MAPLE SIRUP PRODUCERS MANUAL 



17 



from the sap (108). It can be made effective 

 again by carefully removing the protective film 

 overlaying the galvanized surface. The 20-gal- 

 lon containers tend to reduce microbial growth 

 more than do the smaller buckets (28). Lead- 

 coated metal (terneplate) or lead-soldered buck- 

 ets and buckets painted with lead paint should 

 not be used because the lead may be dissolved 

 by the sap, especially sap that has been allowed 

 to ferment and sour. Sirup made from this sap 

 may contain illegal amounts of lead. Aluminum 

 buckets, which are being subsidized in Canada, 

 tend to eliminate most objections to metal 

 buckets. 



Every bucket should be provided with a cover 

 to keep out rain and falling debris. Covers are 

 of two general types: Those that are attached 

 to the spout (fig. 27) and those that are clamped 

 to the bucket (fig. 28). 



The plastic sap bag (fig. 29), a comparatively 

 recent development, met with much favor, espe- 

 cially before the development of plastic tubing. 



Some advantages of plastic bags are: (1) Be- 

 cause of their small bulk and weight, they 

 require minimum storage space, and they are 

 easily transported to the woods and hung. (2) 

 They have a self-cover that encloses the spout 

 when the bag is in place, and thus limits access 

 of micro-organisms to the open end of the spout 

 and to the taphole. (.3) Emptying the sap is a 

 one-handed operation (fig. 30). The bags need 

 not be removed from the spout; they can be 

 rotated on the spout. (4) Because they are 

 transparent to sunlight radiation, which is le- 

 thal to micro-organisms, they tend to keep the 

 sap sterile (76). Sterile sap contributes to the 

 production of high-quality sirup. 



Some disadvantages of plastic bags are: (1) 

 They may open at seams, especially if the sap 

 in a filled bag freezes. (2) They are difficult to 

 empty when filled with ice. (3) The bag may be 

 too small to hold a day's run. (4) The bags are 

 subject to damage by rodents. (5) Washing and 

 rinsing the bags may be difficult. 



PN-4723 



Figure 27. — Sap bucket cover attached to the spout by 

 means of a pin. With this type of cover, the bucket must 

 be lifted free of the spout for emptying. 



PN-1724 



Figure 28. — A clamp-on cover stays fixed to the bucket 

 and is not easily blown off. With this type of cover, a 

 bucket that is attached to the spout by means of a hook 

 must be lifted free of the hook for emptying. However, 

 a bucket that hangs on the spout by means of a large 

 hole that will slip over the spout can be emptied by 

 rotating the bucket and cover on the spout. 



