Cleaning a pan

[maple flats]

I visited a friend yesterday who has had 1 boil this year and it was a disaster. He has a 2.5x10 I think it is, with a sap raider and he typically gets about 120-130 gph. He said his sugarsand was the worse he has ever seen and he burnt his syrup pan. He has tried everything I suggested, from vinegar to pan cleaner. From what he has been able to do so far it felt smooth when I ran my hand over it, but there was still plenty of black. He had a rounded, cone shaped flap disk he was going to try but I said I thought it would scratch the SS.
Any ideas? He is the guy who bought my old lease when I started cutting back about 4-5 years ago. He's Amish, so no internet, but is a great guy. In fact, last year when I had cancer, he took the time to call me 2-3x a week and ask how I was doing, from a few weeks before the surgery right thru my no work time 6 weeks post surgery. I'd like to help if I can. I told him I'd drop off a piece of copper pipe he could open up, flatten, then sharpen to scrape it. Any other ideas?

[Woody77]

I burnt the **** out of my old flat pan years ago. I used a palm sander with a scotch pad on it and vinegar at first. But resorted to oven cleaner and a hair dryer to warm up the metal. But it was a chisel and muriatic acid that finally did it. Followed by a lot of polishing to get out the scratches

[n8hutch]

Did it get so hot that it discolored the stainless? I think a copper scraper and vinegar are hard to beat.

[mountainvan]

Second the copper scraper, 1” pipe flattened, or a copper scrubby.

[SeanD]

Make that a third, here.

[maple flats]

I did not notice any discoloration of the SS. I took him a piece of copper pipe, to split, hammer flat and sharpen, all of which he can do. I will check in with him tomorrow to see how he made out. I guess this was the first time he burnt the pan bad enough that just vinegar and elbow grease wouldn't get it clean.
I had one about 5 years ago that took me several sessions and likely 6-8 hrs total, luckily I have a spare front pan. It was needed that day. It was my fault, I was in a hurry talking a good friend thru all of the steps because I had to get back to drive school bus. My other helper asked if he should start the fire and I said yes. I had not opened the valve between the back and front pan. I then told them how to swap the pans. When I got back all was running smoothly and I got a first look at the pan, just in 1 corner at the draw off, but it was hard to get clean. It now look like almost new.

[Daveg]

Use power tools judiciously. There are many configurations of tools and a huge assortment of sanding pads, sandpaper, and abrasive wheels. Your objective is to get the carbon off so that it doesn't create a hotspot for scorching to occur.

[amasonry]

You might suggest using a sandblaster with baking soda in it?

[maple flats]

I'll suggest that. I talked to him late yesterday to see if it came clean. He said the areas that had less black came much cleaner with the copper scraper idea, the areas that were worse not so much. I will suggest tomorrow the sand blaster with baking soda if needed, he was going to continue working on it until just before midnight using the copper scraper. Being Amish he does not work on Sunday. I did not look at the pan again, I just went by his description of the progress.

[Jeannette]

You might suggest using a sandblaster with baking soda in it?

After we out as much as possible with elbow grease, we used hydrogen peroxide. Boil hydrogen peroxide in the burned pan. It worked well for us. (Walmart by the gallon was the best price.) we tried it first on our stove with a pot we had scorched.


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[whity]

Would bar keepers friend work? With a scotch brite pad.

[tgormley358]

I wrote in on the same issue several weeks ago and found a low boil with water and baking soda worked wonders. Literally lifted most of the black off as it boiled. It seemed to help pouring the baking soda directly on the black area as it warmed and boiled. I had previously used vinegar and soft scrubbers, a Teflon spatula. I never tried the copper pipe which many had mentioned. My pan is now all clean. Sounds easier than sand blasting??

[DocsMapleSyrup]

Barkeepers Friend with scotchbrite pad will scratch pan.

[maple flats]

I have not seen it yet, but my friend says he got it clean. After getting some with a copper scraper he made from a piece of copper tubing I left for him to try, I triede something I would not have dared. He had a somewhat cone shaped flap disk that was 180 grit. He put it on a drill motor and gently ran it over the black. He says it came clean and he detected no scratching. He boiled 2000 gal of sap on it yesterday and he said it was the lightest he has made in 5 years. His sugar % in the sap was 2.1%, also the best in at least 3 years. Crisis over, thanks for the ideas.