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!
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!
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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Mead Maple "It's for the kids..."
Paul Cerminara
2019 - First season ever
-Goal: 3 gallons
-Season Total: 7.5 gallons - pulled taps after running out of firewood and time
2020
Built 2'x8' Oil Fired with Thor drop flue pans
-Goal: 20 gallons
-Season Total: 55 gallons
Also forgot the great use they are as firewood crates to move with a tractor or skid steer!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Mead Maple "It's for the kids..."
Paul Cerminara
2019 - First season ever
-Goal: 3 gallons
-Season Total: 7.5 gallons - pulled taps after running out of firewood and time
2020
Built 2'x8' Oil Fired with Thor drop flue pans
-Goal: 20 gallons
-Season Total: 55 gallons
Too late, you have already been bit!
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.
Mead Maple "It's for the kids..."
Paul Cerminara
2019 - First season ever
-Goal: 3 gallons
-Season Total: 7.5 gallons - pulled taps after running out of firewood and time
2020
Built 2'x8' Oil Fired with Thor drop flue pans
-Goal: 20 gallons
-Season Total: 55 gallons
thanks folks! I found some that had wine in them.. will have to try this cleaning out!
I cut a larger flap in the top of my toats so I can get in and clean if I need to that helps a ton.
25 years sugaring
2018 191taps. Made 80 gallons
Two taps to a 5 gallon bucket roadside trees.
A retired dad to hump buckets and do most of the boiling the great wife that let's me spend lots of time and money.
New Smokey lake 2×6 raised flue SSR on my own version of the silverplate arch.
2019 new hood and new preheater concept that worked great.
306 taps roadside trees
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
Zucker Lager
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
2017 - 3 taps hanging buckets.
2018 - 32 taps on 5 gal. buckets.
2019 - New Mason 2x4 XL. 80 taps
2020 - Barn / Sugarhouse finished. 125 taps. NextGen 1x40 RO
2021 - 157 taps, 100 on 3/16 tubing w/two Shurflo set-ups, the rest on buckets
2022 - 225 taps. 175 on 3/16 tubing, rest on buckets.
2023 - 300 taps. 261 on tubing, 39 on 5 gal. buckets. Four Shurflo 12V set-ups.
2024 - 340 taps. New SL 2x4 hybrid pan. Added second 1x40 membrane to RO
I have found the same thing. The smell never leaves, i open them and look now. I used one for overflow and I never noticed anything different about my syrup in those batches. I done the same thing with bleach with the same results. There can't be much residue from the wine. Just goes to show there is nothing like new barrels. I only use barrels for temporary holding of overflow. The sap is seldom in them for more than a couple hours, as I boil that off first then start working my tote, that was bought new.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
125-150 taps
Smokey Lakes Full pint Hybrid pan
Modified half pint arch
Air over fire
All 3/16 tubing
Southern Ohio