Granulated sugar

[Mark]

What type of equipment do the larger producers use to make granulated sugar? I would like to convert a few hundred gallons of syrup into sugar but don't want to take a year to do it.

[spud]

The dealers all sell machines to make sugar. I think there is two sizes you can buy. I always had an interest in making sugar but not sure if I could ever sell enough to cover the cost of the machine.

Spud

[Moser's Maple]

many of the larger guys use a steam kettle to boil the syrup down, because it is way more efficient than boiling on your stove, and then use a commercial mixer like a Hobart.
we make roughly 500 lbs of sugar a year and I'll either boil a gallon down on the stove or use a small steam kettle my wife found (15 qt) and do a 2 gallon batch on our turn table cream machine.

[Mark]

many of the larger guys use a steam kettle to boil the syrup down, because it is way more efficient than boiling on your stove, and then use a commercial mixer like a Hobart.
we make roughly 500 lbs of sugar a year and I'll either boil a gallon down on the stove or use a small steam kettle my wife found (15 qt) and do a 2 gallon batch on our turn table cream machine.

Thanks, that is what I would have guessed. I have seen a sugar machine in a catalog and I would guess that was for screening the sugar. I will have to watch ebay.

How well does the sugar sell compared to the syrup?

[wiam]

I move more sugar in cotton candy than as sugar. Probably under 50 lbs/ year

[Moser's Maple]

as a rule of thumb, I believe syrup sells better than sugar, but our main marketing strategy is confections. so most of our syrup goes into some sort of confection. we have a good retail market for sugar....roughly 150 lbs go into cotton mix, another 200 lbs goes to resturants for a sweetner, or we give them the formula to add water and heat sugar back into syrup so they can have natural maple syrup without using valuable cooler space. the other 150 lbs goes to general sales, samples, and home usage for our families. what we like with the confections is instead of getting the standard 40-45/gallon for our area we are getting 70-80/gallon. now we do have to sit on the syrup throughout the year, we don't get the instant payment like selling in bulk, but by willing to hold it through the year we are double our money for our syrup.

[vikingHB]

many of the larger guys use a steam kettle to boil the syrup down, because it is way more efficient than boiling on your stove, and then use a commercial mixer like a Hobart.
we make roughly 500 lbs of sugar a year and I'll either boil a gallon down on the stove or use a small steam kettle my wife found (15 qt) and do a 2 gallon batch on our turn table cream machine.

Just wondering if you are also putting the sugar into molds. I always wondered how producers could make such a big batch (1/2 gallon +)for molds without it hardening before it is poured into all the molds. Usually start stirring at about 210 degrees, but probably stirring too long. Wait until the color starts changing, then start pouring in a hurry. I have reheated in microwave, but I just think it makes the sugar more dry, and hard.
Any tips?

[Amber Gold]

In the past, we've made say 50 lbs of granulated sugar and have been able to sell it. Now that we're larger, we have more syrup to make sugar from. I set aside enough syrup to make ~200 lbs of sugar. The 5 qt kitchen aid mixer will do it, but it doesn't like it, so once the mixer burnt out, I'm looking for an alternative and was going to post the same thread. I'd like to stick with the mixer, but we can use it for other things in the kitchen.

Does the 6qt kitchen aid mixer have enough juice to make say 1 gal batches of sugar? Looking for a countertop model.

We find that after we mix the sugar in the mixer, we spread it out on baking sheets to cool, then have to run it through the food processor to break up the clumps. Is this typical? Other methods?

[vikingHB]

In the past, we've made say 50 lbs of granulated sugar and have been able to sell it. Now that we're larger, we have more syrup to make sugar from. I set aside enough syrup to make ~200 lbs of sugar. The 5 qt kitchen aid mixer will do it, but it doesn't like it, so once the mixer burnt out, I'm looking for an alternative and was going to post the same thread. I'd like to stick with the mixer, but we can use it for other things in the kitchen.

Does the 6qt kitchen aid mixer have enough juice to make say 1 gal batches of sugar? Looking for a countertop model.

We find that after we mix the sugar in the mixer, we spread it out on baking sheets to cool, then have to run it through the food processor to break up the clumps. Is this typical? Other methods?

How do you package the granular sugar?
Seems like a popular format with consumers. Never have tried to sell it before, but seems like it might be time to start.
Also if you don't mind my asking how much would folks sell it for?

[red maples]

Just wondering if you are also putting the sugar into molds. I always wondered how producers could make such a big batch (1/2 gallon +)for molds without it hardening before it is poured into all the molds. Usually start stirring at about 210 degrees, but probably stirring too long. Wait until the color starts changing, then start pouring in a hurry. I have reheated in microwave, but I just think it makes the sugar more dry, and hard.
Any tips?

with a candy machine they say you can make up to 15-18lbs of candy per batch. it only stirs a small amount at a time. and the rest stays in the "PIG" (syrup pan) as it comes out of the spigot more feeds into the trough.

as for small batches I do a quart + at a time. keep several pyrex glass measuring cups clean and warm hold the pot of syrup at 200+ degrees the best you can. try not to add more syrup to the original cup once that it done scrape it and move onto a clean cup you will get more consistant candy without getting too grainy or too dry and less white spots.