Glass Half Gallon Jugs

[Dave Lister]

Hi,
I am going to be using glass half gallon jugs for my syrup this year. I just figure glass looks much nicer because you can see the syrup and they should be completely re-usable. At least for my own personal stash.
I just started picking them up at the local redemption center where I often get bottles for home brewing. Does anybody else do this? Does anybody see possible problems with this method? I figure I can bleach and clean it to new conditions, and I know I can get the caps at the local home brew store.

Just looking for input on this one.

Thanks

Tim

[3rdgen.maple]

I think lot of customers would be a little upset if they found out you put all that sweet stuff in a bottle someone else used and threw out at the redemtion center. I used to tell some of my repeat customers that if they wrote their name on the bottom of their jug and brought them back when empty I would refill it for them next year and discount the cost of the container. I got some funny looks at times and some even said they would rather pay the cost for the new jug. I use mainly quarts because that is what sells the most for me. I think if you bought new jugs and just reflected it in the cost of your syrup you might be farther ahead and not lose any customers.

[maplwrks]

I Put Syrup Up For My Own Consumption, In Beer Growlers That I Drain And Re-use!!!

[3rdgen.maple]

For your own use I do reuse all my bottles. I thinking in the lines of going to a grocery store and getting some food in an old container used for something else at some point in time. It just does not sound like a good practice to me. If it is for personal use go with what makes you happy. If your selling it buy new.

[danno]

I think lot of customers would be a little upset if they found out you put all that sweet stuff in a bottle someone else used and threw out at the redemtion center. I used to tell some of my repeat customers that if they wrote their name on the bottom of their jug and brought them back when empty I would refill it for them next year and discount the cost of the container. I got some funny looks at times and some even said they would rather pay the cost for the new jug. I use mainly quarts because that is what sells the most for me. I think if you bought new jugs and just reflected it in the cost of your syrup you might be farther ahead and not lose any customers.

I don't ask customers to return bottles for re-fill, but it amazes me how many do - especially the gallon guys.

[Dave Lister]

Mapleworks,
That's exactly what I plan on doing. These will be for my own consumption. I am only at the production point of a little over 5 gallons of syrup, which means enough for me and some of my relatives. I just figured it would be nice to reuse the same large bottles each year instead of continuously buying the plastic ones only to recycle them or have them thrown away.
If I were to sell these or give them away, I would most certainly buy new growler jugs.
Sorry for any confusion this might have caused. I was mostly curious if anybody saw problems with specifically using glass half gallon jugs instead of the plastic. Wasn't sure if they would take the extreme 212 + heat. Though I can't come up with a good reason why they might fail.

Thanks for your responses

Tim

[peacemaker]

If People Had A Problem With Reclyled Glass In This World Why Do We Even Bothering Bringing Back Our Returns...ibottle alot of my syrup in mason jars .. i charge a 1.00 deposit i get alot of them back... i even have some people bring more then one back ..its glass its suppose to be reused sterilize it and reuse it lets think green people

[3rdgen.maple]

Tim, Im confused at the moment I wake up in the morning so don't worry about it. If you are worried about the heat cracking your glass just preheat them in some hot sap or water to get the chill out of them and they should be fine. One other suggetion is if you bottle in glass I would not fill them with 212 + degree syrup. At those temps the syrup will still be releasing niter and you will have sediment on the bottom of the glass. Once you have filtered keep the temps at 185 to 190 and bottle. If you go higher than that you will have to refilter.

[3rdgen.maple]

If People Had A Problem With Reclyled Glass In This World Why Do We Even Bothering Bringing Back Our Returns...ibottle alot of my syrup in mason jars .. i charge a 1.00 deposit i get alot of them back... i even have some people bring more then one back ..its glass its suppose to be reused sterilize it and reuse it lets think green people

To get our deposit back and plus the fact that they crush and remelt glass. Im was not saying I have a problem with recycled glass but I have customers that would frown upon syrup in a used bottle especially if I was to have a collection of various types and shapes of bottles filled with syrup on the shelf. And not to mention what the health inspector would say as he walks in and see's me cleaning some dirty bottles that had who knows what in them from the redemtion center. I don't mean to get a little gross here but what about the guy who drives up and down the roads on his scooter and picks bottles and cans off the side of the roads. We have a local guy that does it and I leave a bag of bottles for him once in awhile. I remember him telling me how discusting people were. He would find bottles with urine and cigarette butts and spit from tobacco users in them all the time. There is a little difference in going to walmart and buying a case of mason jars for 9 bucks and using them for syrup and having people bring them back to be refilled. You know what was in them from day one.

