Filling glass novelties

[PerryFamily]

First time filling glass maple leaf novelties for my buddies wedding.
Any hints or suggestions?
Do you need to heat the glass first?
Whats the optimum temoerature?
I am using 3 gallons of press filtered fancy, any need to re-filter?
Thanks in advance
Just trying to get it right!

[maple flats]

I heat the glass and I always refilter. If it looks good out of bulk I only heat to 190 to refilter, if not perfect out of bulk I heat to 210 and refilter. After getting the glass warm I bottle at 185 min. 190 max.

[PerryFamily]

dave-
Thanks for the response

When re-filtering do you use your press or would a couple pre-filters do?
( my press is tore apart, along with everything else in preparation of an addition )

What temperature does the glass need to be at, and what works good to heat them?
(I am assuming maybe 80-100 degrees, and in the oven?)

Thanks again

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

micro wave for 30 seconds works for me. Without heating the glass i have had a lot of these small bottles mold at the top of the bottle

[tuckermtn]

I typically set the case of empty nips or bottles on top of the canner cover to pre-heat the glass as the canner is heating up the syrup. this pre-heats the jugs. Doesn't work as well with the nips that have multiple layers in the case, but better than nothing. When my sugarhouse is 90 deg. out like it was last weekend, I don't worry as much about cold spots in glass.

Not to sound like product placement, but I use the hands-free bottler with the smallest nozzle option.

[TunbridgeDave]

When I fill the little nip I just fill it with 190 degree syrup to heat it up, dump it back in the canner and repeat. Then I fill the nip and cap it. I put a thermometer in the bottle to check the temp and it was only after the 3rd filling that it was over 180 in the bottle. I think you'd have to keep them in a pan of boiling water before filling to get them hot enough otherwise, but this method is so much easier. Even with the 250ml leaf I fill and dump once then fill again. I placed a small container on the stand next to the spigot to dump the syrup back into so I didn't have to open the cover to the canner every time, then after filling several bottles I would dump the container back into the canner to be reheated.

[nymapleguy607]

I put glass bottles in the oven to warm and then fill them after about 15 minutes.

[brookledge]

Put whole case in oven let warm for a while then fill the whole case of them. I'm not saying Tunbridgedave is wrong but I can't see myself ever dumping the syrup out and refilling again. I have always had good luck with my method
Keith

[PerryFamily]

Thanks for the info

I will be using the hands free bottler as well

I have had problems with the small containers molding due to temperature and dont want that problem ever again!!

Now on filtering:

The syrup is already filtered with a filter press,
do I need to re-filter with the press or would flat filters work, or even filter at all?

THANKS in advance

[PerryFamily]

Mission accomplished...filled 200 of the small 50ml "whiskey bottle " novelties.

One thing is for sure, the hands free maple guys valve is the cats A$$. I will be getting one for sure, not a single drop spilled.

Heated the syrup to 185, left the glass in the box in the 90 degree sun, worked perfect.

[red maples]

if you take a hotel pan roasting pan what ever and put in a few inches of boiling water in it (enough so that the bottles don't float) and put in a few bottles in it as you are bottling it will help to raise the temp of the glass it works pretty good and then as your water cools just keep more on the stove and add or change as ness.