now to clean the pans, yahoo

[michael marrs]

I used a cinder block arch, wood, and steam pans again this year, and made 6 gals of syrup, all dark but good. I have been told vinegar can help with pans, My problem is that I have burnt stuff on the sides. I hand scrapped, then used bbq grill scraper, then a wheel with these hard plastic bristles on it, like a wire wheel, but plastic. I have almost got 2 out of the 4 done, but it took 2 hrs, and 3 Killians . what do you guys do?

[psparr]

Put vinegar and water in and heat it. Let it set a few days should help a lot. Just be thankful it wasn't on the wife's stove.

[smokeyamber]

Ditto on the vinegar... I just filled my pan with a mixture of it and water, then left it out on a couple of sawhorses for a couple of months.... rinsed right out. Then flipped the pan upside down on the same sawhorses and left for rest of summmer, cleaned the bottom nicely ( all that acid rain ).

[mudr]

Advice: buy more killians.

[Maple Hill]

White vinegar is supposed to work better.

[saphound]

Probably not practical for just a couple steam pans, but I have a lye bath set up for another hobby of mine..cleaning and restoring old crudded up cast iron skillets, dutch ovens and such. Two day soaking of my steam pans and they come out clean as a whistle. Quick rinse with hot water and a little dawn on a sponge and it's done. Perfectly food safe in case you're wondering. But it's about 10 bucks a can so prob not practical unless you've got some skillets to clean also.

[Austin351]

Probably not practical for just a couple steam pans, but I have a lye bath set up for another hobby of mine..cleaning and restoring old crudded up cast iron skillets, dutch ovens and such. Two day soaking of my steam pans and they come out clean as a whistle. Quick rinse with hot water and a little dawn on a sponge and it's done. Perfectly food safe in case you're wondering. But it's about 10 bucks a can so prob not practical unless you've got some skillets to clean also.

My lye tank ain't big enough for sap pans but I can get a #14 in to it and the e-tank. :cool:

So if a lye tank works, Easy Off Oven Clean (original with the yellow cap) should work also.

[Woodsrover]

Again on the vinegar. Poured a couple gallons in my pan (2x3) and let it sit outside for a couple of weeks, let the rain fall into it, etc. Took me just a couple minutes to scrub it out yesterday and we're good to go.

[saphound]

Hey Austin...fellow cast iron cleaner. That's funny because I can fit a full sized steam table pan but not a #14 skillet. I have to do half at a time to submerge a #14. Guess it depends on the dimensions of your lye bath tub. Yeah, Easy Off would work also, but I couldn't really see anyone here going that route. But if anyone is interested, it involves spraying down the piece and putting it in a sealed garbage bag for a few days so it doesn't dry out. It will save on elbow grease for sure. :cool:

[michael marrs]

Advice: buy more killians.

went to get some more vinegar, they were out but they did have Killians, so were okay to go. As one poster said, I may do the inside, and just put them out side for a couple months and clean the bottom later