Blue Barrel Head Tank

[ebliese]

I need a different head tank for the upcoming season. Last season we used a feed pan which we plumbed into our float box. For this season, looking at 100 taps and an RO. The RO would also serve as our pump to get the sap into the head tank-thinking a blue barrel, probably a 55 gallon one, laid on its side. A large hole cut on one side will provide easy access for cleaning. On the other side would be a fitting plastic welded to allow for plumbing to the float box. So something like this-
head tank->threaded plastic fitting->ball valve (I have a stainless one already)->stainless camlock fitting->food grade silicone tub->stainless camlock fitting->90* stainless elbow adapter->float box

I am on a budget, hence why I am thinking a blue plastic barrel. I know some blue barrels come with a bung in them but I have read the bung doesn't allow complete drainage. I am thinking having the barrel on its side would provide complete drainage. Any thoughts or experience with a setup similar?

Thanks

[eustis22]

The bung does not allow for complete drainage. I run my tubing to blue barrels at the bottom of my hill and re-engineered them:



your plan should work fine

[buckeye gold]

What you need is a bulkhead fitting. No need for plastic weld which isn't food grade

[aamyotte]

Try to find a barrel that has a removable lid. I used one with a removable lid and it also had 2 bungs. A large one like the photo above and a smaller one that fit a 3/4" plumbing pipe fitting. I was able to run a section of 3/4" pex pipe to the evaporator then connect to a 3/8" copper coil wrapped around the chimney to preheat the sap. I lay the barrel on its side on a rack leaning towards the drain connection to let most sap drain by gravity from the barrel.
The removable lid makes the cleaning real easy since you can really get in there to scrub it clean.

[Zucker Lager]

This is my collection tank but same idea. I used a 3/4" valve with a 3/4 x 4" nipple into the threaded hole in the barrel bung. Using 1/2" pipe I turned down the end of the pipe for inside the barrel so that it was a slip fit and cemented it in place. I then install that and reach through the cleanout hatch and "Plug" on a 45 degree elbow with a short piece of 1/2" pipe to reach the bottom of the barrel. Gets all but about a gallon when I drain it. Jay

Collection Tank and Cradle (7).jpg Collection Tank and Cradle (8).jpg

[SeanD]

I also used the bung opening and inserted a valve and line there. I have a hole cut in the side for cleaning and where I could have a float to trigger the pump to fill the head tank when it go low. That was when I was boiling raw sap. Now, I have the RO fill the head tank like you are doing.

As mentioned, skip the plastic weld. A threaded or bulkhead fitting with a gasket will keep things tight with no leaks.

I too was concerned with it draining completely, but it's a non-issue with a head tank, really. The only time you are trying to get the last of the barrel empty is at the very end of the boil after you have already fired it for the last time and you have already opened up everything to flood the pan. Once, I removed the float to flood the pan, all but the last fraction of a gallon would empty into the pan. The barrel was in a tilted cradle so there wasn't much below the bung. Then I'd just pick up the barrel and tilt out the last of the sap/concentrate so it would run down to the pan.

Last year I upgraded to a stainless head tank that's too heavy to lift and tilt like the barrel, so I did have a drain welded into the bottom.

[therealtreehugger]

I have a similiar setup. But even cheaper. The RO pumps up to large plastic Tupperware container that holds about 20 gallons. The RO and the boil rate are close, so I RO as I boil. There is a bulkhead fitting at the bottom of the side, although I do like the idea of it coming out the bottom instead. I may do that next time I need a new header tank.

[Super Sapper]

I use a white barrel, used to have a blue one. I cut the bottom out and thread a 3/4 inch street L to a valve and the hose to the float box. By having the barrel upside down it drains pretty good and is easy to rinse out later.

[ronintank]

I got rid of my head tank and run the ro directly into my pan. i set it to keep up with my evap rate.

[ebliese]

Thanks for the replies from everyone. We actually went with two food grade 20 gallon totes and bulkhead fittings-so a slightly different route than a blue barrel but it will still work out fine. I still have to plumb it but have all the parts. The totes rest on a stand built of roughsawn tuplip and elm. I haven't used it yet, sap is pretty frozen in my buckets, but the next few days look fairly promising for sap. I can't upload a photo to post (I keep on getting an error about not being able to upload the photo in the message itself as I am composing it, not an error about the failure to post) but hopefully that will get resolved.