Question Before I Boil Today First Time w/New Leader Half Pint...

[DonMcJr]

Ok I'm gonna start my first boil in a little bit but I have a brand new pan and I am sure I probally have to clean it 1st. I don't really want to fire it and waste wood to boil water in it then wait for it to cool down to start boiling the sap.

Can I just clean it with water really good and start right with sap?

I don't want to have bad syrup but I don't want to have to split more wood near the end of the sap either...

[Brent]

As long as you're confident you've got any crud out that Leader may have left behind when the did the fab and welding,
then go for it.

The one thing neat about a Half Pint, you can bring it up to temp, flush it, run the water down to minimum, and then lift the
whole pan off without killing the fire. Wipe it dry, add some sap and put the pan back, then top up the sap and you're off.

[johnallin]

I ran a Half Pint for 2 years, Brent is right - you can just pick the pan up and go. How about bringing some water to a boil on your turkey fryer and using that for your cleaning? You may also think about using some baking soda to neutralize anything that may be in there and then one final rinse.
Good Luck, you're going to make some nice syrup on that guy.

[DonMcJr]

Thanks that's what I was thinking... I have Welding gloves so I think I am gonna spray it out with the garden hose and wipe it with a clean sponge...

. I know I can pull it off but then the flames and smoke will fill up my garage...might not be too safe there...

With only having 50 Gallons of sap and from what it looks like the season is over here, I'm gonna have to let the fire die down near the end of the sap and draw off what's left and use the Turkey fryer to get it close to finishing cause I don't have any more left to leave some in the pan!

[DonMcJr]

Hey John... I really like your Sugar Shack! Did you do that from Scratch or did you have some plans?

Thanks for the suggestion of boiling water on the Turkey Fryer for cleaning...Doh why didn't I think of that!;)

[Ed R]

Don I would keep that last 5 gallons seperated to the very end just in case.

[johnallin]

Thanks. the Sugar house design and timber frame work were all done by Scott Carlson at Sweetgrass Joinery. We got all the kids together for raising - with Scott's direction and his family also pitching in. Should say we helped them - they were the pros. Then I finished it all off by building the doors, windows and putting hemlock siding on.
Hope your boil went well yesterday.