keeping it clean

[paul]

ok I`ve been plumbing my new to me tanks and was totaly grossed out with what i found in the pvc piping.We run thousands of gallons of water thru these pipes at the end of the season to clean them yet they were still gross and the smell was sickening. How do you guys clean out your sealed pipeing in the sugar house?
Paul

[Haynes Forest Products]

That is one of the problems with piping in the sugar house we tend to make everything stright and neat anddont think about draining pipes every time they are used. I would start by having all pipes that carry sap and syrup slant/run towards the drains/tanks and evap. 1/4" per foot is the norm for total draining. It was beaten into me that you can never have to many drains in a system. Having a pipe system with standing water in it over the summer with bacteria is going to make some goo. You can also put couplers in the system so you can quickly take it apart for cleaning and storage so air gets to it just like a brewery or milk house.

[red maples]

thats what I was told too. I am putting lots of couplers, and unions so everything can be dismantled cleaned and can dry properly. Bacteria loves, moisture, nice comfortable temperatures, and something sweet to drink, kinda like hanging out at the pool with a fruity sweet adult beverage.