Popping noise from syrup pan

[ecolbeck]

I’m cruising along here and the syrup pan is literally popping and vibrating. I just cleaned the niter out of it this afternoon. Any thoughts on what’s happening?

[Urban Sugarmaker]

When the niter in the sweet you poured back into the pan settles on the bottom of the pan, gases coming out of solution from boiling build up below the silt and "pop". Happens to me every year and really freaked me out the first year. It doesn't take long for the particles to settle on the bottom and cause this issue. Once you are up and running it should subside.

[ecolbeck]

It did calm down back to its regular popping interval after quite a while. Thank you.

[motowbrowne]

It happens to me, especially later in the season after I light a fire and before we're up to full temp. The syrup pan can make some very interesting noises.

[phil-t]

So, this is strange to me, as well. We run a Leader half-pint (pretty stock setup) this year, I have help and we are running it 15 to 18 hours a day. Last night, my helper came up to the house all frustrated and I went down, the feed channel was boiling with very fine "white" bubbles. An indication of nitre build up? We shut down, cooled down, and drained the sweet. Dumped in 2 gallons of vinegar and it cleaned up very well this AM. Back to boiling and ~100 gallons of sap later (tonight) same issue, but in the draw off channel (not as extreme). We shut it down and I will clean again in the AM. Should I throw the sweet out?
When I cleaned this AM, the nitre buildup in what was yester feed channel was ~ 1/64-1/32" thick and came off in peices. Never had this issue last year, at all.
Yes, I was getting the "popping" this AM when I started up.
Maybe my helper is running it too shallow?

[Russ008]

Pin hole in the pan ?

[ir3333]

the pan is expanding and the bottom buckling back and forth.

[RC Maple]

the pan is expanding and the bottom buckling back and forth.

I agree. I always have a few boils where my pan does this as well. It's usually on days when I can't get a really good boil going. The sweet I dump back into the pan is filtered before every boil and the pan is cleaned so it is easier to see what's going on. Once the boil gets going well again it seems to take care of it.