I've noticed that when I eat a spoonful of honey with a stainless steel
spoon, I can really taste the metal.
It shows you how sensitive your taste buds are.  When tasting honey, a
plastic spoon is just about the best.  As far as I'm aware, there are no
metals leached out into the honey from stainless steel, but its the contact
of your tongue on the spoon.

  What's wrong with plastic tanks,
troughs, etc...?  The cost sure would be a lot less.  An extractor could
have a plastic drum just like most modern washing machines do - couldn't it?
Here in South Africa use of Ultra Low Molecular Weight Polyethylene) ULMWPE
is commonly used as the material for tanks, extractors, etc..  I use it even
for mead making up to 5 000 litres.  Of course one must be careful to use
natural plastic as in the coloured varieties, the compounds to reduce UV
damage etc. can leach out into the product.  PVC is also used extensively.

I've  also noticed that many cooking pots and utensils are made of
aluminum.  I don't seem to notice a metallic taste when I use aluminum
either.  I know aluminum reacts with anything with a high pH...
Honey has a low pH.  Some honeys I use are as low as 3,5.  Your stomach I'm
told has a pH of 3. I used aluminium at one time just to melt down bees wax
and I soon found that the containers developed holes.

Stainless is the top of the range for food quality.

Regards
Eddy Lear
South Africa
www.triponline.net follow the lead to children's entertainment,
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, Africa