole lot. If there was any junk built up in a lateral or anything it's still there after washing. Is anyone washing at a higher peroxide ratio, or letting it sit longer with better results?

[H. Walker]

Are you using compressed air with the solution or just straight liguid rince? You need the compressed air to cause turbulance in the lines to clean properly. If you do a search on here you should find how to build the manifold.

[The Sappy Steamer]

I was using compressed air for a couple years and then got away from it. I still have the manifold some place. I guess I'll have to go back to using it again if it makes a difference. I guess I just figured the peroxide would break any grundge down if it sat awhile.

[maple flats]

I use 1 qt/100 gal water. My peroxide is 35% food grade. I just pump the solution AND air thru the main, then close valve on main at top of hill. Then do each lateral the same way, pulling just 3 or 4 taps at a time, let solution squirt out a few seconds and then plug spout into tee and move on. I drain the excess but do not rinse. Any residue breaks down into water and oxy, no need to rinse. I think the book says rinse because they are using medical grade peroxide which has heavy metals as preservatives in it. The food grade has no such additives. I buy my peroxide from a water treatment company who has peroxide in 15 gal drums. At my current projected growth rate this should last me several years. The peroxide is in a black bbl because light breaks peroxide down. The turbulance created by the air + peroxide provides the mechanical action needed to remove the "grunge"

[maple flats]

Oh, if I have a line to clean that has gotten real grungy i use 1 qt/75 gal water.

[The Sappy Steamer]

Thanks, I'll give that a try. We have been flushing with clear water, then doing the peroxide, then clear water again, while going tap to tap pulling 3 or 4 at a time. It's pretty grueling the way we do it. It sounds alot better your way. Those hills get steeper every year.

[peacemaker]

i found one thing with the heavy % peroxide is it will burn your hands
chap them up good makes them shinny

[argohauler]

I found out that it's illegal to use peroxide to wash lines in Canada today. Apparently there is a chemical in peroxide that won't boil out and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency won't allow it to be sold.

I was just wondering if you guys in the states are totally sure it is legal there?

[docmaple]

I used peroxide one year and had a terrible rodent damage.I would recommend using isoprpyl alcohol and vacuuming it back.It is now approved for organic use

[Brent]

Just one more pooo on the idea of peroxide cleaning .. I read on the UV Protor web site that neither diluted bleach or peroxide will kill the microbes in sap. As I recall the article was talking about cleaning spiles ( spouts for Yankees )

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I assume isrophyl alcohol is rubbing alcohol??

[Brent]

rubbing alcohol has a bit of oil added ... I think

if you clean your glasses with it they smear

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

So what is the alcohol that you are referring too??

[maple sapper]

so cleaning with bleach is not as good as peroxide? is using bleach bad? I was under the understanding that chemicals such as bleach and peroxide boil off if a residue is left or a pocket in a line. Is there any truth to this? I just want to do whats effective and safe in the future.

[red maples]

what about (not sure spelling s right) Quaternary Ammonia. It is used and perfered in restaurants as a sanitzer used on cuttting boards tables etc and no rinsing. not sire what the concentration is though. It doesn't smell like ammonia.

And rumor has it they also rinse beef, pork, and chicken with it in big slaughter houses, that some fast food restaurants use and own, it is used to kill e. coli. after it is gutted and skinned.

[maplecrest]

i have fought the cleaning tubing battle for 30 years. you name it i tryed it. last year i ran around with milk jugs and vacuumed the water back to the releaser thru the drops.lines still turn green slim inside. this year i pulled under vac. pulled 7000 taps in 3 1/2 days and the tubing is the cleanest i have ever seen it. i pulled a drop and what liquid came out smelled sort of like vinager which is a cleaning solution. should rinse out first run that i drum and send away.

[sapman]

Well I like that response.  That's what I'm doing this year, along with some others I know.  Washing just seems like so much work, and the results may be no different.Tim

[KenWP]

They use lactic acid to rinse off meat in slaughter houses. The freezing is done with nitrogen which is food safe also. They do actually check slaughter houses for unsafe practices.