First Batch Burnout

[btflaw]

Although I have been sugaring now for several decades the process can still throw a few curveballs at you. As I mentioned in my Tapped in Sterling post I was having my son's Cub Scout pack coming out to learn about the tapping and the sugaring process. As luck would have it while I was out showing them and allowing them to tap trees when I returned with the Cub Scouts to the evaporator all that was left was blackened solidified foam resembling balck styrofoam and ruin a brand new stainless pan. But hey the kids had fun and thankfully I had some reserve syrup from last year for the kids to try. No good deed goes unpunished I guess.

2 Barrel evaporators(which I call my two maple mistresses)

[buckeye gold]

I hope by ruined you don't mean throwing it away....they can be cleaned. Some say they have used easy off oven cleaner, some a vinegar soak and or boil. I cleaned a blackeded pan channel with Muriatic acid once.

[Maxfields maple]

Ive been there and done that,ive learned never leave the evaperater with out someone ther to watch it,strange things can happen quickly.Now for that pan,try boiling some apple cider vinger in it.You might have to let it sit a few days but after it sits ,warm it up just abit so its not to hot but you can take a green scrubby and scrub.If its warped bad you might have to pound it flat or if you can find a black smith they can reheat in certain ares and pull alot of the warp out.If its real bad the hard ware store carry sandpaper disks that go on a drill or a 4" angle grinder..when all done the cider viniger does a nice clean up.good luck

[btflaw]

Thanks for the input, I had not heard of the apple cider vinegar solution before and will give it a shot.. Despite everything, the feedback from the cub scouts and their parents was positive and everyone is indicating that they enjoyed the experience. That is what really counts as hopefully a couple of them may be the next generation of sugarers. I am fortunate to be able to access my old pans to help get through the weekend as the sap flowed crazy today as I assume it did in many other locations. Getting back to the Scouts they all had fun drilling the tap hole old school style with an old human powered twist drill setup before they used the cordless drill. Also they liked seeing the different type of taps ranging from the old wooden taps to the metal ones. I guess all in all it was a good day since I can always likely make more syrup but it is always much harder to leave our kids and their generation with memorable moments such as today.

[Maplesedge]

I've used sandpaper on my stainless pan with no problems. Start with a rough grit like 60 or 80, go to 120 or 150, and finish fine with 200 or 220 grit, and you'll get all the burnt syrup off fast. Stainless is tough, it can take it. I'd also suggest making a continuous feed system so you don't have to stand there and feed it for 8-10 hours.

My first year, I used a turkey fryer. It took so long to boil, I dozed off one night, only to awaken to a melted aluminum turkey fryer pot. That was bad! Sometimes we learn the hard way.

[btflaw]

Thanks for the sandpaper tip. Are you boiling yet and having any luck. I managed yesterday using the two barrel evaporators two burn down 60 plus gallons which yielded about 1.3 gallons of fine syrup but it did take all day.

[Maplesedge]

Wont boil til next weekend.

Is that your first 1.3 gal?

Cool!

Doesn't matter if it's a hard beginning, it's a fun thing to learn, and there's no substitute for creating your own syrup.

Plus, 8 year olds making evaporaters? That's just great.

[btflaw]

Yes, it was the first syrup of the season finally. My son who turns 8 next month just finished his barrel evaporator which he showed off to the fellow Cub Scouts who thought it was cool. He already has restored some older Simplicity tractors and even has his own welding helmet. I planning if the weather will cooperate with the sap flow to fire both barrel evaporators late today or tommorrow. This week is school vacation and he wants to build a sugar shack this week. His enthusiasm is great and I will do whatever I can to keep his interest peaked.