Sucrose vs. Sugar Pricing

[Chef Isaac]

Does anyone know the price per pound for sucrose versus granulated sugar? Is sucrose cheaper?

[Dan Williamson]

I know this isn't what you asked.... I don't have an answer to your question... but I'll give you an answer to a different question!

When I priced sucrose vs HFCS 55 this Spring.... Sucrose was 59% more than HFCS 55 at least in 5 gal buckets.

[Morris]

Isaac,

The granulated sugar typically used by consumers IS sucrose.

Morris

[Grant]

Did you mean sucrose syrup? There are outfits that sell HFCS and sucrose syrup in different concentrations.

Right now, a 50# bag of cane sugar at Sam's was running $17.99 and just jumped to $19.24

If you took that 50# bag and mixed it with 6 gallons of water (a pint is a pound) you'd end up with about ten gallons of 50/50 or 1:1 syrup. On a dry matter basis, that syrup will cost you around .38 a pound.

I don't have a price on the pre-mixed syrup, but the cost is in the sugar and in the time it takes to mix it.

I've also been told you can multiply the weight of the HFCS by .73 to get the actual weight of the sugar. I heard some guys were buying 5-gallon buckets of HFCS for .30 a pound. Prices have varied wildly and widely this spring.

If my figures are correct and my cup of coffee is working, you take a 12# gallon of HFCS and multiply it by .73 to get 8.76 pounds of dry matter sugar. The rest is water.

At .30 a pound for the syrup (sugar and water) at $3.60 a gallon for HFCS, those 8.76 poounds of sugar end up costing about .41 a pound ($3.60 divided by 8.76 pounds).

For me, the argument becomes time versus money. If the sugar is cheaper, how much is my time worth to mix it? The HFCS has to be picked up so my time is involved there as well. How many hives are you feeding? There are times my grocery store offers a 4 pound bag of sugar for .99 cents (that's .25 a pound). Sometimes those are limited specials so you can only buy two bags at a time. When there's no limit, you have to put up with stupid questions from the check out clerk as to why you have a shopping cart full of a hundred bags of sugar.

I just tell them my kids like Kool-aid.

Grant
Jackson, MO (and I'd appreciate any corrections to my math!)
Jackson, MO

[Chef Isaac]

So i got some numbers yesterday. Liquid sucrose will cost me .33 a pound versus the sugar I buy now, which is .37 a pound.

The beekeeper in our area who buys bulk liquid sucrose said you mix 1:1 with the liquid sucrose to water.

For me, it is the time thing. I feed all my hives and in the spring time, I can get away with using hot water from the tap but in the fall, it doesnt work for 2:1. Plus it is the time it actually takes.

[Chef Isaac]

By the way, Grant, when is your next e-book coming out?

Morris: Nice to see you!

[Grant]

I wonder what the concentration of bulk, liquid sucrose is. I called a couple of distributors and they told me it was already 1:1.

I can make that no problem. So why would you dilute the liquid sucrose. Maybe it's 2:1 ?

In warm weather I make bees. When it's cold and snowy, e-books blossum!

Grant
Jackson, MO

[Michael Bush]

>Liquid sucrose will cost me .33 a pound versus the sugar I buy now, which is .37 a pound.

Yes, but you are buying a lot more water for that price with the liquid sucrose than with dry sugar.

[Chef Isaac]

However, I hear you take a bucket of liquide sucrose and add a bucket of water in a 1:1 ratio.

Teh advatage is labor.