Vinegar / Acid???

[RiverValleySugarhouse]

I have used the regular pan acid and simmered and brush my pans for a few years.. I don't think it works all that well.. I'm thinking of using something different either the dairy acid used to clean milk tank scale which I heard will burn your hands. Or trying vinegar. I know this is brought up every season. But I have never tried vinegar. Do you just run that in your pans or dilute with water.??? Do you have to simmer it and brush like acid???How long to let it sit before cleaning pans??? I thought about the sap fermenting thing but if I don't get right on cleaning up it would sit until august:cool:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have used vinegar for a number of years and it does good. This year I put 2 gallons in the syrup pan and filled it up and will let it sit for a couple of weeks and 1 gallon in the flue pan and about 4" of water. Will let you know how it does in a couple of weeks this method.

[PerryW]

for over 20 years, I have always used pan acid in my 3x10 and used one gallon or one quart of the more concentrated acid. I put half in pack pan and half in the front pan.

Last year, I used white vinegar. Bought 3 gallons and put half in each. I think the pan acid did a better job and wasn;t much higher in price.

In bath cases, I heat up to almost boiling and do the back pan after waiting 30 minutes. I let the front pan soak for hours or overnight. either way, the front pan is a lot of scrubbing w/ scotchbrright pads.

[MISugarDaddy]

I have used vinegar and water ever since I switched from a flat pan to a flue pan at the recommendation of Sugar Bush Supplies where I get my supplies. They said that if all the acid is not completely removed from the flue pan (in the welds, etc.) that the acid will eat through the metal over time. I have used a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water and have found the pans clean up like new each year. I realized it is a little expensive using that much vinegar, but it is definitely cheaper than replacing pans. I just heat it up for about an hour (not boiling) and then let it sit for a day and the pans are ready for flushing out.

[Randy Brutkoski]

how much vinegar do i use for my 4x14.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

how much vinegar do i use for my 4x14.
Not enough for your pans in the country to help you

[Randy Brutkoski]

not my fault biatch

[RiverValleySugarhouse]

I rinse my pans well with a pressure washer and I would not be afraid to use some high strength acid dairy or maple. But I was thinking of using something more organic. That's all.

[chevypower]

We drain our pans and wash them out after each boil. Lately due to niter build up we have been bringing permeate to a boil and letting it sit in the pans for a couple hours or overnight.. cleans the niter right off. We still have some scale build up on the sides and the flue pan has not cleaned up as well but after the season we will use pan acid to finish cleaning them. We have also used vinegar and is seems to clean ok.

[red maples]

No need to let vinegar sit for a long time. its an over night process. the Acid needs a heat catalyst. here is what you do.

1. you will need a mixture of 25% vinegar to 75% water (permeate works better if you have it) mine holds about 20 to 25 gallons so I usually use 5 gallons of vinegar.
2. after you are done with the last season's boil, drain and hose out all the remaining loose niter and wipe off remains of defoamer stuck on the sides of the pans.
3. fill the evap with water and add the vinegar.
4. fire it up bring it to a rolling boil for about 10 to 15 minutes. enough to heat it up a bit shut it down and let it sit over night.
5. the next morning scrub and rinse and you are done. it will be 10 to 30 minutes of scrubbing and wiping depending on the size of your evap.

Its always tough to get the scale that's just above the sap line but as far as the bottoms it will be perfectly clean both syrup and flue pans.

White vinegar has a PH of 2.4 if your curious. not sure what pan acid is?

[MN-SAPPER]

Last year on my 2x4 divided flat pan , I used 2 gallons of vinegar with about 10 gallons of water and let it soak for a week or so... All scale just melted off couldn't believe how well it worked, then used my pressure washer to clean up and looked like a brand new pan.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If you want to get nitre buildup off of the bottom of the syrup pan, put a about 1/4" of vinegar in the pan and let it set for a few hours and bottom of pan will be perfectly clean. Just pure vinegar. If you have a big pan, probably be ok to do half water and half vinegar.

[maple flats]

On my 3x3 front pan, I drain it, rinse with about 1 gal permeate and drain it also into my draw tank. Then I add 1 gal white vinegar. Then using a weed burner torch, I warm the pan until it appears to steam (it is not boiling, likely only about 120-140 degrees). Then I let it set while I do something else. After about 20-30 minutes, I use a scotch bright scrubber pad lightly and if it does not all come loose I heat again and wait again. Depending on how bad the niter was, it takes anywhere from 1-3 cycles. Then I drain, rinse completely with permeate and pump the draw tank contents back into the pan and open the valve from the flues pan, then I light the fire. I do have a gal of milkstone remover but I think the vinegar works as good and I like it better.

[RiverValleySugarhouse]

So I should look into the white vinegar not the distilled vinegar??? I am going to try the vinegar and if it doesn't seem to work I might try the milkstone acid I have access to some. I don't have any permeate left.

[Sugarmaker]

We used about 8 gallons of vinegar this year. 4 in the steam away, and the rest in the flue and front pan. filled them with water and built a small fire. not quite boiling. Let them set for several days and 90% of the pans are very clean. I let the air bubbler agitate the steam away cleaner. It gets the most grime in it. (Next pans are going to be able to be filled to the top!) I will have to pressure wash some of the remaining areas to clean them.
Regards,
Chris

[bowhunter]

I just left the sweet in the pan with some additional sap for about five weeks and the results were pretty amazing. I did have to scrub the sides and corners a little, but the hard thick stuff of the bottom came off completely down to shiny stainless steel without any scrubbing.