Thank you, Lloyd!

The beauty of this group/forum is to share the right information and help those of us who shoot from the feeble fading faculties used to try and navigate the complexities of life.  Thanks for setting me straight, it is appreciated.  And my November ABJ is sitting on my "Stuff to be read when I find time" pile, at least until I get to it tonight.

I also went and checked some current prices.  A 50# bag of granulated sugar is now $20.99 at SAM'S CLUB, and that comes to .42 cents per pound.  And I have to mix it.

I made a few calls.  A 5 gallon bucket at 11.5 pounds per gallon costs $17.25 at Gateway Foods in St. Louis, picked up at their plant in Dupo, IL.  That cost is .30 cents per pound of syrup, or .30 / .87 = .34 cents per pound of available sugar.

St. Louis is still 100 miles away and for me that's a four-hour trip plus gasoline.  I do, however, get to keep the plastic buckets with their nice logo on the side.

Theresa also told me Gateway's price next year will be higher at $19.31 per 5 gallon bucket.  That works out to .39 per pound of available sugar.  Sugar is also going up in price and will likely be higher next year as well.

I can also get a barrel (630#) of type 55 HFCS delivered to my door for $208.10.  That cost for the syrup is .33 cents per pound, or, at 87% sugar (.33 / .87) is .38 cents per pound for the sugar content.  While it can be delivered, handling drums is doable, but not readily convenient.  But it is delivered and mixed.  And I get to keep the barrel, though for my operation it is not something I normally use to store/sell honey.

According to the 87% sugar content, HFCS is a little cheaper for what I can purchase, and that doesn't begin to acccount for what it COSTS me in my time and energy to mix that sugar.

One thought not yet expressed has to do with availability.  I can drive to my local SAM'S CLUB and pick up any volume of sugar at a moment's notice.  The HFCS has to be ordered.  Also, my last order of HFCS type 55 granulated on me and had to be warmed up.  Not the end of the world, but another factor of my time and energy.

My apologies to all you who rushed out today and bought out the local grocer's supply of granulated sugar thinking it was cheaper.  Thank you, again, Lloyd for giving us the straight scoop.  I think this is how these groups/forums are supposed to mutually and openly help each other.

Grant
Jackson, MO







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