Pan cleaning

just curious, how often during the season do you guys clean your pans.with the newer style welded pans can you use the food grade acid in the flue pan, if not what methods do you use?my 2x6 was cleaned when i bought it but after two test boils with water there is white scale in them

[maplemaniac65]

sounds like you might have hard water if there is scale in your pans from just boiling water. I have ss welded pans and I clean then whenever there is a chnace to do so during the sugaring season. Whenever there is a cold snap and sap is frozen I drain the pans into separate tanks and put the sweet sap through the filter press before putting back into the respective pans. A lot of good cleaning results in light syrup. My neighbor cleans about every 5 boils and with 1000 taps makes on the avarage of 250gals of light. he is very meticulous though. More than I am.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Just curious if any of you clean your pans with lemon juice?? This was brought up at the maple conference and I think I may try it this year. Just curious how much to use of it in reference to water??

[Iver]

I'll bet lemon juice at 1 to 10 would work well. We boil apple cider down to syrup in our little evaporator and it cleans the pans very nicely. Any kind of acidic juice should do well.

[DougM]

According to my catalog, the pan cleaner is recommended for the front syrup pan only. I don't know if it's the same as the food grade acid you asked about.

[Foster]

I clean with water and or acid whenever I have a day between boils . I average five tear downs and cleanings per year which is why I keep things simple . I clean all the feeding lines ,tank and float boxes as well.
Each time I clean the entire rig including soot off the bottom ,
all pans and the arch .
Race in Wisconsin

2 1/2 x 8 Dallaire ----- 500+ taps

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have a couple of questions :?: :?: Jeremy referred to white vinegar?? How do you clean with it?? Do you mix it with water and heat the pans?? Does it work good??

Also, Jeremy, you mentioned you cleaned the soot off of the bottom of your pans 1 or twice a day?? Good idea, but isn't the flue brushed a plastic type of material that will melt?? I never looked at mine that close, but assumed that is what it is made of???????

[Foster]

Jeramy ,
Most around here do not clean the entire season except the syrup pan . I am always afraid I will be caught boiling several days in a row and will not have time to clean , therefore I stay on it. Besides , I actually like doing it and my rig is stock and easy to take apart . My running water source is back at the deer /bear camp 1/2 mile away so I tend to do all or nothing as I take the front and rear pans to the camp to be hosed out.

I do think once or twice a season is adequate if the rig matches the taps so you are not constantly boiling . Great syrup regardless.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Jeremy,

I see in you signature that you have 600 taps?? Is that a lot more than last year and how much are you shooting for this year??

With your schedule, are you able to boil all day every day???? Didn't think you had to much else going on this time of year other than plowing snow???????????

[michaelh05478]

I've been using a acid the farmers use to clean there bulk tanks! Its cheaper then the stuff the maple dealers sell and works great...I buy mine at the farm co-op here in town.....Mike

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Jeremy,

Sounds like you have quite a little ways to haul the sap. I live about 1/2 from my sugarhouse, so I guess about the same difference. Sounds like you have a nice setup and from the looks of things, will be looking for a bigger evaporator soon! :lol: :lol: :wink:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Joe,

Is the the pan cleaners you use to clean the underside of your pans?? Do you just throw them in the fire once a day or do you still have to brush??? Hopefully, it won't damage stainless??

http://www.northlineexpress.com/detail~PRODUCT_ID~5RU-100S.asp

Does anyone else use these or anything like them??? :?:

[saphead]

The stuff I use in my wood burning furnace is made up of about 40% trisodium phosphate,works great. My wood isn't always totally seasoned and since I've been using something w/trisodium phasphate in it , all I have is dry stuff @ the chimney clean out and a clean flue. The sticks probably are the same basic ingredients with a few chemicals for color.

[maplemaniac65]

I've been using a acid the farmers use to clean there bulk tanks! Its cheaper then the stuff the maple dealers sell and works great...I buy mine at the farm co-op here in town.....Mike

I believe the acid that farmer's use to clean their tanks with contains iodine. This is not a good thing to introduce to anything that comes in contact with maple syrup. If Iodine is detected in your syrup it could be considered adultered. michael05478 there is a reason why the acid sold by maple dealers cost more. Some things used on the farm should not be used in a sugar house.

