bottling sizes and batch options

[miboss]

This will be my first season producing on approximately 400 taps. I'm trying to determine the different sizes of bottles I should get for mostly retail/farmers market sales. 1 gallon would be easier and cheaper, but I'm not sure how many people buy by the gallon. I'm guessing there should be a mix from pint (or smaller) through gallon, but not sure what the ratio should be.

Onto batches...

My first thought was to bottle everything in various sizes the day I produce it. That would leave the questions above remaining regarding what sizes to bottle a batch of say 15-20 gal depending on how good of run I had.

Lately, after some reading, it seems that I could also blend different batches, depending on more or less desirable flavors.

So I'm asking, what do most of you do? Bottle each batch separately or blend throughout the season or end of season?

Thanks!

[Potters3]

This is a question after 20 years I am still asking myself and usually get it wrong. from 10 to 15 gallons 20 years ago to close to 700 gallons this year all in jugs of some size. The problem with putting in jugs/bottles as you go is what sizes and grades do you need? Never sure until you start selling and it seems to change from year to year month to month. I try to always keep pt, qt, 1/2 gal on hand (2 halves is a gallon) in all grades I can. I pack thru out the season in 5 gal buckets and 40 gal barrels. That way if I sell all my pts I don't have to open a half gal to fill more. When a size or grade gets low I will reheat a 5gal to pack more. I can also batch my 5's to either lighter, darken or give flavor. I keep a note book with detailed notes on each barrel or bucket so I know what is really light or dark or what had awsome flavor, lite flavor. . 5's also fit nicely in a frig for storage once opened. Keep in mind to seal properly a barrel must be filled in one boil to stay hot enough to seal. 5's or 15 gal may work better for you.

[Dennis H.]

This is how I do it. There is most likely a better way, this just works for me so I stick with it.

I bulk pack my syrup in 5 gal containers and most of the time I will have more than 5 gals at the time that I need to filter and finish so what I do is hot pack 5gals and then do the remaining amount of that batch in containers. I have found for me my sales end up being 50/50 pints and quarts so I try to even amount as I bottle up the remaining amount.

I do this with each batch of syrup thru out the season of boiling. I end up having a nice stock of freshly bottle syrup of different grades of syrup and split between quarts and pints.

I try not to keep too much syrup bottled up for retail at any given time. As my supply of bottled up syrup drops I will open an other 5gal jug and rebottle. If I need a little grade I will pick that syrup if I need darker I will grab that one.
There is almost always more than 5gals of syrup in the jug so I will hold that last little amount of syrup aside to use for coated peanuts or granulated sugar or some other maple value added product.

Again this is what I have found to work for me.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

You'll probably find quarts and pints are the best sellers. Half pints sell good for some. We don't do those but do quarts, pints and half gallons. We keep a few gallon jugs too, but mostly for show at the craft fair. We do sell a few. 1 gallon is bulky and heavy, not for everyone.

[MapleMark753]

Well, we bottle most immediately, in various sizes, and grades so by the end of the season there's some of each size and grade. We also save some in bulk so after the season, (like about now) we can either bottle that directly, or blend some and then bottle that.
From your post, I think you're guessing that pints and quarts are what you'd bottle the most of. I'd second (or third) the above posts that recommend just that. But you are going to find that you were right in some ways, and wrong in others. Its just the way it is, everyone is a bit different. I'm confident you'll find what works for you, probably sooner than later. As far as gallons go, some years I estimate right on, and some not so much. The not so much times are real good lessons, lol... Good luck, Mark

[maple flats]

After doing it for 15 years, I've changed as production grew (but then got smaller). I now bottle a few pints, lots of qts and lots of half gal, but only a few gallons. My sales are mostly in qts and half gallons in jugs. But I recently started making bourbon barrel aged maple syrup, and that sells the best of all, that I pack in 200ml glass (6.76 fl oz.). The rest all goes into SS barrels which I repack from as my stocks need replenishing. In the early years I sold mostly qts, and about 1/3 the number of pints, now I sell very few pints and actually my half gallons exceed my qt sales, but not by much. I have to buy jugs in a ratio of 1 case (75) qts to 3 cases half gal (32 ea), but I have only used about 30 pints total in the last 2 years combined. I also have used less than 1 case of Gal (24) in 2 years, but the qts-HG orders I need to get more jugs every 2 months or so. I pack some in glass but don't sell much that way, except the bourbon barrel aged maple, which is only offered in the 1 size glass at this time. For pricing, the glass raises the cost so much that few want to pay for it, however some do for gifts in glass.
Sometimes customers will buy both and tell me the glass is to put on a shelf for show and the jugs are for consumption.
Unless you have a way to keep them cold, don't pack jugs too far ahead (I like to just do 8-10 weeks max and mine are all stored in 2 dedicated coolers, kept at 30-35F).

[miboss]

Thank you all for the direction, prior to my post, I had it in my head that gallons were the most popular (buying in volume/cheaper). I'm glad I didn't make that mistake. I'm going to go with mainly pints, quarts, and 1/2 gal in plastic, but also get a few 1 gal just in case someone would want that size. Also getting some 12 oz glass, along with some nips and fancier glass for family gifts and such.

...
Unless you have a way to keep them cold, don't pack jugs too far ahead (I like to just do 8-10 weeks max and mine are all stored in 2 dedicated coolers, kept at 30-35F).

Dave,

Is this just for plastic jugs or would this apply to glass as well? If packed at ~185 I thought that would eliminate any mold/bacteria issues, or is freezing only meant to keep color/grade? Does this also apply to bulk storage as well? I'm estimating between 10 and 20 gallons made per boil, so 5 gallon buckets would be my only option for bulk storage. I assume you can't partially fill a SS barrel and keep adding to it days later.

Thanks,

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

We keep our syrup in a storage cabinet in the basement which keeps it clean and cool. We usually bottle 3 or 4 pails at a time so 16-22 gallons. Thats usually about 3-6 months ahead for us depending on time of year. Never had an issue. I think Dave's suggestion is good practice but not necessary. I wouldn't sweat it, I sold year old syrup this summer and the buyer called me back to say they wanted more from that batch. Sold them the last 3 quarts we had from the 2016 season.

[maple flats]

Keeping it in the freezer helps both, it will not freeze. I lucked out a few years ago at a yard sale (I don't go to very many). They had 2 chest type coolers there from a store that had closed, one was a cooler and I run that at max (about 34-35F) and the other is a freezer which I run at about 28-30F. I paid $25 for both and they work perfectly, I talked him down from $25 on each. They set in my sugarhouse, run by my solar power and I added 3" rigid foam on the top to help them hold cold better. In one I put the 1 or 2 gal jugs I pack, generally only in Dark, over the raised compressor part, and fill the rest with half gallons in 3 tiers. The other I have a few pints and some qts over the compressor, the rest is all qts, in 4 tiers.
Both are the smaller junior type you see in stores, one has the name "cool whip" on it, the says "Kraft".