cleaning evaporato

[ennismaple]

Standing up on soapbox here.

If at all possible, I don't think we sugarmakers should be letting that last bit of sweet from the season sit for weeks or months just to use the acidity of the moldy, sludgy mess to "automatically" clean the pans. We are making a food product here. We need to convey a high level of cleanliness and attention to detail to the public in all aspects of our operations. Otherwise, we are putting our reputation at risk. If people lose confidence in our product, sales will suffer. Our industry is not "too big to fail". We need to strive to maintain the sugarhouse in an inspection-worthy state at all times. Unless we want the regulators to start coming down on us even harder!

getting down from soapbox now.

Would you rather convey the message of using highly acidic cleaners that run the risk of contamination of next year's sap or the groundwater around your camp or using a natural method that utilizes every last bit of the sap we take from the tree? Our pans are quadruple rinsed between being drained and any new sap being put in them so there is zero risk to the public. While this forum is public it is far from being an advertisement to the public. There are many 'dirty jobs' associated with all aspects of food preparation that honestly most consumers would rather not know about.

[jrgagne99]

Options for pan cleaning fluids:

1) Mixture of water and approved food-grade pan acid
2) Mixture of water and regular white vinegar
3) Homemade vinegar from fermented sap, used in a timely manner
4) Ropey, sludgy, moldy mess that makes you gag because you waited until July/August

Most customers are probably fine with options 1, 2, and 3.

Option 4 should be avoided. That's all I'm trying to say here.

[therealtreehugger]

So what if you leave your ropey sludgy mess beyond July/August . . . until it starts to get cold again, and doesn't smell because it is too cold? Would there be a problem with that? Would it - dry up and get crusty? damage the pan somehow (probably not)? turn into a swamp? or would it not work to clean the pan? Do you have to catch the yuck before it gets too old if you want it to still clean your pan?

[maple flats]

Just because the North American Maple Producers bible doesn't say it smells bad, that in fact is when it works best. Then the pans get cleaned ande rinsed with good potable water and dried.

[Zucker Lager]

So what if you leave your ropey sludgy mess beyond July/August . . . until it starts to get cold again, and doesn't smell because it is too cold? Would there be a problem with that? Would it - dry up and get crusty? damage the pan somehow (probably not)? turn into a swamp? or would it not work to clean the pan? Do you have to catch the yuck before it gets too old if you want it to still clean your pan?

I would be worried about freezing...........that could damage the pan and piping Jay

[therealtreehugger]

Nooooo, way too long.

However, during maple season, I leave sweet in the pan, and it freezes, not hard, but a thick slush. That doesn’t hurt. I bet it wouldn’t freeze too hard if there were enough solute of some type. Just speculating.