Eliminating plastic smell and taste

[RIFoster]

...
Bottom line is that modern maple tubing is food-grade, and most people don't flush their tubing, and the plastic odor will be largely dissipated after the first run. It may reappear at the start of the next year a little, but after that, it's gone. I certainly would NOT take a food-grade material (like tubing) and soak it or flush it out with non-food-grade materials (non-food grade alcohols and non-food grade activated charcoal). Rinse with water if you like. Better yet, let the first bit of sap run on the ground if you are very concerned about it.

So the first year you're stuck with the plastic taste? I ask because I have 14 taps on a set of lines, and so far I've gotten about 2.5 gallons, all of which I had to dump.

[DrTimPerkins]

So the first year you're stuck with the plastic taste? I ask because I have 14 taps on a set of lines, and so far I've gotten about 2.5 gallons, all of which I had to dump.

No, the plastic odor and taste is in the sap, but does not make it through to the syrup.

[RIFoster]

No, the plastic odor and taste is in the sap, but does not make it through to the syrup.

Does the heat simply break it down so that it's no longer aromatic, or does it actually boil away into the air? the last thing I want is concentrated (but tasteless) esters in there.

[DrTimPerkins]

Does the heat simply break it down so that it's no longer aromatic, or does it actually boil away into the air?

To my recollection (it was some time ago that we did this work), we compared plastic compounds in sap and syrup made with and without plastic materials. In general, most everything we consume has some amount of residues from food manufacturing or storage containers, and syrup is no different, however the material and levels were not concerning. Whether you collect with plastic tubing (or bags or buckets) or with metal buckets, you can detect something in the product.

[Starting Small]

No, the plastic odor and taste is in the sap, but does not make it through to the syrup.

I posted this on another thread but when I saw this I am second guessing myself. I used a garden hose (I know, not a smart move) to pump 200 gallons of sap this weekend because I needed the extra length because I could not get my truck down to where the tank was because of the snow. Now I have sweet in the pans that tastes bad like plastic. I was going to dump it assuming it picked up the taste from the garden hose. Dr. Tim, are you saying that I should finish it and the syrup would not have a plastic taste? It seems to have more of this taste as it concentrates. Just want to make sure before I dump it. Thanks,
-Dave

[DrTimPerkins]

I used a garden hose (I know, not a smart move) to pump 200 gallons of sap this weekend because I needed the extra length because I could not get my truck down to where the tank was because of the snow. Now I have sweet in the pans that tastes bad like plastic.

Dump it. This is a different thing altogether. Garden hose contains regrind material and extra plasticizers and often has elevated levels of heavy metals and is NOT food grade. Maple tubing is made from virgin (meaning never before used) polyethylene, and is food grade. Tough lesson, but you won't do it again.