# Maxant Bottling Tank: 16 gallon v. 25 gallon



## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

I am about to order a Maxant Bottling tank and I am still debating between these two sizes. Cost difference is $300. Not really worried about the cost difference. I will need a little bit of portability as I do not have a permanent, dedicated honey house. So weight and cumbersomeness of moving this thing around is likely my primary factor. I understand that I will not be able to move either of them with the water jacket full or filled with honey. I am talking about the dry weight of the tank with heating element and appurtenances. 

Any insight anybody can provide me on this? Thank you.


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## elmer_fud (Apr 21, 2018)

I would call or email maxant. They should be able to tell you the size and weight of both tanks, they need to know this info for shipping.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I got a Dadant nine gallon tank for $150 a few years ago but this week we are having to add to it five times with five gallon buckets because we need that much heated honey. I really need a 25 gallon tank so that we can pump right into it. But in my case I have a dedicated honey extracting room so cumbersome size is irrelevant. Usually bigger is better.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

At elmer fud's suggestion, I contacted Maxant. The 16 gallon tank is 86lbs and the 25 gallon is 110lbs.


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## e-spice (Sep 21, 2013)

I have the 25 gallon Maxant tank. I can lift fairly heavy items so it's not too bad for me to carry from one spot to another. I think it is worth the price difference of the 16 gallon.

If you're concerned about it, you can get a hydraulic lift cart from Harbor Freight for around $150 or so. With that, you can wheel it around and even raise the full tank for bottling (if you're very, very careful).


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## richardbr (Sep 12, 2016)

e-spice said:


> I have the 25 gallon Maxant tank. I can lift fairly heavy items so it's not too bad for me to carry from one spot to another. I think it is worth the price difference of the 16 gallon.
> 
> If you're concerned about it, you can get a hydraulic lift cart from Harbor Freight for around $150 or so. With that, you can wheel it around and even raise the full tank for bottling (if you're very, very careful).



I bought the 16 gallon tank last year. It is easy to lift when empty, but I put it on a medium duty kitchen cart that is rated to hold 300+ pounds. The tank sits on the wooden table top of the cart. There are baskets below to store bottling related items. This puts the height of the valve just about right to fill bottles while sitting in chair without your back getting sore. We do the extracting in my father's garage, so when not in use, we simply roll the cart over to the corner or somewhere out of the way. You can get the carts at Costco, Walmart, etc.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

richardbr said:


> I bought the 16 gallon tank last year. It is easy to lift when empty, but I put it on a medium duty kitchen cart that is rated to hold 300+ pounds. The tank sits on the wooden table top of the cart. There are baskets below to store bottling related items. This puts the height of the valve just about right to fill bottles while sitting in chair without your back getting sore. We do the extracting in my father's garage, so when not in use, we simply roll the cart over to the corner or somewhere out of the way. You can get the carts at Costco, Walmart, etc.


How difficult is it to pour 5 gallon buckets of honey into it on top of that cart? Do you use a step stool to get some elevation?


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## richardbr (Sep 12, 2016)

Up to this point, I use a small ladder and a pail holder that maxant sells. I did purchase a pump earlier in the year to eliminate that step but haven't had a chance to use it yet. I don't fill the pail all the way to the top. I put maybe 3 or 4 gallons in at a time and this makes the lifting and pouring easier.


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## JTGaraas (Jun 7, 2014)

After pouring in the 3 or 4 gallons from the pail, how long does it take for bubbles (and wax particles, if any) to rise to the surface? Put another way, can bottling occur on the same day as honey is added to the bottling container?


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## richardbr (Sep 12, 2016)

I prefer to let it sit overnight, but, due to my travel schedule, about half the time I extract and bottle on the same day. We will extract in the morning, and then let it sit in the tank for a few hours, and bottle in the evening. This has worked out ok - we've won some county and state awards doing despite not letting it sit overnight and still have good demand for our honey. The small amount of wax floats to the top by then and we can skim most of it. Or, it "pollutes" the last couple of bottles and we just keep them for private consumption instead of selling them. Much like the extractor, I do tip the tank when the honey is getting low in the tank just to get everything out of it. Just my opinion, but I think it works out ok because the bottling tank heater keeps the honey at a hive-like temperature and this tends to allow the bubbles and wax to rise more efficiently than if done in an unheated bucket. 

As a disclaimer, I should point out that I've only been doing this for four years, so my sample size for answering your questions are pretty small.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

Harbor freight sells a nice lift cart that would work great for a bottling table. Lower it to fill and raise it up to fill. I have a 25 and 83 gallon ones. Do the 25. I use the 83 for a settling tank.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

e-spice said:


> If you're concerned about it, you can get a hydraulic lift cart from Harbor Freight for around $150 or so. With that, you can wheel it around and even raise the full tank for bottling (if you're very, very careful).


That lift cart is awesome. Lower to fill, raise to bottle. Easy to roll around. 
I haven’t found the need to be very careful at all.


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## kaizen (Mar 20, 2015)

snl said:


> That lift cart is awesome. Lower to fill, raise to bottle. Easy to roll around.
> I haven’t found the need to be very careful at all.


My harbor freight in this area is having a 25% off coupon day on labor day fyi

I'm thinking I need a bottling tank as well. got a lot to do this year. is maxant hands down the best or is lyson close in there? What about a no drip valve on a large brew kettle with a heating pad strapped to it or some other warming device? looks like i could piece that together for about 300. Anyone do something like that and think its better then maxant?

