How do you fill 40 gallon stainless drum if you are a small producer

[Big Stoney]

Can you just keep adding finished syrup to the drum?

[JoeJ]

When I had 460 - 980 taps, I made enough syrup to properly fill only plastic 5 gallon containers. By properly fill, I mean all syrup going into the container is at least 180 degrees. As my tap count went up, I bought some 13.25 gal SS beer kegs and then some 15.7 gal SS barrels. After I added 2,100 taps in 2014, I purchased 30 gallon SS barrels which are filled using the same rule. My barrels are only filled full with 180 degree syrup during one night's boil. Towards the end of the night's boil, if there will not be enough syrup to fill a 30 gal barrel, I will use either a 13 gal or 15 gal barrel. If you are not selling that 40 gal barrel to a bulk buyer and plan to use the syrup yourself at a later date, you are risking opening a barrel with moldy syrup in it if you pack the barrel with syrup from several boils.

[markcasper]

I have filled many drums that were half full of cold syrup, even a few that were 2/3 full (which I was a bit concerned), and have never found one moldy yet. Has to be darn hot going over the top of cold syrup. At the same time, I do try to fill 15 gallon kegs on either end of the barrels for my own use in order to minimize getting into these situations.

[maple flats]

I filled many 40 gal barrels in the past and had it all hot pack at the same time. To do it, I used a 2x6 finisher to hold the syrup until I had enough to fill a drum. Depending on the sap flow that was anywhere from 1 day's boil up to maybe 3 day's worth. It worked just fine.
My only issue was that I didn't really need 40 gal packed in one grade, but had to because I sure didn't want to leave a partial barrel after it had been opened. I never sold a 40 wholesale or bulk. Thus I'm now selling some empty 40's (4) at the VVS auction in Verona, I bought 26.5 gal SS barrels instead. I like packing my retail syrup in smaller batches. If I had a busy store that I sold in, that would be different, but at times it can take me over 3 months to sell 40 gal in any one grade. I prefer having it under 2 months turn around even though I store the retail in chest freezers 1 @ 35-38F, (really a cooler) and the other @ 25-28F (a freezer). When I finish bottling both are full and then some with 40 gal batches but generally not with 26.5 gal batches.

[jmayerl]

Only fill drums that you can hot pack at once. I usually do 5, 15, 30. 30s take me 30 mins to fill and that's the biggest I can go at once.

[PerryFamily]

Best Practice is to fill in its entirety at 180 degrees.
I have done say half one night and half the other but those are wholesaled out after the season and into a cooler.
If its more than a drum I have used the blue 5.5 gallon jugs with very mixed results. The way they are made its very hard to get fill completely and get all the water out after you rinse them out from previous years therefore some moisture is always in the container which leads to some schmeg the next season. I always refilter before I pack syrup in retail so its not a big concern but if a restruant wants a 5.5 I have to heat and refilter to ensure its perfect and pack in a new container.

This year I'm going to be using 5 gallon pails from A&B Container. They are what a couple producers here use and they are less money than the blue ones