pre season cleaning

[SapSuckers]

Looked at pan in barn the other day and noticed black spots all over the bottom. I am thinking it is mold growth? It wipes off. The pan is an older SS 4 section flat pan. I would love to try to bring the "shine" back to the pan as the outside has become blackened. I have used vinegar in the past to clean the Pan. Any other ideas to try to return the pan to a shine?

Also, i use plastic 55 gal drums for collection. Any ideas on what to use to give these a good cleaning? What about the idea of putting a plastic can liner in like a big garbage bag.

Thanks, I wish everyone luck on a up coming season!!!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

The black spots were probably mold and it could have developed from the pan not being cleaned at the end of last season, but more likely from the pan sweating from the constant temperature changes every day and condensation forming.

[mfchef54]

from the maple syrup producers manual: wash throughly with hot water and detergent triple rinse with clean water at end of the season. before using, wash with a 5% solution of household bleach. (1oz. of bleach to 20 oz. water) triple rinse clean water. It also recommends that collection pails and tanks rinsed with hot water at the end of the day.
I was thinking of the bag thing myself. first, I would think, it would need to be food grade. I know that there are 18"x26" bags used to cover sheet pans. I doubt they would fit a 55 gallon but they might fit a 30 gallon. I think i'll give it a try and let you know.

[Mike]

I wouldn't use bags in the 55 gal drums.....Like mfchef54 said keep them clean...I use a electric pressure cleaner to clean my tanks with.....If you dont have one a high pressure car wash hose works well.....I wouldnt use the wax cycle.....

[jemsklein]

about a week ago i fired up my evaporator and filled a barral with boiling hot water and whent back and turned on the power washer and ran all the boilling water down the lines and i think it worked good

[maple flats]

I would not chance the high pressure car wash hose. Most of them now recycle the wash water and are not using fresh water, it is just filtered.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Couldn't be much worse than the chemicals a lot use to clean the evaporator. Just make sure you wash and rinse them good with clean water afterwards.

[jemsklein]

why what do you use in you evaporator

[eye8astonie]

I had the bright idea of using food grade plastic bags inside of a garbage can to store sap in my rookie year (last year).

Great idea except..... those liners don't like sharp pieces of ice very much! We do try to pick the ice out when we can, to save on boiling, but some still goes in, and it cuts the bag up pretty quick. Nothing worse than seeing a whole bunch of sap suddenly become unusable.

Planning ahead, I had ordered a case of 250 of these liners, so we have a lifetime supply of garbage bags now!

Duane

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

James,

I use vinegar to clean mine with.

[jemsklein]

i just use hot water and some elbow grease and she gets realy shiny

[hholt]

My pan has a gray mineral film coating the inside from last year.

Will vinegar dissolve that?

[jemsklein]

boiled vinegar should take care of that