Washing jugs

[steve J]

Do you wash your new jugs? We always have but I wonder if they are fine right out of the box?

[maple flats]

I don't wash. It is my opinion that washing them open up a whole array of problems. You can contaminate then by washing. Be sure to keep the new jugs well protected to be sure nothing gets into them, but do not cap them before filling.

[Fishgill]

I don't wash'em. I've never had a problem.

[lpakiz]

Two different quart bottles had spiders in them when I was bottling this spring. Granted, they were left-over from the season before and stored in the basement, but still,I sure would not want a customer to find something like that. We will continue to give each bottle a quick squirt of water and shake out. I understand some big bottlers/packers give them a puff of filtered air. I would suspect that something like that could happen in any maple dealers warehouse, as well.

[wiam]

I only buy full cases. The bag inside is only untied when getting out jugs. All are turned upside down and tapped before filling.

[Bruce L]

We don't wash our jugs, but no container comes near the sugarhouse without a lid loosely on it to keep anything out of it, did have trouble one year with a nasty large spider in a jug, luckily I caught it before a customer

[adk1]

I have never washed jugs, actually never even thought about it. If anything a puff of compressed air would suffice

[Russell Lampron]

I only buy full cases. The bag inside is only untied when getting out jugs. All are turned upside down and tapped before filling.

Bacon jugs come packaged upside down in the case already. I only untie the bag when getting jugs out too and only buy full cases. I can see where a small producer wouldn't want to buy 80 quart jugs at a time though. In that instance buy as many as you need and store them in garbage bags.

I don't wash the jugs either. The hot syrup sterilizes the jug when you fill it.