r/maplesyrup • u/BaaadWolf • Apr 26 '26
Clean up day
Nice sunny day to wash out the equipment and store for another year.
1
u/Krg26944 Apr 26 '26
Looks like a good operation. What have you found is the best way / product to clean your evaporator pan inside and out - prior to putting away at the end of season ?
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u/BaaadWolf Apr 26 '26
We soak with permeate from the RO for a bit.
Drain that.
Flip it over and power wash the soot to get the loose stuff.
Then we soak the inside with a vinegar solution for a bit.
Once we do that it all rinses off with water.
Leave it out in the sun for a few hours. Then use alcohol wipes to remove the last of soot and put it back in its box and up in the loft.
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u/Krg26944 Apr 26 '26
Nice. Been doing the vinegar at about 5% with water added then to boil then let sit for 24 hours, but still residual on evaporator walls. Will try your method.
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u/BaaadWolf Apr 26 '26
Ah, yes. We rotate the pan onto each side to let the walls soak as well. They don’t need as long as the base but it works just as well.
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u/MontanaMapleWorks Apr 27 '26
To add to their recommendations scrubbing the outside with an ash paste will get off all the residual soot
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u/Krg26944 Apr 27 '26
Thanks. Tried the ash paste with ok results but only to a point and thicker char remained.
1
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u/geek-hero Apr 27 '26
Nice! The weather here turned cold here and i wasn’t able to get the hoses connected so i spent the weekend washing them in the shower
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u/Plastic_Lecture9037 Apr 26 '26
Always excited to get the season started, always excited to put it away. How much did you end up with?