Hi all, I am new to this site and have read a bit here about "The Handy Filler", we are a small hot sauce company in Canada and have recently purchased this filler. My questions are regarding the food safe lubricant used in the piston filler and maintaining 180º+ . First off my concern is with the sauce coming in contact with the lubricant, will this alter my shelf life, we have had lab testing done for 1 year after the bottle has been opened (refrigerated). The testing is quite expensive. I was once told that using oil in a hot sauce recipe would make the sauce rancid. I know that the amount of lube is minimal but none the less I have my fears. As well, can anyone who uses a handy filler tell me if my sauce will still be at the safety required heat by the time it gets to the bottle. Thank you all and I hope this is in the correct category.
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bottling Handy Filler
- Thread starter Kootenay Bayou
- Start date
I can't give you any advise but welcome to thp........................
salsalady
Business Member
Hi Kootenay~ 
I also have the Handy Filler. With the double gaskets on the push disk in the cylinder, I put grease on the one furthest from the sauce and just a bit on the "outside" of the inner ring. It seems to work and I don't see where any of the grease gets into the sauce. I'd suggest contacting the company directly, they may be able to answer that with some test results or something. Also, keep up on the condition of the rings. Replace if they get nicked or brittle.
For the temp question, there's a few factors to consider. Length of the draw tube, temp of the sauce in the pot.... When working fast using sauce that's at a simmer, the sauce comes out plenty hot. I've never actually read the temp, but now that you mention it, I'll check it out next batch. A good digital thermometer is a great tool to have also.
Enjoy your time on THP!
salsalady , just down the road from you in WA.
I also have the Handy Filler. With the double gaskets on the push disk in the cylinder, I put grease on the one furthest from the sauce and just a bit on the "outside" of the inner ring. It seems to work and I don't see where any of the grease gets into the sauce. I'd suggest contacting the company directly, they may be able to answer that with some test results or something. Also, keep up on the condition of the rings. Replace if they get nicked or brittle.
For the temp question, there's a few factors to consider. Length of the draw tube, temp of the sauce in the pot.... When working fast using sauce that's at a simmer, the sauce comes out plenty hot. I've never actually read the temp, but now that you mention it, I'll check it out next batch. A good digital thermometer is a great tool to have also.
Enjoy your time on THP!
salsalady , just down the road from you in WA.
Thank you salsa lady, I do have a digital thermometer and will be checking the temp, was just looking for advise prior to using the filler.
PrimeTime said:
Exactly. Ever walk around a food processing plant? Look at all that machinery pumping and filling etc, its all got to be lubricated. Food safe lubricants is a problem that has been long solved - Just make sure the lubricant you use is food safe (& teh one that comes with the handy filler is) and don't worry about it
salsalady said:
Yes, that is good advice
Mine wore out after about 8 batches (a batch is 35 cases of 12 oz bottles)
I could tell because it was getting harder and harder to move the cylinder (even after lubricating it before starting bottling)
I suspect the o rings were starting to "roll" instead of just sliding smoothly in the cylinder
thanks everyone for your experienced suggestions. Does anyone know if the rings are readily available at hardware of automotive stores?
Are you saying you don't want your high-octane sauce to taste like, well, high-octane?salsalady said:O-rings should be available at hardware stores, online or from Handy-Filler. Make sure they are food-grade or food-safe. I wouldn't use O-rings from an automotive store as I doubt they are food safe.
Go heresalsalady said:O-rings should be available at hardware stores, online or from Handy-Filler. Make sure they are food-grade or food-safe. I wouldn't use O-rings from an automotive store as I doubt they are food safe.
http://www.mcmaster.com/
Search for "food grade"
Got just about everything you'll ever need...
salsalady
Business Member
Snarg said:Are you saying you don't want your high-octane sauce to taste like, well, high-octane?
No, not "high octane"...just Premium. As in Texas Creek Premium Salsa. also, I believe Granger has the food safe grease. Sorry don't have a link...
or Grainger???
salsalady
Business Member
I checked temps in the bottles during the latest production run a couple days ago.
I had the siphon hose in a heavy SS pot on a burner, kept stirring every bottle or two to prevent burning, had the sauce on a low simmer.
The sauce was simmering, didn't bother to actually check that temp.
Using the digital Thermapen, the sauce registered 190F right at the top of the neck of a 10oz woozy within about 10 seconds of filling the bottle.
Immediately after filling, the sauce right at the top of the bottle cooled just a bit, but as the glass heated up over about 10 seconds, the sauce at the very top came up to temp just fine. Cap and invert...all good!
Of course, sauce temp if it's not simmering, ambient room temp, length of tubing, etc, all those factors contribute to the bottled sauce temp.
I had the siphon hose in a heavy SS pot on a burner, kept stirring every bottle or two to prevent burning, had the sauce on a low simmer.
The sauce was simmering, didn't bother to actually check that temp.
Using the digital Thermapen, the sauce registered 190F right at the top of the neck of a 10oz woozy within about 10 seconds of filling the bottle.
Immediately after filling, the sauce right at the top of the bottle cooled just a bit, but as the glass heated up over about 10 seconds, the sauce at the very top came up to temp just fine. Cap and invert...all good!
Of course, sauce temp if it's not simmering, ambient room temp, length of tubing, etc, all those factors contribute to the bottled sauce temp.