Cooling To Quickly??

[Bobby]

This is my second year making maple syrup, and sometimes(not always) Ill have a bottle suck in after bottling. Am I cooling the syrup too quickly or bottling too hot? It only seems to happen on gallons and sometimes half gallons. Not sure what to do about this.

[PerryW]

I leave all sizes of plastic jugs except the gallons) on their caps while cooling to eliminate the big dimple in the size of the jug. For the gallons, I rest them on their sides to cool, but after 10 minutes, I turn them upright.

[Maplebrook]

I have had this happen to me. Fill the jugs to the correct amount, don't go over or under. Don't put boiling syrup in plastic jugs. Keep the syrup around 185 degrees. The hotter the air in the airspace, the more it will contract and suck the sides in. See last line of my signature...

[happy thoughts]

I have had this happen to me. Fill the jugs to the correct amount, don't go over or under. Don't put boiling syrup in plastic jugs. Keep the syrup around 185 degrees. The hotter the air in the airspace, the more it will contract and suck the sides in. See last line of my signature...

That's what I was going to say, too. You may be filling too hot and leaving too much head space so when the syrup cools and contracts you're creating too much vacuum. On the bright side, at least you know you have good seals:)

[Bobby]

Thanks for all the help, made 2 gallons today and waited a little longer while it was in the filter tank, bottled at around 185 laid them on their side and no dent, Thanks for the help. Guess I was just bottling too hot.