[themapleking]

Brandon
Kwik- shot thats it. I throw one at the last fire up for the day. They work great. I don't use them every day I play by ear. If The pans flues looks dirty than I'll throw one in.
Use in fireplaces, wood, or coal stoves; wood or oil furnaces, boilers and hot water heaters.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Joe,

Does it make the undersides of the pans look like new ??

Doesn't do any damage to them does it??

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[mapleman3]

I'm trying the lemon juice in the front pan tonight, I put 2 qts to around 12 gallons... will leave it in for a day, my pans are welded so I don't imagine it will be a problem, has anyone used this method yet this year??? should I rinse and nuetralize with baking soda? and thoughroly rinse also? I don't want any off flavors

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Jim,

Can't wait to see how it does?? Be sure and let me know?? Are you going to put a little fire under it to heat it any??

[mapleman3]

the pan cleaned up pretty nice!! and as we speak I am running water through it. I did fire it up a few tomes to heat the water.. in minutes of course 8) the pans are pretty clean, funny how much stuff can get in the flues.. but it's cleaning up nice. should be set to boil soon!! I will fire 1 more time with water this weekend to setup the burner to it's optimum setup!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Did you have anything on the pans that required acid?? I am wondering if the lemon juice did it??

[mapleman3]

I had a few burn spots crusted on there, I scraped off what I could, but the lemon juice loosened it right up, now the front and back are pretty and O covered it with a sheet to keep the dust out for a week or so

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Glad to know it worked. Might have to give it a try this year! :D

[gmcooper]

We have been using pan cleaner most of the time to clean pans but once pans dry after rinsing they still have a dull finish. Looks like scale when dry. Any one have anything thats leaves them shiny new? have tried the strong vinager but not happy with results.
Mark

[john l]

gmcooper in my evaporator after i use pan cleaner i fill my pans half full of water heat it up then put 2 boxs of baking soda in the syrup pan and3 boxes in the flue pan boil for 15 min let it cool brush it out rinse it it takes 90 percent of the scale out your pan will a most look new
john

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Better use the baking soda for the reason also that it neutralizes the acid. If you don't neutralize it, it could eat through your pans if you don't rinse them 100% clean of it. :?

[maplemaniac65]

There is an article in the Maple News about a sugar maker who was ill, even the Food inspector was ill after testing a barrell of syrup. Apparantly after the pans were cleaned they were not rinsed enough or the acid was not neutralized. The barrel of syrup was thrown out before it reached the consumer. What ever one choses for a pan cleaner just be very cautious on what you use and rinse THOROUGHLY. Sap can pick up the strangest things. I personally do not use bleach in the sugar house. I use pan cleaner Leader quart bottles at the end of the season. Maybe once during the season if pans are scaled up bad. I myself would be skeptical about using Lemon Juice or anything that has a fruity taste to it. But that is me, if the Maple supply catologs sell it here in the USA it is approved for use in the USA. That is the key factor when selling PURE MAPLE SYRUP IN THE GOOD OLE USA, that is keeping it PURE.

[mapleman3]

I'm not to worried about the lemonjuice, I have done 2 hot water boils since the pan cleaning, and scrubed pretty good, also I only did the lemon in the front pan so I could get to every part of the pan to scrup and rinse. I still plan on another test boil with water for tuning the burner and a final rinsing of the pans, I do beleive in having the pans "spotless" for the first real boil!! I agree, nothing should be introduced into our PURE maple syrup!!

[mapleman3]

My thoughts are if you get the scum or "baked on" stuff off your pans, and clean real well, theres really nothing left for anything to "stick" to so good rinsing with HOT water should get rid of any residue.. or off flavor retaining "stuff"

[mapleman3]

Jeremy, I put 2 qts in my front pan with half the pan filled with water, the next day it had a different smell, not very lemony, kind smelled chemically, so I knew it did it's job, once I did my rinse it was all gone, then I scrubed and "scum" and sugar sand, but it cleaned easy. then more rinsing. I let the hose run into the sap float box and have a vacuum hose hooked to the drawoff go out a hole in the side of the sugarhouse to outside and let it run like that for an hour or 2... often brushing down or sponging all the sides and bottoms of both pans... works great, also heated the water up a few times in between.. there's nothing left but clean stainless!!