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Thread: storing membranes in preservative solution

  1. #1
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    Default storing membranes in preservative solution

    I store my ro membranes in a preservative solution I mix up.

    Is it OK to use distilled water for my preservative solution rather than my permeate?
    If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.

    Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
    Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
    Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
    Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
    40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
    1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.

  2. #2
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    Yes, distilled water if fine.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  3. #3
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    AA Thanks

    Not sure why I am not just buying 4 new 150 GPD membranes at $5.50 each but the ones I have worked the same on this year as they did on year 1 two years ago.
    If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.

    Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
    Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
    Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
    Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
    40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
    1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.

  4. #4
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    As long as they are still benchmarking well, are well cleaned and rinsed after the final use, and stored properly, there is no reason to replace them.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sugar Bear View Post
    I store my ro membranes in a preservative solution I mix up.

    Is it OK to use distilled water for my preservative solution rather than my permeate?
    If you don’t mind me asking, what preservative solution do you use? Previously I have wrapped mine and stored them in the fridge but moving to 5 400gpd has ruled that out.
    Sugaring since 2000.
    2022 - 113 taps on tubing and gravity. Homemade evaporator and RO.
    2023 - 120 taps on 5/16 and gravity added a float to the pan an built a new 5x400gpd RO

  6. #6
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    Murrysville, Pennsylvania
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    D. Roseum
    www.roseummaple.com
    ~100 taps on 3/16 custom temp controlled vacuum; shurflo vacuum #2; custom nat gas evap with auto-drawoff and tank level gas shut-off controller; homemade RO #1; homemade RO #2; SL SS filter press
    2021: 27.1 gallons
    2022: 35 gallons

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by 82cabby View Post
    If you don’t mind me asking, what preservative solution do you use? Previously I have wrapped mine and stored them in the fridge but moving to 5 400gpd has ruled that out.
    I use Metabisulfite Sodium. I think I bought it at CDL about 10 miles north of Rutland on route 7 two years ago. If you want I can send you some in the mail. The small pail I bought is more then I will ever use in 6 lifetimes of sugaring. I could send it out Saturday from here in the Mid-Hudson Valley at Fishkill NY. It's the Mattituck Madness Method of storing. Worked well for him and seems to work well for me. Solution still seems clear with no buggering in it when I open it up each year at the start of a new season.

    I do a warm soap wash and I then do a good warm water recirc followed by a long cold-water rinse at the start of each season when storing this way.
    Last edited by Sugar Bear; 03-23-2023 at 10:04 PM.
    If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.

    Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
    Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
    Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
    Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
    40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
    1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.

  8. #8
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    Mar 2011
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    Greenwood, Me
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    974

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    Can you store membranes in the preservative inside a membrane housing?
    2024 - New Maine resident, 12X12 sugar shack under construction
    2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
    2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO

  9. #9
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    Mar 2008
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    West Falls, NY
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    264

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sugar Bear View Post
    I use Metabisulfite Sodium. I think I bought it at CDL about 10 miles north of Rutland on route 7 two years ago. If you want I can send you some in the mail. The small pail I bought is more then I will ever use in 6 lifetimes of sugaring. I could send it out Saturday from here in the Mid-Hudson Valley at Fishkill NY. It's the Mattituck Madness Method of storing. Worked well for him and seems to work well for me. Solution still seems clear with no buggering in it when I open it up each year at the start of a new season.

    I do a warm soap wash and I then do a good warm water recirc followed by a long cold-water rinse at the start of each season when storing this way.
    Thanks very kindly for the offer! I think I’m going to order a container so I have a long term supply. Do you guys just put them in a 5 gallon food safebucket with a tight fitting lid or go the pvc pipe container route?
    Sugaring since 2000.
    2022 - 113 taps on tubing and gravity. Homemade evaporator and RO.
    2023 - 120 taps on 5/16 and gravity added a float to the pan an built a new 5x400gpd RO

  10. #10
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    Dec 2015
    Location
    Weston, CT
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    Quote Originally Posted by 82cabby View Post
    Thanks very kindly for the offer! I think I’m going to order a container so I have a long term supply. Do you guys just put them in a 5 gallon food safebucket with a tight fitting lid or go the pvc pipe container route?
    I store in a PVC tube long and wide enough for all four membranes. I use the potable water approved PVC as well. Some people store their membranes with the solution in the housings themselves, but I am not fond of that method for a couple of reasons.
    If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.

    Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
    Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
    Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
    Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
    40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
    1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.

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