Divided Pan Cleaning

[bryankloos]

Hey All,

This will be my second season on the Mason 2x4XL.
What are the suggested frequencies and methods for cleaning the pans during the season?
I had some niter build up last year but didn't bother to clean until the end of the season.
I'd like to keep things a bit neater this year.

Thanks,

Bryan

[therealtreehugger]

I know this isn't going to help, or answer your question, but I don't clean it til the end of the season. Between boils, I always have some left in the pan, which just continues to get boiled and drawn off the next time. I did get a bit of niter build up, but i filter it with a paper "prefilter" right off the evaporator. I also draw off a bit before its done, so I can finish later and bottle and filter more.

But for the niter in the pan, it either wasn't a big deal, or I didn't stop to look hard enough.

[ir3333]

i reverse my pan mid season and the nitre build up is repurposed. The new draw off end is fine 'til the end of the season
...but i only have 50 taps so only a few hundred gallons of sap are boiled.It's 'gonna be a bigger issue with high volume
producers..

[anchorhd]

I power wash my 2x3xl once or twice during maple season. I reverse flow every boil or 2. Then 50/50 white viniger/water once the season is done. I cover the pre heater and pan with plexi glass off season. The plexiglass keeps crap out during summer.

[maple flats]

I reverse the flow in my syrup pan as soon as I see signs of change in the last channel near the draw off. That helps, if the boil changes again, I switch back. In early season this is often all I need to do. As the season progresses that often happens faster. I also use a plastic spatula (made to take the heat) and hold it to the bottom of the pan with the blade part facing downward at about 25-35 degrees and I pull it towards me, if I feel it drag, I check how much more boiling I have to do. If more that 3 hrs, I shut down and either clean it in place, or swap it for my spare pan, re-start boiling and put the dirty pan on my syrup pan washer and clean it. If I clean in place, I let it cool enough that I can drain the syrup pan into my draw off tank. Then I add 1 gal white vinegar, heat it using a weed burner torch on the underside until it looks like steam coming off (but in reality it is likely only 100-110F) and I let it set a few minutes.
When I wash it using my syrup pan washer, it goes out on a shelf under my head tank raised platform. I then pump hot water into a cut off food grade barrel. Then I set a submersible pump in the barrel, and that is plumbed to my washer which I made. It pumps up in a 1.25" PVC pipe, then turns 90 degrees and goes to the far end of a 1/4" plexiglass cover over the pan. From there it splits at a tee, and goes to another tee and an elbow. At each of those they push the hot water down under the plexiglass cover into 4 3/4" PVC pipes that run the length of the channels, each has some 1/8" holes drilled so the spray hits all sides and the bottom. Then it drains out the open draw off valves and falls into the barrel. This keeps recirculating. I replace the water if necessary. My hot water is permeate, heated by my tankless water heater.
If I can wait, I then drain the syrup pan at the end of the boil, and push it thru by running hot permeate in at the same time. I then let it set overnight. In the morning it is often clean just from setting, If not I add a gallon of white vinegar and heat it using that weed burner torch.
Some years that is needed daily, other years it might be 2-4 days before it needs cleaning.