Bulk Syrup Storage ?

[labman]

I am reading that we should hold onto our syrup for better prices and I'd like to know how you guys store your bulk syrup while waiting to sell it I know a guy who just lets it sit in milk cans in his shed and I know a guy who has a walk in cooler and then theres another guy who told me "you can't let that stuff sit around like that" you have to sell it NOW. What do you guys do?

[maple maniac65]

ss drums stored in a cool room 60f this will keep proper density syrup for a long time.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[labman]

In a retail container I put it in my refrigerator but theres not enough room in there and I know what the scientists and the Department of Ag says for storage and I doubt if everybody on here has there syrup in stainless barrells which cost way more than the syrups worth I want to know what happens in the real world

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[markcasper]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!

[Father & Son]

Being a small producer I don't make enough to even consider barrels. What works best for me are 2 1/2 gallon plastic containers I buy out of a bee keeping supply catalog. I then place the containers in a chest freezer and package in retail containers as needed. The 5 gallons plastic containers or 5 gallon plastic buckets also work fine, just heavier to handle.

Jim

[Haynes Forest Products]

I use the same 2 1/2 Gallon containers 2 to a box and there alot easer to put in a truck that has a cap on it and they do drain all the way. Next question I understand that honey will not spoil and its better to just leave what wont come out in the jug.... But I have a farmer that I whalesale to who insists that you dont ever wash out containers of syrup and every year I get stinky slimey jugs back in the spring that I have to soak and clean. How are you all doing it. I just hate washing 2 gallons of syrup down the drain. The containers are never emptied when your cookin........oops BOILING so its down the drain in the summer time

[brookledge]

As gov said properly pack it when you are making it and it will last for years. If you use plastic it will darken over time unless it is totally kept from light. I use kegs and have kept them for years. It is much easier to hot pack it and not worry about it spoiling than it is too pay for the electricity and the space of a frig or freezer. I understand that if you are a small producer putting 5 gal in the frezer is easy and doesn't take up much space but if you are talking about a larger amont that takes up the whole frig then you are better off hot packing it and forgetting about it until you need it.
Keith

[Haynes Forest Products]

I think metal containers can be a problem if you dont keep the seals clean and tight. Temp changes even day to day in the air space can act like a pump and bring in nasty germs. Plastic jugs and 5 gallon buckets and the better plastic barrels will exspand and contract without much stress on the seals. Like old oil drums left out in the weather it rains and cools the drum water is sucked in water sinks to the bottom drum gets hot out goes the oil it rains in goes the water. Like other post say store in a cool dark out of the way place.

[maple flats]

I store mine in old SS soda kegs. Never had one mold or go bad. Thay are stored in my sugarhouse which is well shaded and even on the hottest summer days the temp never gets over the low 70's in there. I pack it at about 190 degrees. This season, just to help if one got tipped over I did get a food grade nitrogen tank, regulator and the proper coupler and I put 35 lbs pressure on the kegs. Since it uses very little i expect to get use thru 2011 on one bottle of nitrogen, then it expires. A refill at today's price for 4 yrs worth of nitrogen is only $20 or $5/yr. This does not include the 1 time investment of just over $200 for the tank, regulator, hose and coupler to connect to the soda keg.

[sapman]

Are these the 5 gal. vertical stainless vessels? I bought one several years ago. The price was great, and it's a very handy container. But the problem I found was that they are meant to contain pressure, not vacuum, so I couldn't get a good seal. I still use it for short term storage. If this is what you use, how do you get it to work so well, beside the fact that your sugarhouse stays cool?

Thanks,
Tim

[tuckermtn]

mapleflats- where did you get the coupler, tube and nitro tank? part numbers, etc...I think I've seen some on homebrew websites but never been quite sure...

is there a standard coupler that fits the standard soda kegs?

I have 5 kegs that I need to get going for next season...someone also mentioned cutting off the feed tube as close to the top as possible...

thanks...

-tuckermtn

[maple flats]

I bought the couplers online, EBay from a dealer called Petkin. They were $3.50 ea and i got 2, one as a spare. Then I contacted Haun Welding Supply, in Rome, NY. There Darrel got me the parts, I just explained what I had to do. I got the nitrogen in food grade. From the invoice: Cyl, Nitrogen, compressed, 2.2, UN1066 100-NIT020FG Nitrogen, FOOD GRADE 20CF FN total LBS = 0.3 $20.39
1 ea EAC 290-CYL20, 20 CF size HP Cylinder $87.00, 1 EA 200-3000540 25-100-580 regulator s-1-2 $110.50, 1 ea EAC 290-RH-14GH-10, 1/4 x 10' black hose 5/8-18 RH s-6-2 $15.25, They cut one end off the hose to connect my coupler which I had with me. Connected with 1 eac 290-1113 1/2" DETIKER clamp s-6-5 $.50 and finally haz mat handling charge (because of very high pressure, 1 eac 008-RCF HAZ MAT Handling Charge $1.50. Total $ 235.14, farm exempt , no tax. If you qualify, take a ST-125 farm exempt form or you will pay sales tax. As a farm this is used in production and therefor not taxable. If you have a hard time figuring what I entered send me your email. I can scan the invoice and email it to you for help ordering. The main office is actually Syr but Rome is quicker for me so I went there. Ordered it all on the phone and only went to PU 2 days later.
Dave

[maple flats]

Yes, I cut the long tubes in the tank. To do that i removed it, chucked it in my drill and using a tubing cutter removed all but about 1" at the end where the flare and gasket are needed to seal. One could also be ss welded closed. As far as i know the tank part of the couplers are all the same. That Petkin guy could help you with that. I have 9 tanks and am looking for several more. Would like about 40-50 for next season. After that I may need to get set up with a way to fill larger bbls. Would like something SS in the 10-15 gal range that were only used for food. The kegs are just for use til i find enough of the bigger ones. They are handy tho, and it is easy to carry one in each hand. Filled to the tip top they hold about 5.25 gal. I will pressurize in the future as soon as they are nearly cooled from canning.