> What type of treatment would be required to safely use a galvanized
> extractor (assuming no rust)?

AFAIK, there is no risk associated with using galvanized extractors as long
as you store them away from water and high humidity, and/or clean them
properly before and after use.  Many people have used galvanized tanks for
water and other food purposes over the past century and not suffered for it.
Somehow, now, people think they are dangerous.

The only possible danger I can see is if you were to allow moisture to
accumulate in the machine and the honey turned to mead, then vinegar and the
acid etched off a lot of zinc, then you were to use that machine without
washing it.

Assuming the tub is clean to start, the first honey to hit the sides sticks
to the metal, and stays there until you wash the machine -- in my experience
anyhow.   The rest of the honey -- the honey you get out of the drain --
runs down over that original honey coating and never contacts the sheet
metal.

As far as I know the main thing about stainless steel (SS) is that is pretty
well idiot proof.  You can store SS equipment in moisture and abuse it, and
nothing will come of that.  ... And SS is also pretty.

As for the iron reel in old galvanized extractors (and lots of SS ones too),
assuming the reel is washed clean before use and not allowed to rust much,
there is no danger from that,  Rust is edible AFAIK, and iron is harmless,
too in small amounts, although significant amounts of either will flavour
and/or colour the honey.  No reasonably clean operator is ever going to get
that amount of rust and iron into honey, since a clean reel -- even one with
a,little rust -- gets coated and sealed with honey the first time a load is
spun.

Probably the biggest risk in extractors is in the lead solder (recent work
suggests that there is no tolerance for *any* lead in human diets) that was
used in both galvanized and SS extractors until quite recently, but, again,
the solder gets coated with honey and is buried in honey down in the cracks
until the machine is washed.  Just don't drink the washdown water and you
should be just fine.  (I can just imagine some mead makers sweating, now).

Personally I would not hesitate to use a galvanized extractor, just the way
it is.  I did -- for many years, and I'll bet that half this list, or more,
is using one, or has used one recently.

As for epoxy coatings, etc., they chip, flake and scratch, look awful, and
wind up getting into the honey.  You're better off just cleaning the old
machine and using it the way it is.  Nobody has ever proven that there is
any risk -- again, AFAIK.

allen
http://www.honeybeeworld.com

Standard disclaimer: No guarantees.  What do I know?

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