Small scale equipment suggestions for sauce filling

[PTSidehow]

Does anybody have any suggestions as to links or sites for equipment or ways to fill bottles of sauces. More than likely less than a 100 bottles at a time.

Was thinking along the lines of a modified stainless steel beer keg and pump system. With a large opening for filling and clean out?

What are people using, as the son is getting more requests for bottles of his sauce when he does catering jobs.

I think that for low numbers(less than a gross 144 bottles) at any one time. That a ladle to large dispensing type container would be the fastest, low cost method to do. And when the time comes find a small boutique bottler to do the job.

Don't need a source for bottles as the one I have used for bottles for none food items is pretty good.

Any suggestions would be appreciated

Also anybody local to the metro Detroit area have any experience with small scale local boutique bottlers, and do they do the cooking to your spec's or do you supply the sauce ready to bottle.?

[HBMTN]

How about a 5 or 10 gallon water container with a cleanable spigot?

[ReCurve]

would a weed sprayer work?
http://www.google.com/search?q=weed+...MKPy2gXa8O3MDQ

[Cook]

You know you can get large stock pots with spigots on them.

[meatinc]

I manufacture packaging equipment so if you have equipment / filling / capping / labeling questions, please pm or e-mail me and we can talk about it. Even if you have questions about another manufacturer or a co-packer.

Filling 144 bottles per batch is a really low volume that probably doesn't cover equipment cost and I think you'd be hard pressed to find a co-packer that would be willing to fill that small of a batch - at least at a reasonable price.

You would have to look into local Health Department Codes to determine if you could fill "by hand" or a non measured and non machine fill for retail sale - even if you are making and filling the sauce in a commercial kitchen.

If it is possible to hand fill, then you can find a kettle with a spigot on the bottom. I'll assume you will have to hot pack your sauce (above 180F) so the containers will get hot in your hands and there will be a splash hazard from the spigot too. Not fun but doable - I've seen sauce filled in just about every environment - legal or not.

[Mr. Bo]

There's a local guy here who sells his sauces at the farmer's market and a few stores in Tucson. He rents the commercial kitchen at a local church and does his thing. He does contact the HD and let them come to inspect. Not sure how he fills the bottles but he uses wide mouth pint jars.

[Fat Woody]

Have you looked into any home brewing equipment? You can get brew pots with spigots, food safe plastic buckets w/spigots and tubing to run to the bottles. It might be slow going, but it's sanitary and can be done in your kitchen. I put my bottles in a large plastic tub to catch the overflow and keep clean-up simple. If you don't have a homebrew shop near you there are several online sources for this type of gear.