I foregot I already had a new batch of bourbon barrel aged maple syrup in the bottler and the finisher, in fact a total of 30 gallons. I was processing it when we got an extended cold snap, like weeks long, and I simply forgot it was in there. The little bottles I pack BB syrup into take a long time. I filled bottles for about 4 hrs and then decided to use a different plan. I got some 5 gallon jugs (new) and filled 3 with the BB syrup. Thus I bottled 15 gal into those little bottles. I have enough of all sizes of the BB syrup to last 2 maybe 3 months. Then as I need to pack more, I’ll just need to put 5 gal of the already filtered BB syrup into the bottler, heat it back up to 185F and bottle. Because I already filtered it I won’t need to get the rest of the equipment washed each time, just a quick wash and I can process more syrup. The washing between bourbon barrel syrup and regular syrup takes far longer, more re-rinses and repeated steps. Once done with that, I had to completely clean the equipment, otherwise the new syrup would have a slight bourbon after taste, not what can be in regular syrup. I thought I had washed everything, the finisher, the bottler , the filter press and the hoses connecting those items, then as I drove home, completely exausted I remembered, I had missed one hose as I was cleaning everything. It was the hose that draws syrup from any container, even the evaporator draw off tank and pumps it to the finisher for heating and filtering before I can pack it into retail containers. Now I need to clean that hose before I can proceed. I guess a 78 yr old mind needs more check lists to get everything right. Today, the temperature won’t go above freezing until about noon, maybe by 1:00 I’ll be able to proceed. I will use a heat gun to thaw lines and fittings so I can pump fresh water into the tankless water heater and then thru that hose. Once that’s finished, I’ll pump the roughly 40 gal of the new syrup into the finisher, verify density, adjust if needed (It’s already very close if not exact yet) and then I can filter it and pump it into the bottler. At which point I can get it back up to 185F and start bottling. All of this, if I was younger would be done today, but it might take me 2 days now, I’ll see.
I remember people calling these the golden years, well it isn’t as sparkely as I was thinking it would be, however I’m still not ready to retire from the maple business, it just takes me longer.
Again, I’ll post when I have more syrup ready to ship, and I’ll put the inventory back in the online store shelves. I’ll start with just a few in each size, but will then add more as I bottle it. Along with my online store, I also sell lots of syrup thru one local outlet, I’m completely out of stock there too, thus I’ll be taking syrup there too, so my local customers can again buy syrup. As I’ve said in the past, it’s been several years since I ran out of syrup, and I hope it never happens again, as long as I’m able to keep doing maple. I’m hoping sor at least 5 more years, but the good Lord is in charge.