Best Storage Tank

[adk1]

Ok, what makes the best storage tank for sap? Is it really SS or do some of these other tanks I hear about that you can get from your local feed store work? I am real hesitant on using anything plastic where the sap will potantially sit in it for extended periods of time. How about a galvanized storage tank? Thoughts?

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Galvanized has been used for years but if sap sits in it and starts to ferment, it will leach the zinc out of it. It is not food grade and we should be working away from it. That said, I still use galvanized stock tanks in a few places. Make sure they are drained and cleaned daily.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Dont take it wrong BUT But we beat the Gavanized tank thing to death and still didnt say YES or NO.................but its best if you dont...maybe...............all depends..we all do it YIKES as far as plastic what doesnt come in plastic that we eat? So if you get a pallet tank that was used to transport cooking oils, soda syrup, Vinegar what is sap going to hurt.

[ADKMAPLE]

but where would I get these kids of tanks? If Iwanted to get a plastic tank, where would I look?

[Haynes Forest Products]

Craigs list Look in the general catigorys or put a add under wanted pallet / cage tanks. I have listed many wanted items under wanted and have had calls on every one.

[Maplewalnut]

Do you want to best or cheapest? The best for longevity, cleanability and ease of use is stainless bar none. A lot of people are not only phasing out galvanized but also plastic. Plastic gets the slime layer a heck of a lot faster than stainless and most only have a small porthole for cleaning. Not saying plastic won't work and the cage tanks are a lot cheaper but if you are truly looking for the best...start looking for some old bulk/milk tanks

[adk1]

ok, well, what size tank should I start out with for 50 taps? Its not like it has to be huge? Suggestions? I would probably go with stainless

[waysidemaple]

I used the 55 gallon plastic barrels that our grocery store puts out back... they had juice and other food products in them. There cheap, and i cut a hole in the top for filling and cleaning and use a galvanized bucket cover over the hole. With 50 taps I dont think yoll need more than two and the second is only going to be used on the real good runs.

[mapleack]

I'd look at about a 200 gal tank for storage, and then a 50 to 100 gal tank for a head tank. If you'll be boiling every day the 200 will give you room to grow, and if you're boiling every couple days it'll give you room to store from 50 taps. I still use a few food grade plastic tanks in the woods, but I'm hoping to have all stainless tanks by next year. That'll leave the gathering tank on my tractor as the last plastic tank in my process. It's a real pain in the a** to clean because of the small opening, at some point I'll figure out how to replace it with stainless too.

[adk1]

so head tank you mean my dump station? Why would I need one that big? My holding tank I can see because I will be dumping into it and I will only be drawing as much as I am boiling off.

[3rdgen.maple]

head tank is the one that feeds the evaporator. My setup is where the storage tank and head tank are one in the same. I have a gathering tank to collect with and a head/storage tank to hold sap and feed the evaporator. If you run buckets that is the way to setup. If you are running vac you will need a collection tank in the woods where your lines drain into. I once seen a setup where a guyused a large tank to gather with and since the sugarhouse was at the bottom of a hill he just parked the wagon and tank under a drive through structure and piped it right to the evaporator as well. My vote is SS for everything.

[adk1]

oh ok, yeah I jsut need a storage tank/head tank one in the same setup. will probably go with SS jsut need to figure out the capacity for 50 taps or so..dont think it needs to be huge but also probably wont boil every night either

[SPILEDRIVER]

id allways used 32 gallon plastic garbage cans in the bed of the truck when i was running30-40 taps.this past year i was doing 50 taps and it was a royal pain,not enough capacity.im going to 100/120 taps next year so i just bought a 250 gallon plastic cage tank at a farm auction for 55$.there were 12 tanks there,scattered threwout the equipment,the first 6 or 8 went for 125$-150$ and as the auction wound down so did the prices.

[lpakiz]

Our Dairy Supply stores-service companies buy dairy cleaning and sanitizing liquid in those cage tanks. They go for $45. Look in the Yellow Pages under Dairy Supplies.

[stagecoach maples]

tractor supply or a store like that we use those rubbermaid stock tanks those work really good!!!

[ADKMAPLE]

are those the ones that have the cage around it or no? How much do they cost?

[farmall h]

I would go with poly tanks..less money. Should be able to pick up some of those square poly (caged) totes for $50 or so each. Those are 300 gallons and have a large cap on top for cleaning. Just get one that had food product in it.