So it seems there's a shortage/limit on hydrogen peroxide, due to the pandemic. I've always used peroxide to sanitize my lines. Any suggestions for alternatives?
So it seems there's a shortage/limit on hydrogen peroxide, due to the pandemic. I've always used peroxide to sanitize my lines. Any suggestions for alternatives?
Mike
450 taps on vacuum - 2018 - 150 gal
530 taps on vacuum - 2019 - 190 gal
520 taps on vacuum - 2020 - 196 gal
515 taps on vacuum - 2021 - 150 gal
24 x 32 Pole Barn Sugar House 2018
Smoky Lake 2x8 Silverlake Raised Flue w/ concentric exhaust 2018
Memprotec 350H RO
Smoky Lake Water Jacket Bottler 2018
Smoky Lake Filter Press 2018
Smoky Lake Water Jacket Draw Off Tank 2018
Chlorine (bleach, unscented and without the other additives...the cheap stuff) works well (better than H2O2). Just be sure to rinse it thoroughly afterward to reduce critter damage.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
Mike
450 taps on vacuum - 2018 - 150 gal
530 taps on vacuum - 2019 - 190 gal
520 taps on vacuum - 2020 - 196 gal
515 taps on vacuum - 2021 - 150 gal
24 x 32 Pole Barn Sugar House 2018
Smoky Lake 2x8 Silverlake Raised Flue w/ concentric exhaust 2018
Memprotec 350H RO
Smoky Lake Water Jacket Bottler 2018
Smoky Lake Filter Press 2018
Smoky Lake Water Jacket Draw Off Tank 2018
That's a very good question... Does StarSan work as a sanitizer on lines?
John Allin
14x18 Hemlock Timber Frame Sugar House 2009
Leader 2x6 w/Patriot Raised Flue Pan 2009
Leader Steam Hood 2014 - Clear Filter Press 2015
Leader Revolution Pan and SS Pre-Heater 2016
CDL Hobby RO & Air Tech L25 Hi Vac Pump 2019
06' Gator HPX to collect wood & sap
14' Ski-Doo Tundra for winter work in the woods
Great Family 3 grown kids+spouses and 7 grand kids who like the woods
7th Gen Born in Canada - Raised in Chardon Ohio - Maple Capital of the World..<grin>.
I've been trying to find a ratio for bleach to water, if someone could provide.
2022 - 157 taps, 40 gallons of syrup
2021 - 171 taps buckets and tubing, 41 gallons of syrup
2020 - 225 taps bags and tubing, 45 gallons of syrup
2019 - 180 taps buckets and bags, 50 gallons of syrup
Lapierre 2x8 Vision with reverse flow, hood & preheater
Leader Micro2 RO
Lapierre 10" short bank press
North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual, 2nd Edition.
https://holmes.osu.edu/sites/holmes/...full%20pdf.pdf
Page 111.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
305 taps on 2 Shurflo's, 31 taps on 3/16" and 229 taps on gravity. 565 in all
Mountain Maple S3 controller for 145 of the vacuum taps
2x6 Darveau Mystique Oil Fired Evaporator w/ Smoky Lake Simplicity Auto Draw
Wesfab 7” filter press
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
I choose to rinse my lines with just plain water again this season. Was going to use bleach solution but was afraid i would get it on the cloth truck seats. Yesterday when I was taking down some tubing I had as many cars pass me as on a normal non lock down day! Folks seem to be out and about. The water rinse has been pretty good over the years for my take down systems. Very little indication of mold in the lines after each tap is rinsed with low pressure water.
Regards,
Chris
Last edited by Sugarmaker; 03-26-2020 at 04:42 PM.
Casbohm Maple and Honey
625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
12" SIRO Filter Press.
2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
Too many Cub Cadets
Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck
www.mapleandhoney.com
The active ingredient in Star San is phosphoric acid and the page Doc referenced mentions that phosphoric acid is not recommended for tubing:
"Acid cleaners, such as phosphoric acid, are sold
under a variety of brand names as cleaners to
be used in the maple industry for the removal
of sugar and salt deposits from evaporators and
other similar equipment. While some producers are using these cleaners to clean tubing (at a
greater dilution rate than that used for evaporators) acid cleaners are not recommended for
use in cleaning tubing." (p. 111)
Right now the research out there shows calcium hypochlorite and sodium hypochlorite (bleach) are hard to beat. I'm in year two of using the calcium hypochlorite and I am seeing its benefits. I especially like that it's in powder form and easy to mix up what I need on the spot: 1/8 tsp per Liter.
Woodville Maples
www.woodvillemaples.com
www.facebook.com/woodvillemaples
Around 300 taps on tubing, 25+ on buckets if I put them out
Mix of natural and mechanical vac, S3 Controller from Mountain Maple
2x6 W.F. Mason with Phaneuf pans
Deer Run 250 RO
Ford F350
6+ hives of bees (if they make it through the winters)
Keeping the day job until I can start living the dream.