Ropy sap in SteamAway

[Brent]

Twice this year I've found the sap in the SteamAway had gone ropy overnight.

I thought this stuff would have been hot enogh to keep it sterile. Is this a problem anyone else has ??

Suggestions how to avoid this? Maybe let it run dry before the rig starts to cool ??

How the *&^% can you clean this thing ? There are places inside where you just can't get there from here.

[Sugarmaker]

Brent,
I have not seen ropy sap/syrup yet. Probably I stop to soon?
Yes my WRU gets really dirty. I soaked it with 2 gallons of vinegar mixed in with warm water and let it agitate for several hours to loosen most of the scale.
Have not pulled the hood off yet!
Chris

[Brent]

Operator error. I had been keeping the sugar shack too warm overnight. I took the pressure washer to it the day before I posted about this. The next morning I was checking the float box and found ropy stuff in it. Eventually the light came on. All the effort to clean with the pressure washer and I never cleaned the float box.
Hmmmm. Is this what it's going to be like in life after 65 ?

Anyway, two more boils and no repeat. Gotta let it cool down a night more.

[Sugarmaker]

I like the idea of using the pressure washer. I may try that too!
Regards,
Chris

[Brent]

I don't know how you built yours Chris buy this thing is a nightmare to clean. Acid wash at the end of the year will be the only way.

I think there are about 6 stainless 1" dia tubes under the copper tubes. Can't even see them let alone clean them, and pressure washers essentially only clean in straight line. If you can't hit it directly you can't clean it.

I'm still stunned at the wood use. I need to do some math but I think we're over 100 gallons of syrup and we might have used 1/2 cord of wood.

[Homestead Maple]

Twice this year I've found the sap in the SteamAway had gone ropy overnight.

I thought this stuff would have been hot enogh to keep it sterile. Is this a problem anyone else has ??

Suggestions how to avoid this? Maybe let it run dry before the rig starts to cool ??

How the *&^% can you clean this thing ? There are places inside where you just can't get there from here.

I don't leave any sap in my Steamaway over night. My evaporator is oiled fired and I fire the evaporator until the holding tank is empty. What sap is left in the Steamaway eventually empties into the back pan of the evaporator after I shut the evaporator burner off.

There are a few threads on here about cleaning a Steamaway and Maplecrest has the best advice by using some permeate, leaving it in the Steamaway over night. If you don't have permeate to use, use regular pan cleaner and rinse, rinse, rinse with clean water afterwards. Right, Doctor?