End of year finish / cleanup ?

[newmod]

This is my first year and I am running a Smoky Lake Hybrid 2x5. What should I do at the end of the syrup season. I was planning on filtering what is left in the pan and finishing of turkey fryer. Is that what everyone else does. Also, how should I clean the pan? There are no burnt spots, just normal nastiness from boiling.

[Russell Lampron]

Finish what is left in the turkey fryer. After the pans are drained give them a quick rinse and then put in a mixture of white vinegar and water. Bring that to a boil and then let it cool. After it is cool drain and rinse, with a pressure washer if possible, and it should look like new. I use a 50/50 mix, 2 gallons of vinegar and 2 gallons of water, in the syrup pan and 2 gallons of vinegar and fill to normal level in the flue pan. My evaporator is a 2x6.

[MapleMark753]

I agree with Russ above, you may find your own method, but "what he said" is a good way, and works pretty well. Finish with a turkey fryer, clean with a white vinegar/water mix.
take care, Mark

[buckeye gold]

I'm one of those guys that fills the pan with the last sap of the season, shut the doors on the shack for 6 weeks and let the sap ferment. After six weeks I drain/dip out the snot and power wash. Then let it dry and there will be a white powder residue in some area and a scotch pad and rinse takes care of that. It'll look new and shiny after that.

[Russell Lampron]

I'm one of those guys that fills the pan with the last sap of the season, shut the doors on the shack for 6 weeks and let the sap ferment. After six weeks I drain/dip out the snot and power wash. Then let it dry and there will be a white powder residue in some area and a scotch pad and rinse takes care of that. It'll look new and shiny after that.

I tried that once. The sugarhouse stunk so bad that I almost gagged when I went in to clean it. I have never used a scotch bright pad or any other abrasive to clean my pans.

[bowhunter]

I like cleaning the pan with sap the best. It does smell, but I usually don't spend much time in the sugar house after I clean up and the sap takes a while to ferment. I put about 4 inches of sap in the pan and cover it with plywood. I let it sit 6 weeks last year and just had to dump the pan and hose it out. The pan was clean except for a couple of spots where I did use a plastic scrubbing pad and some very light scrubbing. I couldn't believe how clean it was. I've also boiled vinegar and water and it works too.