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Thread: Selling syrup by the barrel

  1. #1
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    Default Selling syrup by the barrel

    Today I was at a local town selling syrup and had a few different vendors who approach me about my syrup. One guy was looking for maple sugar for his mini donuts he makes and sells, the second guy uses maple syrup on his kettle corn popcorn and also in a lemon aid drink he makes, and the third guy who owns a smokehouse was interested in my syrup for his coal slaw. The guy who's looking for maple sugar, figured he himself could go through 40 lbs a year, he also has a brother who is also looking for maple sugar, not sure on quantity, for his food vendor business, my first question is what are some of you who make maple sugar charging per pound and for bulk orders? (10lb, 20lb, 40lbs) My second question is regarding the guy who owns a smokehouse with the coal slaw, he claims he goes through a gallon of syrup a day, using that much syrup, I have the idea of offering selling him syrup in a stainless steel drums (40 gallon) to keep cost down on his end and to make my life easier by not having to bottle 40 gallons up. For those of you who sell syrup by the drum (15 gallon, 30 gallon, 40 gallon) How do you go about charging per drum of syrup? by the pound? by the gallon? Thank you all in advance!!

  2. #2
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    by the pound. and charge more than what the bulk market is selling for
    Fred Ahrens
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  3. #3
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    I would sell it however is easier for you, if you dont have a certified scale handy I would sell by the gallon, its really hard to base your prices off what other people charge. You need to figure out what it costs you to make a gallon of syrup and what your time is worth and decide what you want to charge, the Economy of Scale is huge when it comes to sugaring, some guys can probably produce syrup at 1.50 lb maybe less others will be at 3.00$ a lb just to make the stuff. So when you got one guy that can make syrup for 18 dollars a gallon he can sell it for 30 and feel ok doing that, but if it costs you 35 a gallon to produce then you better be getting at least 50 dollars a gallon or more .
    Nate Hutchins
    Nate & Kate's Maple
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  4. #4
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    I understand there are so many variables when it comes down to figuring cost to make a gallon of syrup, not everyone's operation is the same. Just curious what some of you guys charge per pound just to get an idea.

  5. #5
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    Call someone like Bascom and ask how much a # you could buy some for? Then go from there. Then see if that price would be good for you or if you would lose money. Also, get a good deposit on the drum, refundable when it is returned. Do not try to under cut Bascom or any other big buyer/seller.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  6. #6
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    For private sales of drums we've generally gone midway between the buying and selling price of bulk syrup.
    4,600 Taps on vacuum
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  7. #7
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    Ennis, I suspect tonka has fewer taps than your 4600, thus his cost of production is likely higher.
    tonka, also calculate if you have enough bulk syrup to sell, you don't want to sell out in bulk then lose full retail sales.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  8. #8
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    In the last year or so I have bought Bulk NH Filtered Syrup for as little as 2.50lb and as high as 3.25lb, as a producer I would not sell syrup to a customer anywhere near this cheap, I dont produce enough im not on that scale, I have a few retail accounts that buy 5 gallons at a time and they are all paying over 4.00lb. I Have a good paying Day Job so I'm not interested in selling Syrup for Peanuts, if I cant get good money it can sit in the sugarhouse.
    Nate Hutchins
    Nate & Kate's Maple
    2022 1000 taps?
    3x10 Intensofire
    20x36 sugarhouse
    CDL 600gph RO
    A wife and 2 kids.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by n8hutch View Post
    In the last year or so I have bought Bulk NH Filtered Syrup for as little as 2.50lb and as high as 3.25lb, as a producer I would not sell syrup to a customer anywhere near this cheap, I dont produce enough im not on that scale, I have a few retail accounts that buy 5 gallons at a time and they are all paying over 4.00lb. I Have a good paying Day Job so I'm not interested in selling Syrup for Peanuts, if I cant get good money it can sit in the sugarhouse.
    I sell my bulk syrup for $35 per gallon, maybe I need to raise my price. Just kidding, I'm keeping my price where it is. I get more selling to other producers at that price than Bascom's will pay so I'm happy.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Russell Lampron View Post
    I sell my bulk syrup for $35 per gallon, maybe I need to raise my price. Just kidding, I'm keeping my price where it is. I get more selling to other producers at that price than Bascom's will pay so I'm happy.
    Russ brings up a good point. Its tough to comment since every market/customer is different. I would certainly rather buy from Russ or another Trader than Bascoms. Nothing against Bascoms I get a lot of supplies there still, but I would rather get syrup from a name and a face and support a fellow sugar maker directly. Don't sell yourself short just because it is "bulk". Bulk to you and I may mean something different than a >20K tap operation. Its ok to carry some syrup over til next year also...think of it as insurance.
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