I think this is a good question for Damian and Shaver Hill. He's good for a maple and economics discussion.

Appreciate it!

We are researching the IBC Totes and what they can handle.

@@BissellMapleFarm my totes come from a soft drink manufacturer, are used once before I get them, they are shipped from Mexico with agave syrup (similar weight and consistency to maple syrup). I'd be cautious accepting syrup in an unlabeled tote, but if it contains labels indicating previous contents and are marked food grade, they are pretty easily cleaned and sterilized

@@TheWeekendMedic We buy food grade IBC Totes brand new for $180. We won't accept any totes other than our own, to be honest. Too much risk. Putting 200F maple syrup in a plastic tote will bring out whatever flavor that it previously held. Cold sap doesn't open the doors like hot maple syrup. I once tasted $30,000 in bulk maple syrup from Kentucky in used food grade plastic drums. It all tasted like lemon 🍋 one of the saddest things I have witnessed in my maple career. Some Amish farmers in Kentucky tried saving a few bucks in bulk syrup containers and lost $30,000. Nothing cleans plastic like hot maple syrup!

@@BissellMapleFarm and that's reasonable - for $180 for a new tote, I'd go that route for syrup and use it only for that. That's still cheaper than one stainless barrel in upstate NY.

@TheWeekendMedic bingo. We are trying some storage testing. We may need to add a little liquid nitrogen to the tote to counteract the shrinkage. We are playing with the science.

Thanks for watching!