Time for Cleaning Coming Soon - How?

[Springfield Acer]

Now that my first year on a real evaporator is drawing to a close, I'm looking for cleaning suggestions. I've searched back through about 200 old threads and cannot find stuff that I know I have read here.
I have a 2x6 A&A soldered evaporator.
Is Milk Stone Remover OK on soldered pans? What concentration? Heated? Neutralize?
What about vinegar? Pure or diluted? Hot or cold? How long?
Other options?
:confused:

[palmer4th]

fill it up with sap, toss in hand full of raisins and let it sit for two months. drain and rinse. it will smell horrible, and also be nice and clean after a little scrubbing

[johnallin]

I just empty out the pans, fill about 2 inches deep with 50-50water and vinegar mix, build a small fire to get it warm and let it sit for a day or so. Come back later and with a hot water rinse it all comes clean. You can use straight vinegar if you want but I find I don't need to. The flue pan gets a real good scrubbing with a flue brush then everything gets rinsed with lots of hot water. Pans should look like new.

[DonMcJr]

Man I HATE the smell of Vinegar and don't wanna wait 2 months to clean cause I'm gonna clean mine tomorrow and boil again this weekend, it's just getting too dirty for my liking.

What else can I use? Bar Keepers Friend?

[mike first timer]

I use acid pan cleaner.You can use reuse it for multiple cleanings.

[PerryW]

I fill the pans with water, buy a gallon of pan acid and dump half in each pan and heat it up to a just below boiling. The nitre on the back pan will begin peeling off in 30 minutes and I use an (inside) flue brush, scrub, drain out the water, rinse, and put a couple handfuls of baking soda to neutralize any leftover acid.

You should let the front pan soak at least a couple hours, then go to work scotchbright pads, and a metal putty knife.

[TreeTapper2]

Perry,
do you only clean at the end of the season or multiple times through the season?

[Springfield Acer]

Good ideas. I was near a TSC tonight, so I picked up a gallon of Milk Stone Remover for $11.99 + tax.
I think I'll drain the syrup pan tomorrow night and give it a try with a baking soda finish. I guess I will follow up once I do try it. Thanks for the input.

[The Sweet Spot]

We clean our pans with vinagar and water. Cleans pritty easy after a couple of days. Best part of all (NO CHEMICALS) just vinagar.

[johnallin]

The acid cleaner I have states not to use in the flue pan - only the syrup pan. I don't know why but I think it's there for a reason.
I do not use anything other than vinegar half way through the year, to much risk of not rinsing good enough.
I would not use Bar Keepers on any part of my pan that sees sap or syrup. I do use it on the exterior though.

[axe]

Good ideas. I was near a TSC tonight, so I picked up a gallon of Milk Stone Remover for $11.99 + tax.
I think I'll drain the syrup pan tomorrow night and give it a try with a baking soda finish. I guess I will follow up once I do try it. Thanks for the input.
I am guessing that you do not use the milk stone remover straight from the bottle. What dilution do you use? Do you heat the pan and to what temperature? How long do you let it soak?