Cleaning Drop Flues

[Snow Hill Farm]

Has anyone found a good way to suck the crap out of the drop flues when you are cleaning a pan in place? I've looked for a Shop Vac attachment but haven't found one that fits my large Shop Vac that I keep at the sugarhouse. Also thought of having something custom made out of metal but it would have to be rigid but thin. Any ideas?

[Mountain Winds Farm]

I used a piece of 5/16 lateral line and duct taped it into the shop vac hose. It didn't work to bad

[red maples]

mine has a cleanout valve there is a heavier piece of square stainless stock that is connected to each drop flue and it comes out the side of the arch. It is threaded so you can remove the valve to remove the pans if ness. makes filtering out the niter midseason a snap!!! but yeah I guess a little duct tape maybe a very small funnel and 5/16 hose to make a homemade adapter to a shop vac. or if you have a vacuum pump close a little 5/6 tubing hooked up to a canister would work ok too. then you don't need a shop vac.

[Snow Hill Farm]

Mine has the cleanout valve too but there is still a bunch of mung settled in the bottom of the flues. The 5/16 is a good tip and maybe I'll try duct taping a few together!

[adk1]

So is this with sap still in the evap?

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Flue brush

[red maples]

yeah maybe flue brush and hot water to break things up!! I clean mine out with in a few weeks to the end of the season and I boil it out twice with a white vinegar solution. Because old sap is just nasty and it smells terrible!!!
if you don't ge to it right right after the season is over its a pita to clean.

[Snow Hill Farm]

This is after I scrub, drain, rinse, drain, etc. There are always little bits of stuff that I can't get to flow outand I've been trying to think of a way to suck them out. Also, not what you really want to do but this year I left the pans wayyyyyyy too long and wanted the nasty jello like stuff out before I even cleaned. That was no fun!

[red maples]

can you lift the edges opposite the drain an inch or so with wood blocks or something? or even maybe a ratchet strap you could lift it alittle? at least it would flow out towards the drain.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

sorry i misunderstood the article here. I thought some asking how to clean the flues(in fire chamber) not where the sap is.