# Milk tank storage?



## ethanhogan (Jun 1, 2016)

I have heard a lot people using SS milking tanks for honey storage among other things. I am looking for large storage tank options? Do you guys filter via inline filter and pump directly into hold tank and then pump out when putting into barrels? I live in dairy country in Wisconsin. I have pick of the crop for a lot of milking equipment. So anything you use or have come up with I would like to hear about it.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

I have a milk tank, sitting at floor level. It is used as a second sump. First sump is infloor. I have a Cowan hot water heating element/recirculating pump mounted to the tank. The hot water runs inside stainless steel 1/2" tubing that is laid inside the tank. I had tried to use the tubing that was used to cool the milk tank in its' other life, but the pipes were corroded. That was an expensive fix, but it now does a good job. I then pump the honey from the milk tank to upright plastic tanks mounted on tripods. We then barrel the honey from these. Every morning that we extract we skim the milk tank and by the time the honey gets to the upright tanks it is pretty much clear of wax. 

The heating element from Cowan that we employ is the same as the one used to heat the uncapping knives. The honey is very warm come morning after it has settled all night. It actually might be a bit too hot. I want to get a rheostat mounted to this heating element to have some control over the temperature. The milk tank is double walled and has a capacity of 900 U.S. gallons.

I would purchase another milk tank to use as the holding tank before putting the honey into drums, instead of the plastic upright tanks I have, assuming I could find one. Being in Wisconsin, this should be easy enough. This second tank I would have some sort of scaffold built to hold it high enough to fit a barrel and a scale below. The disadvantage is that the tank has to be slightly modified at the valve to accomodate the threading for honey pumps and pipes etc. The dairy world uses another system, I think it is tri-lock and that is not compatible with all the honey equipment.

Jean-Marc


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## ethanhogan (Jun 1, 2016)

Thank you jean Marc. Great reply, very helpful. I have heard the valves are non comparable. I found a 300 gal with modified spout previously used for maple syrup production conversion already complete, and yes lots and lots of milk tanks here ha


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

I have seen a couple of setups using the common 250 gallon milk tanks. In both cases they were running hot water through the cooling tubes. These tanks had threaded pipe legs and were easy to raise up. They usually used as settling tanks before filtering or filling barrles. As Jean-Marc mentioned, the outlet fittings are often small and tri-clover type. They are commonly used here for maple sap storage as well, so there is a bit of competition for them with that industry.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Being double walled they do not require too much heat to warm honey up pretty good.

Jean-Marc


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## mathesonequip (Jul 9, 2012)

i am a milking equipment dealer days. on some old-old small tanks you can run hot water thru the cooling jacket. on others this will not work well or at all because of internal design. the newer larger tanks [less than 45 years old] in general will not work well or at all with hot water in the cooling plate. right now tanks 1250 gallons and up are worth quite a bit because of low milk price, high demand, and high cost of new. i have not found a decent 1500 for less than $10,000 after a national search over the last few weeks, might even be ok more than 40 years old for the right one.. adapters are available for different outlet valves either acme or tri-clamp style to pipe thread, they are not free. a good sanitary welder can often make modifications or repairs, again not free. honey is 1 1/2 times as heavy as milk so you may not want to fill a tank to the top of some of these old tanks with honey.


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## ethanhogan (Jun 1, 2016)

This is a great help guys! Thank you!


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Ethan - what size tank are you looking for?

Crazy Roland


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## marios (Nov 20, 2012)

I use a 600 gallon tank that is elevated off the floor, it is 30 years old but had stainless pipes for the cooling. Hooked up a small hot water tank and circulator pump. The tanks that open fully are the key, easy to clean. I use the opening they used for the milk with a ball valve. It may be a little slow but its at the right height for filling barrels. Make was MULLER


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## Bill Russell (Aug 12, 2006)

Only two brands have serpentine freon tubing that I'm aware of. Sunset brand works. Forgot name of other brand. Most brands have a waffle type circulating system. 
Price of tanks has gone way up since the decline of 50 cow farms. I think one could expect to pay $2 - $3 per gallon.


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## mathesonequip (Jul 9, 2012)

muelers before 1963 and steinhorsts had serpenttyne coils. others maybe, but old.


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## ethanhogan (Jun 1, 2016)

I was looking at a 300gal milk tank. SS. I do not know the year etc. I would probably just use as an over night settling tank. Then pump/ drain from bottom, through a filter and into a bottling tank. The all depends on if I get the extractor and uncapper I'm looking at. This all a little big for what I need but just planning ahead. Learning as I go and looking for good deals. This 300 gal tank has a cut open hatch for cleaning, std thread pipe with ball valve, for $500 seems like a fair deal


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

A while back, the going price was 1 dollar a gallon. The price you mentioned is in line with that, correcting for inflation.

Is the outlet really "Standard" as in tapered pipe, or is it Acme? 

What size? Honey does not flow like milk.

I have set up numerous tanks in the way past, but they never where used for heating honey, just holding it at a steady temperature. You may be disappointed if you think you can raise the temperature of 3600 lbs of honey in a short time.

Crazy Roland


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## mathesonequip (Jul 9, 2012)

roland above is correct... if you have a "milk tank" with a pipe thread outlet someone has modified it. taper pipe thread, even stainless, does not meet "3-a" federal dairy sanitary requirements. older [under 1000 gallons] normaly are 1 1/2 inch outlet. about 45 years ago there was a shift toward 2 inch. almost all of these 500 gallon and under under tanks are 50 years old or more. the $1 per gallon price is the old legend popular with buyers, the market is higher for anything good enough for milk. a dollar or 2 does happen still sometimes for storage tanks with leaking cooling jackets or something else making them undesireable or unfit for milk. the base price for smaller storage only tanks is not a lot over scrap price.


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