I am new to the making of maple syrup and had a question about galvanized buckets. I had recently heard that there may be a lead concern when using these types of buckets. thoughts?
Printable View
I am new to the making of maple syrup and had a question about galvanized buckets. I had recently heard that there may be a lead concern when using these types of buckets. thoughts?
Yes there is some concern but there is also guide lines to go buy, as to how much is allowed. Each state has different standards.
Jwbmaple,
If you already have the buckets use them and keep the sap gathered. Sap absorbs the lead and the longer it sits there the more lead it absorbs. If you don't already have the buckets there are other alternatives like using tubing and running it into a 5 gallon bucket or a plastic tote at the base of the tree. Sap sacks are another choice.
Russ
I am for some reason real paranoid about lead . I use some old buckets but if sap sits in them longer than 8 hours I dump them. In five years of tapping that has only happened once.I have eaten alot of syrup and the lead has only affected-affected- affested -affected my typing hand at this point. Where can you send syrup in New York to be tested ? super sappy
Check with your state association for the nearest testing facility. The only time mine was tested was a quite a few years ago.
As for wondering about equpiment you should be able to go to your local hardware store and get a kit that will test to see if there is any lead present in what ever your concern is.
Keith
Used aluminum buckets are a fairly cheap alternative also.
There are a couple diffrent labs that will test for lead. The cheapest is your local dept. of agriculture. They should do it for free but then the results are public knowledg. ( at least the Ohio Dept. of Ag.) The next cheapest and most recomended for privasy is
Endyne Inc.( combined with Sci test Labs Inc.)
160 James Brown DR.
Williston, Vermont 05495
Phone 802-879-4333
Fax: 802-879-7103
Web: www.endynelabs.com
Cost $25 per sample, chain of custody paperwork required with each sample.
If this doesn't work for you then I have address for 2 other labs but the cost for them is $40 for New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services and UVM Agricultural and Enviromental Testing Lab may or may not be testing at any given time.
After this past Sat. I don't recomend selling any syrup that has had the sap collected in galvinized buckets.
Maplehound,
What was last Saturday? What did you hear about sap/syrup from galvanized buckets? Please explain. Thank's.
Steve
Bucket head
This past Saturday was the Ohio Maple days. As I have posted elsewhere There was alot of discusion on lead in syrup. Ohio has decided to enforce a 10 year old law limiting syrup lead to under 250 ppb and anyone over 250 and under 500 ppb gets a letter asking for a plan of action to reduce it in the future. If your over 500ppb then they will embargo the syrup for further testing. If it still test over 500ppb then it is destroyed. Those in Ohio ( such as Richards Maple products) that buy syrup wholesale in bulk have all batches tested before they can buy it. It has suddenly become quit the issue here. Even Vermont only has an action in place and not a law, and they were the first to really push the issue.
Could you line the buckets with platic garbage bags. I have 20 buckets that I plan on using