Cleaning bottom of pan?

[palmer4th]

This is my second year with not giving the bottom of my pan a good cleaning. I have used a flu brush in the past but does anybody have recommendations on how to get it spotless again. We have a 2 x 8 raised flu. Our wood has been pretty wet and has built up a lot of stuff

[Mead Maple]

Flip it upside down and fill the underneath of the flues with your choice of cleaner. A lot of folks use vinegar, pan acid etc


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[BAP]

If it is caked on, I use a piece of copper pipe with one end flattened to make a scraper. It works great scraping off the soot and doesn’t scratch the stainless steel.

[nasion]

Not gonna lie, I discovered a weed whacker takes off caked on soot really well. Pan was leaning against the shack after cleaning when I buzzed by it. It's hella loud but the soot chunks flew right off. Plastic string didn't dent or scratch the metal either.

[Mead Maple]

Not gonna lie, I discovered a weed whacker takes off caked on soot really well. Pan was leaning against the shack after cleaning when I buzzed by it. It's hella loud but the soot chunks flew right off. Plastic string didn't dent or scratch the metal either.

Well theres another excuse not to trim the yard anymore


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[DrTimPerkins]

Well theres another excuse not to trim the yard anymore

The "Soot-Eater"...coming soon to a maple equipment store near you.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

The "Soot-Eater"...coming soon to a maple equipment store near you.

HAHA! Peel the Stihl stickers off it, throw on any maple supplier logo and watch the price double :lol:

[palmer4th]

I like all the ideas! nervous to try the weed eater! but i could see using pan acid.

[tcross]

i'm curious as to why you want to get it spotless again? only because, after the first boil next year, it'll be all soot again! not saying it's a bad idea... just curious if it is actually worth it to get it spotless again?

[palmer4th]

Spotless may be a bit overkill, but o want to give it a good cleaning, we let sap ferment in our pans until late July to clean the inside then wash them so I won’t be doing anything until then. They come out almost spotless and it’s no work! As far as the bottom goes I have heard the ash build up can block a lot of the heat? Not true?

[Mead Maple]

The "Soot-Eater"...coming soon to a maple equipment store near you.

Where theres a commercial theres a sale....


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[Mead Maple]

HAHA! Peel the Stihl stickers off it, throw on any maple supplier logo and watch the price double :lol:

Once I got into maple I said if its shiny or has maple leaf imprint just go ahead and assume the price is double!


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[Dave Puhl]

Been using a pressure washer for years..its messy..not worried to get it spotless

[NH Maplemaker]

Been using a pressure washer for years..its messy..not worried to get it spotless
I do the same as Dave. Been doing it for years also. Hardest part is getting everyone here to help take them off and then back on when clean.

[30AcreWoods]

Easy Off and a pressure washer.

[eustis22]

Ima try a peroxide, baking soda, dish soap paste this year

[kitkat]

Glass cleaner for wood stoves etc. from Rutland works good on soot buildup. Not sure om the real thick stuff though.

[Aaron Stack]

Oh good, the soot is A) normal, and B) OK to leave on for the season. Just finished my third test boil and panicked that was what people meant by burning the pan. After a good 45 minutes with 2 brillo pads, Dad came along with a mini-paint scraper and I was done with the pan in a couple minutes.

[buckeye gold]

Aaron, you don't need to get all the hard creosote off until after season, but you'll want to brush the soot off the bottom of the pan everyday or two before firing up. It will help your boil. I use a grill brush I got at Lowes. You may need to put a long handle on it. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Weber-Grill-Brush/50330231

In mid season I pull the pan and scrub inside and out. On the bottom I just use a putty knife or a flat piece of copper. I don't put a lot of pressure on the putty knife as I'm only looking to get the worse of it off. Inside the pan a vinegar soak and then a Mr clean magic eraser does wonders. A copious bleach solution rinse followed by a clean water rinse and I'm back in business. At the season end I let sap ferment for about 6-8 weeks and then power wash and clean it to a shine . At that time I'll use some oven cleaner on the bottom (fire side) and wash after I scrape off the heavy stuff.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Oven cleaner and pressure washers do wonders for soot. That’s what we use at the end of the season. Very little wiping with oven cleaner and paper towels to what little bit is left off.

[Aaron Stack]

Aaron, you don't need to get all the hard creosote off until after season, but you'll want to brush the soot off the bottom of the pan everyday or two before firing up. It will help your boil. I use a grill brush I got at Lowes. You may need to put a long handle on it. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Weber-Grill-Brush/50330231

In mid season I pull the pan and scrub inside and out. On the bottom I just use a putty knife or a flat piece of copper. I don't put a lot of pressure on the putty knife as I'm only looking to get the worse of it off. Inside the pan a vinegar soak and then a Mr clean magic eraser does wonders. A copious bleach solution rinse followed by a clean water rinse and I'm back in business. At the season end I let sap ferment for about 6-8 weeks and then power wash and clean it to a shine . At that time I'll use some oven cleaner on the bottom (fire side) and wash after I scrape off the heavy stuff.

Thanks for the cleaning regiment advice Buckeye, starting to make notes on the whole cleaning during the season routine. I have that exact grill brush for the grill to. There was a slight cloudy film inside the pan yesterday so I did a 5-minute vinegar soak and it came right off with a sponge. The weekend of Jan 30 I need to clean and sanitize everything for a Feb 13th tapping plan so I'll plan to give it another.

Last major project this coming weekend - assemble the tankless hot water propane setup and dare I say I'll be ready to go by the end of the month... after the following weekend of sanitizing and rinsing the heck out of everything of course. It's been a great year getting the setup planned and built and I am beyond excited to rock and roll.