Cleaning 55 gallon drums

[Loun]

Edit: I know theres a lot of posts on cleaning, wish i could change my title.. the question is actually. If I can still smell the peppers does that mean it will cause an off flavor?

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I have (2) 55 gallon drums im looking to use for sap storage while I am out of town 2 days a week. I wrestled them into the house, up stairs, into a back bathroom Tub and started to rinse them with hot water. I rinsed each one for 2 minutes with very hot water. The barrels held peppers, they are food grade etc...

Now obviously they still wreak of peppers but they are clean. Is there anything else I can do to these to make sure I dont end up with off flavored syrup? Any suggestions or should I be good to go?

Thanks a ton in advance. I will try to rinse them again with a hose later but if possible im done with the tub experience :)

-Lou

[PerryW]

It tough to clean those drums. I tried to clean out two of those drums that had cherry syrup using several soakings of bleach and hot water. Even after the cleaning; when they filled with sap, that sap tasted just like cherry juice. I got rid of those and have been using the 30 gal rubbermade type barrels ever since for my smaller tubing runs.. Yeah, I know, they are not food grade, but at least my sap doesn't taste funny.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Cut a hole in the side of them like 12 x 12. This will give you plenty of cleaning access and lay them on their sides for sap collection and this should still give you close to 55 gallon capacity. The are much easier to empty like this and clean also. Put a couple of small hinges on the piece you cut out and attach it back to the barrel and put like a slide lock on the opposite side and you have a nice lid too.

You can cut hole bigger or smaller, whatever you prefer.

[Loun]

These have air tight tops to them.. I found 55 gallon liners for 12$ online so I might just grab 2 of those, they are food grade so I wont have to worry about much. If I can clean it though I can put a ball valve on it. Im not giving up yet :) I have the covers pretty well cleaned up at this point. Will give the barrels another go tomorrow.

Trying to go down my checklist of what I need to get done to start tapping Thursday for the first time ever :)

[KenWP]

Like I have mentioned before there are actualy cleaners out there for plastic containers to remove smells and taints. One is sold in wine making stores. One problem is that plastic is pourus and absorbes smells and them scums over. You have to clean the plastic to remove the smells from the pours.

[Loun]

I saw that in another of your posts, i will hit up a local brewing shop tuesday sometime to see if I can get something at a reasonable cost, otherwise it will be the liners.

-Lou

[LawnMowerMan]

How about a nice baking soda bath and scrub? (For the barrel.........:lol: ) Or a mild bleach solution, then baking soda scrub. You can make a slurry of baking soda, then used a scrubber. Rince well, then fill with mild bleach water and let sit for a day or so......the rince well. If that does not work I have a hard time thinking anything would.