Syrup Storage

[Uncle Tucker]

Last year I made 6 gallons of syrup with my Half Pint and 50 taps. This year I have a 2x6 and 180 taps. I will have a lot more syrup this year (hopefully) and I was wondering what everybody uses to store syrup in?
I have used the blue plastic 5-gallon drums before but when they blow up to the size of a beach ball in the kitchen when only half full. It scares the hell out of me! Has any one ever had one of these explode?
If these are safe to hot pack in I was wondering are the jugs that Wal-Mart sells for camping drinking water work as they are a lot cheaper than maple dealers are?
I know people use the Pepsi kegs but they are a little pricey. I am just looking for ideas.

[SapSuckers]

What are you doing with the syrup? Are you selling it? Locally or wholesle? Keeping for your self? One thing you could do depending on how much you make is to put it all into 1 gallon syrup jugs, if you have the room. They wil last a long time if sealed well, or you could put them in a freezer. If you need smaller jugs you could open one and repackage and when a gallon jug becomes empty, wash very well and just buy a new cap for next year.

But, with anew rig and 180 taps you may exceed your capicty to do that unless you sell it as you make it.

[twigbender]

Tucker: I store my sap when it comes out of the filter can into a ss milker which holds about five gallons. I have four of these and keep them cool in the garage or basement until I'm ready to bottle. Then, I empty them into my finishing/canner setup and cook it down to 66 and then bottle right out of that. Works very well. I got the milkers at a couple of auctions or on eBay and the canner I got used from a maple equip dealer -- just kept looking til I found one I could afford.

By the way, I looked at your photos -- very nice sugar shack -- how big did you make it? My wife and I stopped in Henniker one day last fall for lunch. Wish I'd known you shack was that close, I would have stopped and had a peek at it. Dang!!

Good luck with the new evap and your storage.

[VtSugarhouse]

Tucker, The two best ways of storing it is in Glass then put in the freezer, or hot pack it in stainless steel. The first would probably be your best bet.
Now if you hot pack it in glass you can leave it on the shelf at room temp. It will last and not drop grade in glass for a long time.
Do what is best for you.

[gmcooper]

I had to reread your post there Tucker.
If you are having the blue cans "blow up like a balloon" They are fermenting on you. Either the syrup was not quite finished or the jugs did not seal or jugs could have been not clean enough. Some times the covers on the blue cans do not seal correctly.

Any syrup in storage should be kept cool, dry and out of sunlight. The kitchen is way to warm to store any lenght of time. If freezer or ref. is not an option then a dry basement might be the next best option.

I think I know which drinking water containers your thinking about and I do not think they would work at all especially with hot syrup. The 5 gallon jugs dad used for honey years ago are also not made to hot pack at 180+.

[brookledge]

I ageee with gmcooper sounds like your description of the 5 gal can blowing up is from the syrup not being hot packed. Those blue plastic 5 gal jugs will drop a grade on you also because sunlight will penetrate the plastic. If you do use plasatic then put in cool dark location. Metal barrels will blow up also if not done right also
I have used those blue containers in the past and they have worked ok for me. But I only used them for B and C grade.
Keith

[Bucket Head]

This might not work for everybody, but this is what we do.

We do not hot pack syrup for storage. In the garage, we have a large chest freezer that we stack the blue five gallon container's in. I don't know how many will fit total, but it hold's all of what we don't bottle up during the season with room to spare.

This take's the worry out of a bad cap, poor seal, and loosing a grade due to exposure to light. And if by some chance you put up syrup that was'nt at the right density, you won't loose it in the freezer.

The small additional amount of electricity it take's is worth it, I feel. Also, if you don't keep opening it, it will stay cold/frozen for day's if you should have a power outage. We've had a few of those over the year's.

If you have the room for a chest freezer to dedicate to syrup storage, do it. It's cheap insurance against loosing your hard work.

Steve

[Uncle Tucker]

I don’t think I worded my thoughts correctly. I do hot pack the blue 5 gallon drums. They are the rite density and no mold yet. When I put the hot syrup in them and screw on the caps the heat makes them expand. This is what I hope doesn’t blow the cap off.
I have plenty of room in my chest freezer. I think I will store my bulk it there. I just wish there was a 5 gallon glass storage drum. I have some carboys from my beer and wine making but they don’t have airtight caps.
Just looking for the best solution.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

But as they cool, they should contract up nicely and this helps seal the jug and lid.

[Uncle Tucker]

Ok so this is normal and I shouldn’t worry about the cap popping off? I am just trying to minimize my mess, I have enough without syrup caps popping off in the kitchen.

[Brent]

how much air is in them when you close them ???

If there is a lot of air and not much hot syrup, and you screw the cap down immediately after the pouring stops, then the heat is causing the air to expand and create the pressure inside. The problem should be reduced if the jug is mostly syrup and little air.

Also, try spinning the cap on very loosely and leave it for a few minutes. This will allow the air to expand and escape. Then screw it down to make the seal. Then of coarse you could suffer the reverse effect. If the ratio of air to syrup is high, you could create a vacuum inside that might make the sides pucker in when it gets cool.

[Brent]

sorry duplicated submit

[gmcooper]

To help minimze the amout of air in the 5 gallon cans is to fill then sqeeze the side some to bring the syrup level closer to full. Then put the cap on tight. The syrup will contract some as it cools as will any air that is still in there. It will also be a good way to tell if you have a good seal later.

[michiganfarmer]

I had to reread your post there Tucker.
If you are having the blue cans "blow up like a balloon" They are fermenting on you. Either the syrup was not quite finished or the jugs did not seal or jugs could have been not clean enough. Some times the covers on the blue cans do not seal correctly.

Any syrup in storage should be kept cool, dry and out of sunlight. The kitchen is way to warm to store any lenght of time. If freezer or ref. is not an option then a dry basement might be the next best option.

.

I was low a couple years ago, and bought a drum of syrup. I canned about 10 gallons right away, then put the rest in 5 gallon buckets, and put them in my basement. Its about 65 drgrees in th ebasement in july, and august. It all fermented. I was almost sick while dumping it out. $1000 dumped out. I will never again store syrup that has not been hot packed, or that I cant keep refrigerated.

[brookledge]

If that ever happens again don't dump it, sell it as commercial.
It goes to show why it is so important to hot pack even in large containers
Keith