cleaning taps/tap adapters

[Beans Maple]

In the last couple of years I have spent quite a bit of money buying those plastic tap adapters for health spouts. The idea was that every year I could take them out of the woods and sterilize them by boiling and then use them again next seaon without so much bacteria getting into the holes. Well if I knew then what I know now I would have either swap to the check valves or gone with the stainless spouts. All of my lines are health spouts and I would like to get atleast a few years before I admit to wasting the investment on the adaptors and swap everything out. What is the best way to sterilize these adapters? Last year the lines with new ones ran well and long but the lines that had 2 year old adapters that had been boiled didn't run nearly as good. Should I use a bleach bath of some sorts on these?

[DrTimPerkins]

Last year the lines with new ones ran well and long but the lines that had 2 year old adapters that had been boiled didn't run nearly as good. Should I use a bleach bath of some sorts on these?

You've largely answered your own question, but to expound a bit further....we've tried several different approaches to cleaning spouts (boiling, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, etc.). Nothing was ever close to the yield we got from replacing with new adapters each year. Doing that alone typically results in about a 10-15% increase in sap production (on average), which is more than enough to pay for the new adapter each year.

My answer based upon our research and experience....replace them each year.

[DrTimPerkins]

Dr Tim,
We sure appreciate everything you have done for the industry. The problem I have with the droplines, taps, and mains that all need to be replaced, is the cost or waste involved with recycling. Now the industry has gone from galv pails and taps (or s.s.) to all plastic tubing, taps, and fittings. Its like an open invitation to China, to control our maple industry too. Do I have a better answer? No. Wish I did right now? Yes.

As far as I know, the vast majority of maple equipment, including tubing and fittings, and evaporators and such are all made in the U.S.A. or Canada.

There are considerable efforts being made in the U.S.A. and Canada to find ways to recycle the plastics from the maple industry. Unfortunately the economic situation has hammered the recycling market quite hard.

[KenWP]

You have to remeber that most maple equipment dosn't work for much else so to get it made over seas for a small market isn't really going to happen. They could set up a factory to make the product but it would be finished makeing a few years worth of plastic parts and no way to move them to make more. They get a lot done in a short time compared to NA work force.

I know the guy who has all the dollar stores all over Canada and his agreement is he will buy almost anything from them that they will sell for 25 cents and they can fill warehouses full if he let them and he hasn't touched their storage yet.

[northwoods_forestry]

Two questions to follow up on Dr. Perkins observations regarding washing plastic spiles vs replacing them:

1. Just what is it about plastic that makes cleaning them so difficult or impossible?

2. Does boiling or otherwise treating metal bucket spiles effectively remove bacterial contamination in used spiles, or is that not really an issue given the flow mechanics through bucket vs. tubing spiles?

Thanks - Ian

[Toblerone]

... (replacing with new adapters each year) ... typically results in about a 10-15% increase in sap production

Was this research for tubing on vacuum or gravity or both? I have been using the same spouts for 7 years now and have not noticed any reduction in sap production. Maybe I had really bad weather the first year so I didn't notice the reduction. I've consistently gone over the quart-per-tap estimate and I even made nearly a third of a gallon per tap last year.

I'll second northwoods_forestry's question about plastic. If brought to 212 degrees in boiling water, shouldn't it be considered sterile at that point? Should I put them in the pressure cooker!!?! I understand the research shows what it shows, but are there any reasons/hypotheses for why it should be so?

Thanks,

[DrTimPerkins]

1. Just what is it about plastic that makes cleaning them so difficult or impossible?

2. Does boiling or otherwise treating metal bucket spiles effectively remove bacterial contamination in used spiles, or is that not really an issue given the flow mechanics through bucket vs. tubing spiles?


1. Although you can't easily see it, most plastic is not terribly smooth at the microscopic level, so bacteria can readily adhere to the surface. Additionally, most plastics are somewhat porous.

2. In our experience, you can clean plastic spouts to a reasonable degree, but can't ever really get them back to an "as good as new" state. We haven't done a lot of work with metal spouts for buckets or tubing. That said, cleaning of spouts is a well-accepted practice that is recommended.

Under gravity, there is far less backflow of sap occurring. Cleaning of spouts will help a fair bit. Replacing spouts/drops (with new) will help a great deal for gravity tubing, but less so for vacuum tubing, primarily due to the ability of vacuum systems to allow backflow to occur a much greater distance. Sap will move backward a foot or so under gravity. By replacing your spout/drop in gravity tubing, you've created essentially a new system as far as taphole contamination is concerned. Sap in vacuum tubing can move several to tens of feet (depending upon the circumstances). Therefore replacing spouts/drops will help somewhat, but you'll still get some bacterial contamination moving from the lateral line to the taphole, so the benefit of replacing your spouts/drops is reduced.

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

The first CV adapters had to have water added to the bags they were packaged in to help with the curing process. After seeing a bag of 100 cv adapters absorb a tablespoon or so of water, there is no doubt in my mind that they could absorb sap containing bacteria.