275 gallon totes.

[jiminpa]

what do you look for when buying used ones? these had cooking oil in them, will it leach into the sap? I figure i'll have to clean them out good, and tips on what to use? thanks!

[Mead Maple]

Jim,
I bought a bunch of IBC totes as I use the frames to stack firewood into. I can then move wood into my basement with the tractor via a small overhead door.
Question was, what do I do with all these bladders. I put the word out and people were being them way cheaper than a conventional storage tank. Trouble they were running into was cleaning. These had a one time use at a baby formula factory holding organic fattening product. Extremely greasy and oily. A friend bought one and had no luck cleaning the tank. He brought it to me at work where I was able to use our hot pressure washer with water upwards of 212 or hotter degrees. We also used some mild plain bleach in the mix and after a solid half hour and a cold rinse with the garden hose, they came out spotless and orderless.
I used one myself this year and used the same method. Absolutely no residual issues whatsoever. Sap was crystal clear with no taste issues either.
Key here that I want to reiterate is the fact of how long I spent cleaning these to bring them to what I call new. The water being at boiling with the bleach was able to cut through and residual material left in the tank. I have a supplier so will be buying more of these for next year to set up my lines. This year we collected buckets and use the tote as a sledge. Hope this helps!

Was able to find spigot set up at the hardware store that I used to make a draw system to go right into my preheater pan.

Set it up on pallets to gravity feed.

In the back of my truck in the garage kept the sap in a cold area out of the sun.

Final rinsing out. Note- when full these tanks have a ton of pressure behind the main valve!


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[UB29]

Mead,
Do you remember where you got the reducing fitting at the tank outlet? I just bought a couple of Mauser totes with what looks like some kind of spin tight threads on the valve outlet. Definitely not IPS or NPT threads.
Thanks, Bill

[n8hutch]

Mead,
Do you remember where you got the reducing fitting at the tank outlet? I just bought a couple of Mauser totes with what looks like some kind of spin tight threads on the valve outlet. Definitely not IPS or NPT threads.
Thanks, Bill

Your most likely looking at Buttress treads, Google search Buttress to Npt adapter. The Pik and shovel in newport vt was stocking them, they are a CDL store, you could try them.

[Mead Maple]

Also forgot the great use they are as firewood crates to move with a tractor or skid steer!




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[maple flats]

Too late, you have already been bit!

[Mead Maple]

Too late, you have already been bit!

That is the understatement of the century flats. My wife being the first to point it out!


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[jiminpa]

thanks folks! I found some that had wine in them.. will have to try this cleaning out!

[Zucker Lager]

thanks folks! I found some that had wine in them.. will have to try this cleaning out!

I use HDPE 55 gallon drums for sap storage that had wine in them I now know that the "white wine" barrels clean out and the smell goes away but the "red wine" barrels hang on to that smell one barrel I have still has it after 4 years trying everything to clean it including a complete fill with bleach / water and soak for almost a week. JFYI Jay

[HillsideMaple]

I looked for food grade when I bought mine. Ended up getting them from a guy that worked ad a large brewery. They had food grade additive in them and were all cleaned out from the brewery. I ended up cutting a hole in the top to fit a 5 gallon pail, this makes the totes easier to clean. I'm able to reach in with a bulk tank brush and scrub it well.