Maple Sugar by Net Weight? (Container Puzzle)

[Lazarus]

Last week I ordered three sizes of the maple sugar shakers (16 oz, 8.45 oz, and 4 oz) from a major maple supplier. They seems to be the typical sizes - I ordered from another maple supplier as well and they were the same. The descriptions on these claim that the 16 oz holds 12 oz of sugar, the 8 oz holds 6.1 oz of sugar, and the 4 oz holds 2.8 oz of sugar (I'm not sure why they go by larger volume labels if they don't hold that much, I presume that's their weight on water.) I was hoping someone could help me with an inconsistency I am seeing. No matter how I pack these, I don't see how it is possible to fit any more than approximately 8, 4, and 2 oz of sugar by true net weight, respectively, into each of these three containers.

This is our first year for sugar, so I'm not exactly an expert. But no matter how I pack it, it just can't hold that many more ounces. My sugar is stirred using a commercial stand mixer to a nice fine grain, and gets spread out and dried for about 8 hours in a low humidity room. It passes a perfect creep test and goes very easily through the sifter before packing. There is no way on earth I am fitting a whopping 12 oz. in the so-called 16 oz. container unless it was soaking wet. I can barely fit 8 oz. in it, even when I tap it on the counter to settle it when filling.

Nonetheless, I see these containers packed and labeled for sale as 12 oz. I am using a digital scale (zeroed with the empty container on it) when filling each one so I know exactly what I'm packing. Am I doing something wrong, or are the other producers just not weighing them, and just labeling them as they are marketed to them as empty containers?

This also makes pricing them really tricky for me, since I'm trying to compare the same size container, but I somehow have a lower net weight.

Has anyone else experienced this? Am I missing the magic wand that allows for the suspension of the law of conservation of mass?

-Lazarus
250+ taps on buckets in 2012
GBM 2x6

[Maple Hill]

Could it be that the containers are measured in volume not by weight?

[Lazarus]

Could it be that the containers are measured in volume not by weight?

Yes, it does appear that is why the original designation of 16, 8, and 4 oz. That is how many *fluid ounces* each container holds. But dry goods are sold by weight, not volume, so I can't figure out why they would say, for example, that the 16 oz container holds 12 oz of maple sugar. I packed all the sugar I had at the moment, so I don't have any laying around to try to see if they were trying to say 12 oz by volume. But that seems crazy, not just because it's dry goods, but it would totally depend on your crystal/grain size.

[Dennis H.]

The smaller the size granuales are the more room it will take up, it will be fluffier.
So you mentioned that you made some fine powdery sugar so maybe if you made more courser sugar you could fit more in the container, by weight I mean.

Just a thought

[jrgagne99]

It sounds like a clerical error somewhere along the supply chain. I would describe your problem to the "major maple supplier" and then ask if they sell (retail) sugar in those containers. If they do, ask them if they wouldn't mind weighing how much sugar is in their 16 oz. container. If they are reluctant to open (i.e. sacrifice) a full container, have them weigh a full container and an empty container of the same size and compute the difference to determine how much sugar (weight) was in the container. Then you can tell if their sugar is any different from yours.

I bet Steve Childs could weigh in on the variability in dry sugar density. You might try and PM him...

[maple flats]

My guess is that they are dry measure not weight, just like the raspberries I sell by the pint. A pint's a pound the world around (at sea level) but a pint of raspberries does not weigh 16 oz. I wonder if sugar is sold by volume not weight.

[Lazarus]

Well, I guess at the end of the day, I'm going to mark them with their actual net weight whatever is really is, because I think that's the most accurate. The 5 lb bag of sugar I buy from the grocery store is sold by net weight, so I'm going to do that same. It's my first year selling them, so I'll make some guesses about pricing, and see whether they sell!

-Laz

[maple flats]

Do an online search for prices. That can help. For one try Bascom Maple. Compare a few and then go from there.

[mapleack]

The shakers are advertised by volume not weight, and will hold roughly half the marked volume when packed by weight. The "8oz" will hold 4oz weight, and so on. I buy the 32oz to hold a pound, the 16oz to hold a half pound. Check US plastics, last I looked they had one of the best prices and ship super fast.