20 gal Plastic Soda Jugs

[Amber Gold]

A friend of mine has plastic soda jugs that he was using last year to collect sap in. They're 20 gal and I guess they took the place of the s/s kegs for soda companies. They look like the 5 gal jugs we use, just taller. Is anybody using them and have they found any problems with them? I can get them used from a local company, not sure on the cost, but I don't think it was much.

[Dill]

Josh I've been using them for sap storage also. But I'd be leary about using them for syurp storage, at least the used ones. They tend to really hold the soda smell in them. In fact I'm only trying to use ginger ale ones now. The dr pepper jug that I tried, I couldn't get rid of the smell no matter what I tried.

[Amber Gold]

Thanks Alden.

Anybody have any idea where I can get new ones?

[Haynes Forest Products]

Amber Gold............ Baytec Containers 888-460-drums

[red maples]

I don't know about new??? maybe internet search but Magnason farms on rt 125 on the left from you past the rockingham county court house in kingston.

has different sized used range from 20 - 55 gallon blue grey and white I am goin gover tomorrow if there is a break in wether to get a few more white ones they had sushi seasoning in them just sweet not much flavor. $20 each.

the other thing you can use is rubbermaid 26 gallon(if thats the size you want) comercial trash cans. I think grey, green, and other colors I got in in touch with rubbermaid sometime ago and certain colors are food grade. You can look on the lid and bottom of the trash can. We used to use them to freeze lobster bodies in for lobster stock, Freezing old bagels for bagels chips amoung other things when I used to work in hotels.

just looked Baytec...they have sales so prices vary. a little pricey but if you want new that seems the place to go. bayteccontainers.com or just search baytec containers

[DrTimPerkins]

...the other thing you can use is rubbermaid 26 gallon(if thats the size you want) comercial trash cans. I think grey, green, and other colors I got in in touch with rubbermaid sometime ago and certain colors are food grade.

Please note that not all of these containers are food grade. They are only food grade if they say they are food grade. Color isn't a reliable indicator. Some companies do sell food-grade plastic containers, but they are NOT trash cans, and generally cost considerably more.

If it is being sold as a trash can, at the price you'd pay for a trash can, chances are it should be used for trash and NOT for sap. Non-food-grade containers are made from re-grind materials and can leach toxics into sap. DON'T USE THEM.

Tim P.
UVM PMRC

[KenWP]

If you go to the United States Plastics web site who make Rubber Made by the way you can find lots of barrels and they ship. All sizes and shapes and colors and uses.
I found a sourse for food grade white plastic barrels that had lube for meat plants in it. I guess they actually spray this stuff on the cutting tables to make stuff slide easy.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Baytec has reconditioned food grade soda drums 20 gallon

[red maples]

Please note that not all of these containers are food grade. They are only food grade if they say they are food grade. Color isn't a reliable indicator. Some companies do sell food-grade plastic containers, but they are NOT trash cans, and generally cost considerably more.

If it is being sold as a trash can, at the price you'd pay for a trash can, chances are it should be used for trash and NOT for sap. Non-food-grade containers are made from re-grind materials and can leach toxics into sap. DON'T USE THEM.

Tim P.
UVM PMRC
Then why did rubbermaid tell me they could be used for food contact??? it says right on the container food contact #2 I asked them what that ment they said it is fine for food. most plastics containers are around $1 + per gallon. these are priced the same.

I am not using any I have white 50 gallon drums. just saying what they told me.

[KenWP]

I find the same. The plastic pails that bakerys use and that oil for deep fryers comes in are marked 2 also. So I would say that if it's marked recycle 2 that it's all made out of the same plastic but I could be wrong. I don't use garbage cans becasuse the lids usually fit poor and they are too big to move full.

[super sappy]

I have an old round up container that is #2 recycled plastic. On a side note I think collecting food in a trash can and selling it gives us as maple producers a black eye . I drove thru Arlington Vt last year and spotted mainline running downhill into a trash can at the end of this guys driveway. Right next to his other trashcans and recycling .Just looked like crap and people see this and think maybe all of us do this. Bascoms has a huge pile of barrels right now I think 20.00 each. Food grade and opentops for easy cleaning. They ship anywhere and are glad to do so. Just my 2 cents -Super sappy

[Dill]

Of course the local place is the drum guy on Rt 4 right here in Northwood. He has used soda jugs, but more importantly he does get olive barrels with the screw off caps. Those are what I like the best. But they dissapear fast. I think he's still at the 15 or 20 dollar mark for the olive drums.

[red maples]

super sappy. I agree the trash cans do look bad.

I think I need to clarify things a bit. I was thinking(always scarey) last night and this morning.

1.Dr perkins is right if a trash can is made of recycled plastic then it does contain BPA's and other harsh and poisonous chemicals that may leach into food and sap so you do want to avoid these.

2. what some companies do is catagorize their items by color. And you can contact the company that manufactures different types of barrels and trash cans.

3. you can also contact your local health inspector (if you really really want to) and ask what is safe to use.

4. As far as hotel and restaurant industry goes somethings you see can be a little scary, from those that are not educated on sanitation. We did use white ones that were designed for food but lookes like a trash can we also had small white white 10 and 15 gallon barrels that we used for dressings and sauces and things that looked like trash cans. The markings on the bottom were the same something like #2 food contact (recycle #2 means the material that is made of and catagorizes it for recycling).

5. but best thing to do is find stuff with NSF(national sanitation foundation) that is designed for food or food storage.

there I feel better now.

[Amber Gold]

It looks like new these are going to run about $30-40 plus shipping. At that price I think I'd be better buying a 30-gal epoxy drum.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Whatever you choose remember you will be moving them full your hard earned syrup. Man do they get heavy when you need to lift them into a truck. I have some of the 5 gallon jugs with the fold down handles and it scares me to lift them for fear of snapping the plastic pin.
Now putting small containers on a trailer is also a pain trying to keep them tied down.

I remember when I started filling a milk jug with syrup was a monumental feat then came a 5 gallon bucket then 2-3-4-5 up to 25 of them
. Last year was the first time I filled 2 55gallon drumps and 25 buckets and what a royal pain it was. I would make the right choice the first time:)

[DrTimPerkins]

...it says right on the container food contact #2

If they say they are food grade, and they've not been used for anything that wasn't food grade, then go ahead and use them. These are NOT the same as trash cans. Trash cans are for trash.

Tim P.
UVM PMRC