cleaning evaporato

[anchorhd]

We use 50/50 distilled water and white vineger.

[jrgagne99]

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.

[BAP]

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.

Well you aren’t leaving the sour sap in the pan for next year. What is the difference of using a natural cleaning process over using a bunch of caustic chemicals?

[tcross]

so, make vinegar in your pans to clean with, or buy it? not sure the issue. no one is around my sugar house when it's time to clean up for the year regardless.

[jrgagne99]

I just think it's a bad look when I hear and read this sort of thing going on in our industry. For example, industry publications describing how disgusting the stuff in the pan looks and smells after letting the sweet sit all summer long. Or suggestions to leave the fermented sap in the pans until it makes you queazy to even smell it. If restaurants ever made public statements like these about how they clean their kitchens, their business would surely suffer. I think we should be a cautious about this sort of stuff, especially in today's climate.

If the general public gets the perception that this is how most sugarmakers generally do things, it is an open invite to more FDA regulation and oversight, and I think that is something most sugarmakers do not want to see.

[maple flats]

jrgagne99, read the cleaning methods in The North American Maple Syrup Producer's manual, the bible of all things maple, the method you don't think should be left out there is one of the proper ways to clean your evaporator.

[buckeye gold]

It's just fermented sap and then vinegar. Ever drink any wine, whiskey or beer....similar process. Sure it will mold if left long enough and even spoil, but so will any fermented food. I will continue to do it and be unapologetic. Besides the pan gets washed with a chlorine solution and boiled then flushed before any syrup is made. I have shown and discussed my cleaning method with many customers and they think it's neat someone figured it out. Most accept it as a natural organic process. Believe me I spent a whole career dealing with the FDA and even held and operated INAD (investigative new animal drug) permits for drug approval. This is so far off the FDA's radar they would barely blink at it.

[jrgagne99]

Maybe I should clarify. I don't have an issue with creating the homemade vinegar to clean the pans, as long as it gets taken care of in a timely manner.

The North American Maple Syrup Producer's manual doesn't say to leave the sap in there until it turns into a ropey, sludgy, moldy mess that makes you gag when you walk in the sugarhouse on that July or August morning.

I've read first hand descriptions of situations like this on Maple Trader and in the Maple News and I just don't think that's the kind of kitchen we want to be advertising for ourselves.

[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.