[Dave Lister]

Thinking green. Thats what I was originally attempting to do. If I do it for my own stash, I save money for new containers each year, and save 12 half gallon containers from being thrown out each year (for now atleast).
I only learned about botteling at the right temp last year, so its still a bit of a learning process. Still getting bottles with large rock candy in the bottom though. Hopefully I can atleast reduce the size of the crystals next year. In some of my bigger bottles, I have had as much as as an inch of crystals growing from the bottom.
They do look pretty neat I must admit. Kind of like the little grow your own crystal kits I used to get as a kid.

[3rdgen.maple]

Tim the crystals on the bottom of the jars is from boiling the syrup above density. Do you use a hydrometer to get to density? Please don't let my last post offend you either it was a rant and I am refering to selling syrup to customers. Sorry to rob your post.

[The Birdman]

The soft drink companies used the same bottles for years. They would today but plastic bottles are the cheeper for them.

[Dave Lister]

No No. No offence taken at all. I was looking for input. Thats why I posted on here.

I do indeed use a hydrometer. Infact, I went out and got a second one last year because I thought my first one was incorrect. Still making crystals. Not too sure on what to do except perhaps keep trying and possibly bottle a little bit sooner? Who knows, mabye I just have really sweet trees : )

And as for the bottles. I do agree with the reuse of glass, though I feel the same way. I am not sure I would want to buy a bottle of syrup that had once held beer or some other mystery fluid.

Fortionately the bottles I get are from a local brewery, are all completely clear, of the same size and shape and clean up specatcularly. I clean them about three times. Once with hot water, once with bleach, once more with the magic bubbles stuff sold at home brew stores and then again with a final rince. After that much clensing, not much of anything could live in there.

The guy at the redemption center is nice and lets me pick and choose which ones I want, so I only take home the cleanest of the bunch to begin with. Doesn't matter too much to them.

[peacemaker]

they only melt down none return bottles the returns go back to the company who sold the soda or beer orwater everin them in them,thats why theres deposits and not all just return glass

[mtbguy]

In Ontario they won't let you sell in used bottles if you're selling to the public. On the crystal growing note I realized this year that my hydrometer is rated for 180 degrees so I take it off the boil before it reads 66 brix then recheck my syrup when I'm bottling 185-190. I haven't grown any crystals this year.

[Dave Lister]

brix, now that's a term I have read here and there on this site and have to look a little further as to what that exactly means. I think I remember reading about a graph or something like that to more precisely test your syrup.

Thanks for all your input everybody !

[3rdgen.maple]

Tim, It almost sounds like when you are testing the syrup with the hydrometer it is not at the correct temperature. If you look on the hydrometer it will tell you what temp it needs to be at the red line. The chart is for when you take a reading at a different temp and you can refer to that to get the correct density of the syrup (brix). I recomend having an acurate thermometer when you take your readings, Alot of guys like their accucups as well since they have a thermometer built in. It all comes with experience and trial and error. Good luck.

[Dave Lister]

Interesting...... I think I have have discovered my problem.
I have been using the hydrometer right out of the evaporator.
I think I will have to get a thermometer to go in the hydrometer cup I have and do both at once, or something like that.

Guess I probably should have read the little paper with instructions that came with the hydrometer. If there were any to begin with....

[brookledge]

If you are looking to reuse the glass jars yourself over and over then why not do that with plastic also. A new seal cost about 5 cents. I to have a few that bring them back and I will sometimes use them for myself or ones that I know.
I do agree that a customer is not going to want syrup in used containers if it is not known what they were previously used for.
Keith

[Sugarmaker]

Tim,
Very nice pictures of your operation. Thanks for sharing! Yea your hooked!

Regards,
Chris

[Dave Lister]

Thanks Chris.
Yes, I am definitely hooked and have been for a few years now. All I want come spring time is MORE MORE MORE !
I can't wait to put new pics up as we just put windows on the entire sugar house. Found them by the side of the road one day and figured it would look lots nicer than plastic sheeting. Boy was I right !

Tim

[Haynes Forest Products]

When it comes to selling to what I hope will be a repeat customer I only use new glass. I have alot of people give the jar back with the idea of reusing or for recycle. With the time it takes to transport, store, clean, inspect, send for new caps and then reject the chiped ones its new all the way.