Buying sugar

[Backwoodz]

I've been wondering if there is a better place than buying 45# of sugar a week at my local grocery stores. I've been to Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Sams and Aldi. So far Aldi has been the cheapest but spending $50-$55 every two weeks seems a little crazy. Is there any wholesale or bulk supply store that y'all could recommend? Thanks

[3d0g]

Maybe double-check Sam's? Local one here has 25lb bags of C&H cane sugar for under $13.

[still_stirrin]

I've been wondering if there is a better place than buying 45# of sugar a week at my local grocery stores. I've been to Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Sams and Aldi. So far Aldi has been the cheapest but spending $50-$55 every two weeks seems a little crazy. Is there any wholesale or bulk supply store that y'all could recommend? Thanks

Those ya whos on that Discovery show know where to buy 50-lb bags of cane sugar. Maybe a call to one of them would be in order.

But I caution you...if you're consistantly buying that much sugar, you'd better have a store front for homemade candy. You're gonna' attract attention.

Be safe. Be responsible. and be DISCRETE.
ss

[rad14701]

I've been wondering if there is a better place than buying 45# of sugar a week at my local grocery stores. I've been to Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Sams and Aldi. So far Aldi has been the cheapest but spending $50-$55 every two weeks seems a little crazy. Is there any wholesale or bulk supply store that y'all could recommend? Thanks

Please explain how you go through 45 pounds of sugar a week... How much are you making, and what are you doing with all of it...???

[FreeMountainHermit]

Please explain how you go through 45 pounds of sugar a week... How much are you making, and what are you doing with all of it...???

Pretty easy to read between the lines with a few here. We have a boiler size restriction so why not something along the same lines when it comes to large production.

One guy said his pumps have been running continuously for THREE YEARS.

Food for thought,...........

FMH.

[Backwoodz]

It was 21# but I added a second fermentation vessel. Each holds a total volume of 20 but I probably leave a gallon or three out to allow it to breathe. I siphon out about twelve gallons each time to distill. That way I can do two runs a week. My plan is to double distill everything. I think it's really smooth and cleans it up a lot the second run when I water it down. This way the second week I can do my spirit run. I want to stock up some of this good likker and age it. We drink a lot around here so it goes fast too. I've been experimenting with some flavors and my version of strawberry panty dropper but with blackberries we pick every summer. Basically whenever I find something I'm interested in I really get into it. As for buying sugar, I have been going to a different store each time. I'm also going to start paying in cash so there is no trail. And I'm not trying to be some moonshiner. It's for family friends and coworkers. I'm using a keg still as well so it's nothing crazy

[rad14701]

Hobby scale home distillation - for personal consumption... That doesn't mean supplying friends, family, and community... Let others take their own risks rather than having them let you take all the risks... You're throwing up a red flag, which is why I questioned... Your answer won't hold up well if Johnny Law is as curious as I was... Can't say as I'm any more convinced by your answer than the Johnny Law would be... Just sayin...

[FreeMountainHermit]

12 gallons per week roughly @ drinkin' strength ?
Somebody needs to start savin' fer a liver transplant.

[shadylane]

Just a thought
It might be time to slow down and enjoy life and liberty. But if your really addicted to making shine.
And you want to make better liquor and avoid the hazards of buying sugar....start down the all grain path.

Edited: Before we have a dog-pile remember the lads talking about two keg-still sized stripping runs a week, and two spirit runs a month.

[StillLearning1]

Going by what the new laws would be if passed, you can make 2 gallons a month for just you or 4 a month for two adults per household. I don't know what your yields look like, but thought that may be helpful to keep in mind.

[Backwoodz]

Twelve gallons of wash twice a week... That produces about 2-2.5 gallons times two. IMO there's only one jar from the center cut that is palatable. The rest will be ran a second time. Where I am I don't think I'll be able to run this in the winter due to leaves off of trees and being visible. So realistically that's not much if I want to be able to put some away for months or more to age and oak. That's maybe 3-5 gallons a month of drinkable product. And no one has really addressed my original question. Its mainly been a bunch of pointless questioning and assumptions. Come on yall

[StillLearning1]

You can get a 25 lb bag of sugar for $12 just about anywhere here. Walmart, sams....anywhere that sells it! How much is it at Walmart where you are?

BTW don't complain about members being concerned for your safety. We don't want to see another home distiller get busted. Its that simple. The questioning was not pointless.

[Truckinbutch]

In defense of the OP , I set 2 44 gal fermenters when I run . My running is sporadic because of seasonal temps . SOH bitches if I run in summer so I often run low on stock . Just beginning to get a small quantity ahead on oak .
> I divide my cash sugar $ between Aldi's , Sam's , and WallyWorld . I also have a friendly bar owner that will get me a wholesale 50# bag of sugar on occasion that he writes off on his taxes .

[FreeMountainHermit]

And no one has really addressed my original question. Its mainly been a bunch of pointless questioning and assumptions. Come on yall

Twenty pound bag of Domino for 12ish @ grocery store near me.

[BourbonStreet]

In my area, it's just as cheap per pound to buy 4-5 pound bags as 25-50 pound ones. When I'm near a supermarket or two, I'll grab a bag here and a bag there. The holidays are coming up, and the smaller bags will be on sale. This usually includes brown sugar, if you like rum.

