Minor cola odor in poly tank after cleaning

[tgormley358]

I bought four used 35 gallons poly tanks this season for sap
Collection. They had a cola syrup in them before. Three were very clean and lost any odor after wash with vinegar, rinsing, wash with baking soda, and finishing. One of them had more cola residue in it, not bad but a small amount of the odor has remained. On top of the above I washed with bleach, again with a lot of baking soda, let it sit in baking soda 8 hours, and rinsing. It still has a little of the cola odor. Would you use it? Will I get cola taste in the syrup?

[heus]

When I first got into sugaring 12 years ago I bought an IBC plastic tote from Atkinson's Maple in Ontario. It had contained syrup from a Coke plant. As much as I tried, I never got the smell out. I used it that first season, and as the sap came into my float box, I could smell the coke. Amazingly, it never transferred to the taste of the syrup. I still have the tote. It has sat unused for 11 years, and still smells strongly of coke when you open the cap.

[Brian]

The same with Dr. Pepper barrels, they still smell of Dr. Pepper a little but it never changes the syrup. I would use it.

[bill m]

The same with Dr. Pepper barrels, they still smell of Dr. Pepper a little but it never changes the syrup. I would use it.

I have 20 of the Dr. Pepper barrels and none of them have that smell. They did when I first got them but after pressure washing them with hot water the smell is gone.

[Brian]

The Dr. Peper barrels were washed Not only by us but by Highland Sugarworks and by Maple Grove and even had some washed by Bascoms Maple and they still smell a little. We use to have about 40 or 50 15 gallon Dr. Pepper barrels. I still have about 20 left that I saved in case we down size someday. Right now we use 40 gallon Barinox barrels.

[Old County Road]

Just the info I am looking for. Yesterday I picked up two IBC totes that had lime concentrate for DR Pepper in them. One had only a bit of concentrate in it and it doesn't smell much but I can still smell it. The other tote probably had 1/2 gallon or more in the bottom and that one does smell. I am rinsing and soaking with warm water and baking soda right now. The guy I bought them from said to clean them with vinegar but that didn't seem to make sense since the lime is an acid as well - but it looks like other folks have used vinegar as well. My main concern is the smell imparting to the sap and then the syrup - but it doesn't sound like that will be a problem?

[Pdiamond]

It shouldn't once you get them cleaned and rinsed really well.

[bigschuss]

My collecting barrels are 55 gallons and were used to store peppers...as much as I clean then I can't fully get the smell out. No smell or taste has ever been transferred to my syrup.

[Brian]

Infused dr. pepper, maybe it is worth more money!!