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View Full Version : Suggestions on upgrading my boottling operation



BreezyHill
09-23-2013, 12:06 PM
I have tried an expansion to our sales and it is going to out grow my bottling setup. I am in the process of remolding the sugar house and need to act fast.
Currently I heat a five gallon batch and repress it into the grim bottler and just bottle of that. That has worked fine for bottling for the fair and for weddings. We can do 175 50mls in under 3 hours.
My issue is that I have potentially buried myself. I volunteered to do a fund raiser for my sons class prom. I designed and printed a order form and photographed and put all the bottles and the 1/2 pint and pint on the back for customers to chosse from. It has only been seen by a few teachers and administration and I am getting great feed back. The problem is it is designed for holiday gifts and the date I am being told is likely the first week in Dec. Thus orders will be back to me by the 10th giving me two weekends to bottle. The goal was 10 bottles/ student... 800 bottles total, that was not a big deal...but now I am hearing of people that are going to order 8 to 9 bottles themselves. If that happens then I am looking at 3-4 thousand. Glass supply is not an issue it is filling this many in such a short amount of time. Then the curve...If I was going to do this all the time, that is one thing, but once a year is another; and next year I already told the advisor I want three weeks like all the other fund raiser have until delivery time.

So how much faster is a foot operated valve than hand?
What do you use to bottle?

Thanks for helping me with this issue!

GeneralStark
09-23-2013, 03:10 PM
I would suggest reading through this thread: http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?20905-best-way-to-reheat-syrup

Thad Blaisdell
09-23-2013, 03:43 PM
I have 2 leader filstops on a 40 gallon bottler all modified took out foot pedal and lowered the unit 11 inches..... I would not change a thing. Other than I could add 2 more filstops if I wanted. For small glass I take out the existing outgo neck and put in a 1/4 or 5/16 nipple and go to town. Can do 2 at a time. If you were closer I would gladly let you use my setup.

PerryFamily
09-23-2013, 07:41 PM
I filled 300 of the 50ml glass containers this summer for my buddies wedding. I borrowed one of the foot operated electric fillers from a buddy. I ran it with my hand but it worked awesome....now when you talk about in the thousands that could be another story. It did work great though.

BreezyHill
09-23-2013, 08:58 PM
Thad, how well do the fill stops work? Are they automatic or have to close a valve on them? Got any pics...they would be great! Thanks

Ben