How often are you guys cleaning syrup pan?

[Justin Turco]

On our 2x6 I was just boiling 2 days. One day, drawing on one side then the second day on the other side. Then clean the pan. We are up to 430 taps now so each day is a long one. We got a little bit of warpage the other night because of too much sugar sand. So now I am thinking maybe we need to limit time between cleanings to a max of about 10 gallons of production. Anybody else have a number in mind for a 2x6? I pull my pan and heat it on a 3 burner propane stove from northern hydraulics. You guys with 2x2 syrup pans cleaning in place?

What are you using to clean with? Oakite bad. Leader pan cleaner Goooood.

Yes we have a lot of sugarsand this year too. Can anybody think up a creative idea for it. Can we sell it on Ebay or something.

[hard maple]

They used to use the sugarsand to polish gems and such
You should be able to sell it on ebay no problem, just don't put a reserve on it....
I've cleaned my pan once this year, it's a 2x2 made over 100 gallons
I'd like to clean it more often.
Maybe next year I'll pick up as spare pan???

[Pete33Vt]

I clean my pans or at least front syrup pan after every boil. I have an extra so I can work on cleaning up the spare while I am boiling and the water from the preheater works great. Also it works better for me to get the sugar sand before its stuck to bad. Usually I can get most of it off with just a good rise and scrub. If its still stuck bad just a little acid and rise rise rise and drain then its ready for the next day.

[Mike Van]

I do the same as Pete, much easier to get off when it's thin - I get a better boil too when its clean. When its got sand stuck to it, it always boils like its a few seconds away from foaming up.

[Brent]

we started a brand new 2 x 6 this year and have done just 4 boils. On the first boil I noted that after about 5 gallons the take-off rate seemed to be dropping and the boil in the 2nd channel was going stronger than the take off channel.
Though of several things that might cause it, cold air, poor firing, wet wood, bad draft etc.

Next morning it was obvious. Thick caked on sand. Cleaned it and the boil returned to normal on the second boil..
But the same cycle has occurred on each of the 4 boils.

We seem to be getting a lot more sand than last year on the Half Pint but it's hard to compare.

I think I need to find a way to siphon it off as we boil, or shut down at around 5 gallons and clean.

[Justin Turco]

Oh yeah, mine scares me when it's nitered up. Pete, you've got a big syrup pan, are you heating it when your cleaning it. Or do you just put the acid on cold? Glad to know I am not the only one having to stop and "sharpen my saw" as my neighbor says.

[Brent]

the cleaner we have says to put it in the pan and light a small fire. Tried that yesterday. Seemed to loosen it very fast. Going to repeat the proceedure in an hour or so.

[danno]

Looks like today is pan cleaning day:) After two cold days, everybody has everything boiled.

Brent - wish I had some of that cleaner. My sugarsand is a major pain to get out of the pan and I've got to do mine today as well. Looks like I'll try heating up some vinegar in the pan.

Anybody washing out flue pans? Do you do it just to try to bring up the grade? No niter back there.

[Brent]

I am going to try to siphon sediment out of the flues. My rig for hoisting the hood is not very good yet so it will be a hose on a stick. Siphon, filter and pump back in.

[Dave Puhl]

I clean mine after each cook..plain old white vineagar....learned here... and a scotch brite pad and some warm water...

[Pete33Vt]

Justin, I use the hot water coming off my preheater to clean with, I works great. There are a few big producers around that use there hot water and a pump to pressure wash there pans with just the water coming off there preheaters, flakes the stuff right off. As far as the flue pans I don't clean it until the end of the season. Just cause my preheater can be a pain to take off. There is a new washer system that is made for the back flue pans not sure of the whole system, but seems like it would work, after you drain all the sap out. I just run out of time in a day to do it all.By the way I have cross flow pans so my syrup pan is only 2'x40"

[sweetwoodmaple]

I drain my front pans and dump in the flue pan after every boil as well. Just a hot water rinse.

About every 4th boil, I put in a little Milkstone remover and let sit overnight. Only 7 bucks per gallon at TSC. Works just as well as the Leader stuff.

[mwarren]

I met a guy last year who saved some of the distilled water from his steam-away and used it to clean the front pan. He would drain out the sweet and put it in pails. He would then fill the front pan with distilled water and put a small bilge pump (from a boat) with a 6 foot hose in the pan and circulate the water from one side of the pan to the other. He would let it run all night circulating the water and the next day he would drain the front pan, replace the sweet and start boiling.

He said it worked GREAT, no scrubbing, shinny clean every time. I have not tried it yet but food for thought...

Mike

[Brent]

Mike

this method where the guy that justed flushed all nite with hot water ...
did he filter out the sand or did it disolve and go back into solution ????

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

The principle is that the distilled water/condensate off of the preheater is completely soft water and it is so soft it helps dissolve the hardness on the pans that would normally be in the water if that makes sense.

[Brent]

This almost sounds to good to be true. I always thought the sand was insoluble, like the calcium deposits in a kettle and that the only way to dissolve them was with an acid.

[mwarren]

Not sure about the disolving thing... he said that when he came back in the morning the pan was clear of all the niter.

Too good to be true...Can't think of a reason he would do it if it didn't work. I saw him setting the pump up at the end of the night and asked him about it. His explaination was that the soft water ate away the hardness.

I will try this next year as I have no distilled water yet (preheater for next season)

Mike

[Brent]

I'll give it a try tonight. Got about 20 gallons from the RO. Let you know if it works.

[Justin Turco]

My neighbor told me tonight that since he is drawing off at around 214 or so (depending on the weather), his syrup pan stays niter free! His finishing pan gets all the sugar sand. I dont think he's had to clean his syrup pan yet this season. I'd much rather do work like that while the evaporator is running. Better use of time. In our little operation a second syrup pan would be nice.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Not calling your neighbor a liar, but I would have to see that to believe it. I get a lot of sugar sand / nitre in my flue pan and rinse it a couple of times each season. I don't think this is possible.

If he is referring to scale on the bottom of the pan, he is probably right but if he is referring to the fine gritty nitre, he must be boiling something else as I was referring to the fine gritty nitre.

[Brent]

tell him the next time he is going to tell a fairy tale to start with
"once upon a time"

[clairmont]

hi,all you need is soft water that circulate in the pan through a pipe with many holes;if you got a brook just lay it in the bed, dont forget to tie it,