We purchased some new equipment this year. 200 stainless steel spouts to replace about half of our inventory of spouts. Our existing souts are old. Over 50 years old and maybe older. The new stainless steel spouts will be easy to keep clean. There is new technology in spouts called Micro Spouts used with tubing. They are very small and only use a small hole in the tree that heals within one year. But since we do not use tubing the Micro Spouts are not useful for us.

 

We also replaced the pan we use for bottling. This new pan is also stainless steel and replaces an old and well used bottling pan. And last year we got a stainless steel milk can to use for moving the syrup from evaporator to finishing pan to bottling pan. Stainless steel is so much easier to keep clean.