Emptying/Cleaning the syrup pan

[Jeff E]

For those of you running an RO, you probably see a quick build up of niter. The question I have is do any of you total drain and clean you syrup pan after each boil? A secondary question is how often do you drain and clean you sap pan during the season?

[mapleack]

Jeff, I clean my syrup pan about every 2,000 gal of raw sap early in the season, instead of paying attention to hours or concentrate volume. Later in the season I end up having to clean every day/ 1,000 or so gal. My flue pan usually gets drained and washed twice per season, probably should be more often.

[PerryFamily]

I have started running an ro for the first time this year. I love it by the way.
I was cleaning my pan after every boil. I was using a 3m spongie kinda scruffy pad on my 12v cordless drill. It works really fast but doesn't get into the corners real well. As I have gotten braver I have boiled, switched sides and then acid soaked. Seems to clean up really well. I have also been saving the acid and re using. I am on my fourth cleaning and it seems to still be working pretty good.
I figure the extra time spent cleaning is cheaper than burning a pan.
Seems to work for me. Good luck.

[Apple Hill Sugarworks]

This is my first year with the RO, and in years past I would use pan cleaner to clean syrup pan after every 8-10 gals. of syrup. And someone told me he uses the permeate from the RO to clean the niter buildup but do it after every boil. As of today and 100 gals later it works!! I let the evaporator cool off and drain front pan, remove and rinse with water from my preheater and most of the niter comes off, the syrup side of the pan. But the side from the back pan is where the harder niter is. I let is soak with permeate for 1-2 hrs. or over night, and a tooth brush works in the corners. I will be cleaning the back pan this weekend, then at the end of the season.

[wiam]

2X2 front pan boiling about 11%. Every time I boil I drain front pan when stack gets down to 400 degrees. (Internal probe). Then I refill with about 5 gallons of cold permeate. You can watch the niter flake off. This usually sets overnight. I try not to go over 25 gallons between cleanings or ther will be some scorching under the niter. Some days I have to clean twice.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Ok, so I am going to throw a money wrench into this and yes, what I am saying it accurate. My dealer is Henry Brenneman in Salisbury, PA and he is running a 5x16 evaporator with Revolution arch, max flue pan and soldered syrup pan and he never cleans the pans the entire season and only boils concentrate. Last year he made 2200 gallon without cleaning. If it was anyone else, I wouldn't believe it but those that know Henry on here will agree that if he says he does it, he does. He has done this since 1988 with a 5x16 and never cleaned and better yet, he NEVER reverses flow and draws off the same side all the time and runs it thru a 10" filter press about every 15 minutes making about 30+ gph. Leader always tells him it is not possible but he has for 26 seasons now as he is a big Leader dealer and D&G and CDL.

[mapleack]

I'd believe pretty much anything henry said as well, but he's gotta have special trees to do that! :) If I don't clean every 2,000 gal of sap max I've got a burnt pan.