Moving Hot Oil From a Fryer

Safest is to do it first thing in the morning before you even heat it up. Then you can even wipe out the inside of the vat allowing all the residue to be removed. Hot oil is serious when removed from a fryer.

Other than that, using a handled pot and transfering to a large stock pot to remove as much as possible and then switching to a metal baster and wipe out with clean towel. Make sure power is off.

I wouldn't really recommend doing it while it's hot but if it's your only option use extreme caution.

When I was a short order cook there was a siphon device that you would pour about a cup of hot oil in the top using a long handled pan or something similar and it would start the siphoning of the oil from the fryer to a container sitting on the floor. Off course that always took too long so we would just pick up the hot fryer (with about 5 gallons of hot oil) and pour it into the container on the floor directly. Very dangerous and not smart but it worked fine most of the time. I did slosh it once and got a dozen or so drops of hot oil on both forearms, instant 2nd degree burns, ouuuch! felt like a Kung Fu initiation rite. I didn't drop the fryer so I guess I passed, but I have heard of some dropping the fryer or worse pouring it down their fronts. So I'd recommend looking for a metal siphoning device made for such things or at least letting the oil cool just before it starts to solidify and wear plenty of protection on hands and arms before pouring by hand.

Goshhh.. What can I tell ya' other than the great indications most of this folks gaven to ya' here already. They have an strongs points definetly and make a lot of senses. I agree that is a big headache trying moving such Hot Oil around so I will be looking for a way to eventually install like a drain piping to it with a nice 'Ball Valve' with a long enougth (sanitary grade) metal piping to just fill the container ( sanitary metal) with that Hot Oil. Also look for the whole PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) as an standard for safety. Will be a lot better to handle it when cool instead I agree definetly. And watch for buddys moving around you just in case. Allsett cover yourself now.

Lock and Tag,

MC

The best way is to let it cool, but that goes without saying. You are going to need a couple of giant pots or a barrel. Most fryers have separate filtration systems that you can use to pump the oil into your vessel. Or you can just let the oil drain into small pot then pour that into a larger barrel and just repeat process several times.

Given the amount of hot oil to be transferred, you might consider using one of these... http://www.darlingii.com/services/cleanstar/cleanstar.asp

I would use a pump. I have seen a pump used that work very quickly and moved a lot of oil from 15 fryers to a holding bin where is was filtered then returned to the frys later. I did not care for the way they stored the pump and hose but it worked fast.

Operator wore heavey gloves, apron, and face sheild with saftey glasses. The hose was a heavey but semi flexible nylon fiber 2 in hose. and the pump was self primeing with an extention to reach the bottom. It pulled nearly all the junk out of the fryer so the cooks could finish the cleaning fast.

They were cooking all you can eat cat fish serving 300 to 500 and hour all night long. The oil would be pumped, strained, and returned 2 times on a week night and 3 to 4 times on a week end night. They stayed open later on weekend too. The process did not even slow down the cooks. They were each assigned 4 fryers each to keep the fish moving.

On these things, why don't they add drainage points close to the bottom of the VAT?

Seems highly dangerous to reply on the operator to decant the contents or siphon it into smaller containers and remove by hand. OH&S any one?

Get drainage and lockoff valves at the base of the units, and maybe a pump to scavange it or pump it up to a receiving vessel at the back of the shop, much less chance of a major problem, and yes, something could go wrong or leak, but it could go wrong decanting too.

I'd rather slip ove while carrying a empty pipe than slip over carrying a bucket of hot oil.

Tricky material to handle---The next time you empty this fryer have a stainless steel drain/shut off installed in the fryer--when it,s time to replace the oil, shut off the unit-let it cool to a safe tempature (but still be fluid)--place a receptacle below ( or pipe it to a remote location) & your problem is no more.

Donzi

Bazd,

Long handled three litre dipper. Low investment, Low tech, (you'll) have the job done before you realise it. Only problem is that it requires a little care, so as to avoid spillage. Although not much of a problem to one who has attained the skill level to tie shoelaces.

Don't take umbrage at this. It's only a comment which will be pertinent if you delegate the job to another.

Cheers

Stu

A ritual that I had for 20 years or so as the chief french fryer at our firemen's field days was to "bring down" the Pitco Fryolator at the end of the day so the oil could be poured out and the fryer cleaned that same nite. It is much easier to drain and clean the fryer when it is hot, but at the same time, much trickier. At the time I developed the procedure we used solid oil (hydrogenated vegetable oil) and a borrowed fryer so it was considered very advantageous to be able to drain and clean it that same nite. I developed a technique using carefully controlled applications of ice into the hot oil bath to bring the fryer down from ~360 degrees F to about 120 which is a safe temperature to transfer into a plastic container. You toss in small pieces of ice, and in increasing amounts as the oil cools, until ultimately you have cooled it to the point where you can dip your finger in it. It takes judgement to determine the optimal application rate, this depends on the exact volume and starting temperature of the oil and the size of the available ice pieces. You want to put it in fast enough to cool it at a good rate but not too fast as to be unsafe. And of course, personal protective gear is a must. At first there are dramatic sound effects, that will attract spectators who will think you are nuts, and everyone stands clear, but if carefully done, you won't have Mount Vesuvius. You end up with about 3 or 4 gallons (~15 litres) of water which carries out most of the junk at the bottom of the fryer, and then drain out the oil which is about 5 to 7 gallons (25 litres or so). The Pitco Fryolator has a ball valve and drain tap at the bottom of the fryer tank, which is interlocked so it can't be accidentally opened. The alternative to this procedure is wait until midnite (not an attractive proposition when you have to get up at 5 the next morning), or clean it the next day when it has solidified (more or less) and it is then exponentially more difficult to clean. And a thorough cleaning was a must since this was a borrowed fryer and had to be returned clean to be sure of being able to borrow it again. Anyway, this procedure is not for the the faint of heart, nor is it recommended to anyone other than a properly equipped trained fireman or a seasoned professional. It is only presented here as an anecdote of one instance of how a hot oil problem was solved.

I know that if there were no drains on those fryers and safe vessels to drain the hot oil into, I would look for another job.

Enough has been said above to illustrate how very dangerous it is to mess with hot oil.

j.

Just ask the Visigoths and the Vandals!!!