[Snackson]

In my area, it's just as cheap per pound to buy 4-5 pound bags as 25-50 pound ones. When I'm near a supermarket or two, I'll grab a bag here and a bag there. The holidays are coming up, and the smaller bags will be on sale. This usually includes brown sugar, if you like rum.

Plus 1. Always account for price per ounce at the store. I pick up 10#/$4.50 every time I'm at the store. Save it up til I need it.

[rager]

i dont think personally the OP is way out of line if he hes doing 50 pounds every two weeks.


funny part is everyone seem to miss the obvious, ENZYMES! are the way to go.

two 8oz bottles can convert 1000#s of grain . or 500 gallons of mash at 2lbs a gallon. 500 gallons of mash could make you 50 gallons of keep over a year. so that would be about a gallon a week. yes thats a shit load of booze . im just saying for the price of enzymes and raw grains, you do the math. my last run netted me a gallon of 130 of all corn converted with enzymes from a 5 gallon spirit run for the price of 16 bucks for the 50# bag corn and 20 ml of enzymes and not a granule of white sugar!

[T-Pee]

I've been wondering if there is a better place than buying 45# of sugar a week at my local grocery stores. I've been to Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Sams and Aldi. So far Aldi has been the cheapest but spending $50-$55 every two weeks seems a little crazy. Is there any wholesale or bulk supply store that y'all could recommend? Thanks

Please explain how you go through 45 pounds of sugar a week... How much are you making, and what are you doing with all of it...???

I raise hummingbirds.

tp

[pfshine]

Going by what the new laws would be if passed, you can make 2 gallons a month for just you or 4 a month for two adults per household. I don't know what your yields look like, but thought that may be helpful to keep in mind.

I hate to be pessimistic but I don't think that law is gonna go through. Even if it did I sure as hell ain't getting rid of my boiler, so they can suck it on how much I want to make for myself.

[jb-texshine]

Man after my own heart PF...
I'm thinking of cutting the bottom outta my keg and cutting another around the middle and welding them together. Be something like 20gallon total.
Jb

[S-Cackalacky]

Going by what the new laws would be if passed, you can make 2 gallons a month for just you or 4 a month for two adults per household. I don't know what your yields look like, but thought that may be helpful to keep in mind.

I hate to be pessimistic but I don't think that law is gonna go through. Even if it did I sure as hell ain't getting rid of my boiler, so they can suck it on how much I want to make for myself.

When was the last time you heard of anyone being busted for making too much beer or wine? They put unenforceable limits on things because that's what bureaucrats need to do.

[Monkeyman88]

New Zealand tried to regulate how much you could make. To much work to check every still owner was following the rule. So they just said stuff it. Make what you want. Lol

[StillLearning1]

I was just pointing out that the op didn't look too far off base with his sugar consumption. That's all. Didn't mean to start a debate.

[Old dog 47]

You might want to try a restaurant supply place such as Cash and Cary or United Grocers

[hawgwrench]

Holy Chit man! That's alotta sugar! That'd be an early morning self checkout sorta purchase. The enzymes are good advice from what I hear, never tried'em myself. I've used malted grains for a while now, no sugar needed. Brewers supply houses sell it an it's cheap....never a question asked, after all you can have ALOT of beer for yourself. I took the 50 gallon per adult up to 100gal a year law to mean that's ALL you can have on hand of beer an wine. 'Course if your drinkin it all along the supply may vary......

[bearriver]

One guy said his pumps have been running continuously for THREE YEARS.

That sounds exactly like something that I posted here recently, but it's bit out of context. The pump/s are used for hydroponics when they aren't running the still.

Red flags are going to get thrown when people start talking big, at least as long as this hobby remains illegal. I believe that the rules are fine the way they are.
JMO.

[Truckinbutch]

Bear , I think you are right . Limits for this forum are needed and necessary if we are to preserve our integrity as hobby distillers .

[jb-texshine]

+1 tb.

[USACelt]

Gawd dang that is a ton of sugar,fermenting and stilling. You really drink that much?

[GrassHopper]

That amount of sugar is subjective IMO. I don't think the OP is out of line in the quantity. Rather, the issue might be how it is bought at retail stores. If the clerk asks.....boy, you sure must be doin' a lot of canning......."you just might be a stiller"!

I buy 200 lbs at a time from Cash & Carry in 50# bags for around $22. Cash and Carry used to be called United Grocers and supplied restaurants, bakeries, small stores and food related businesses. They changed their name some years back and started offering to the public. Most stuff is in volume quantities, so you have to buy in larger sizes. Nobody there thinks twice how much of anything you are buying since it is all larger quantities. You cant' buy a rib eye steak, you have to buy the whole loin, etc.

I run 1/2 bag of sugar a week, which is a 25 gal wash and run two 12 gal washes a week. I wish I could double that, but I only have a 15.5 still. If I were full hobby size, (25 gals), I would use 50 lbs of sugar a week for about 3 months steady trying to get enough ahead to put another 5 gal barrel away to age. I drink 3 shots a night, 365 days a year, and a bit more on a few special ocassions. It's my hobby!

Aside from the giving to "friends, family, and co-workers, as stated by the OP......which is a genuine concern, I don't think the sugar police need to pile on the OP.