I'm really eyeing a bottler where you just put the bottle under and it pumps it in. guessing i'd need a heated source for something like that?


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

kaizen said:


> I'm thinking I need a bottling tank as well. got a lot to do this year. is maxant hands down the best or is lyson close in there? What about a no drip valve on a large brew kettle with a heating pad strapped to it or some other warming device? looks like i could piece that together for about 300. Anyone do something like that and think its better then maxant?
> 
> I'm really eyeing a bottler where you just put the bottle under and it pumps it in. guessing i'd need a heated source for something like that?


I put a Maxant One Drip Valve on a beer keg and strapped a warming blanket around it. It won’t decrystalize honey, but other than that, works great. If you search through my old posts, there’s a pic.


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## Ambrose (May 9, 2019)

Reviving this thread from last year....., I too am looking at the Maxant 16 gallon vs 25 gallon bottling tank. Wondering what the OP ended up deciding to purchase?

For myself, I have a dedicated space in my basement to work from, so I'm not concerned about the weight and size difference between the models. I don't plan to move it around too much, if at all. Most significant differences I can tell then are price and volume. I spoke with Maxant earlier today, and with the difference in freight cost, the 25 gal model ends up nearly $500 more than the 16. I do about 1000 lbs of honey a season, so either tank I'll need to refill at least a couple of times. 

Can anyone tell me if there are any considerations that I've overlooked? Thanks, all, for your thoughts. 

A


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

A small crop will fit in a big tank but a big crop will not fit in a small tank. My policy is always go big. I have had a Dadant 9g bottling tank and just renovated a Dadant 25g tank. Have both filled right now plus half of a 100g cold tank. We have been at a standstill waiting for jars.




Ambrose said:


> Reviving this thread from last year....., I too am looking at the Maxant 16 gallon vs 25 gallon bottling tank. Wondering what the OP ended up deciding to purchase?
> 
> For myself, I have a dedicated space in my basement to work from, so I'm not concerned about the weight and size difference between the models. I don't plan to move it around too much, if at all. Most significant differences I can tell then are price and volume. I spoke with Maxant earlier today, and with the difference in freight cost, the 25 gal model ends up nearly $500 more than the 16. I do about 1000 lbs of honey a season, so either tank I'll need to refill at least a couple of times.
> 
> ...


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## Bdfarmer555 (Oct 7, 2015)

I have an old 80? Gal Kelley that I extract into as a settling tank, a 16 gal maxant that I bottle my wildflower honey from, and a 25 gal dadant that I bottle my soybean honey through. I currently am only producing 6k lbs per year, but with 2 milk tanks set up I have the capacity for 12-15k. The Dadant is my favorite, then the Maxant, then the milk tanks, and Kelley comes in just above the Mann Lake honey keg that has been stripped of usable parts and placed in the corner of the shop. 

The dadant 25 gal wasn't terribly much more expensive than the 16 gal Maxant, and every bit as solid. I wish I'd bought a 25 gal from Maxant, as it seems to be a better size for me.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

I went with the 25 gallon Maxant. Portability is not as much of an issue for me as I thought it was going to be. What I have learned is that my Maxant stays full year-round and a full bottling tank isn't really portable, no matter if it is 16 gallons or 25 gallons. I am happy with my choice, but then again, I do not have the experience with a 16 gallon to compare. 

I produce roughly 2000 pounds. I store in 5 gallon buckets. The only climate-controlled area I have to store is my personal residence. Better said, my wife's personal residence in which she graciously allows me to stay. I have my bottler set up in the corner of an unused breakfast nook off the kitchen. I have 5 gallon buckets stashed away all through the house. So I am roughly dealing with between 30 - 35 buckets a year. Given my non-ideal setup, I think it is easier to process 5 buckets at a time with the 25 gallon instead of 3 buckets at a time with the 16 gallon.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Put it on a hydraulic scissors jack from harbor freight (cheap) and it’s easy to fill and move.


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## e-spice (Sep 21, 2013)

snl said:


> Put it on a hydraulic scissors jack from harbor freight (cheap) and it’s easy to fill and move.


I have that same set up. I never move the cart when there's honey in the tank. I'm terrified of it tipping over. I can't even imagine the level of mess and damage to the tank.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

I hear you, but I move mine all the time smoothly across a cement floor.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

snl said:


> Put it on a hydraulic scissors jack from harbor freight (cheap) and it’s easy to fill and move.


I have it on the harbor freight scissor jack. I think this probably works better with the 16 gallon than the 25 gallon. The three "feet" of the 25 gallon line up almost perfectly with the exact edges of the scissor jack platform. A 1/2 inch shift would be completely catastrophic. I am extra vigilant just jacking the thing up and down. I would never try to move it full of honey. I feel sure there is more margin for error with the smaller diameter of the 16 gallon tank.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Mine is a converted beer keg that only holds 15 gallons.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

snl said:


> Mine is a converted beer keg that only holds 15 gallons.


Larry, I would love to see a picture. Just happen to have an empty beer keg or two floating around.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Pics here 

https://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?305990-Bottling-Tank-using-the-Maxant-No-Drip-Valve


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## Ambrose (May 9, 2019)

For the guys that store in buckets, what do you do with honey that crystallizes in the bucket before you can get it into the tank? Or in other words, how do you soften it enough to make the transfer?


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## e-spice (Sep 21, 2013)

Ambrose said:


> For the guys that store in buckets, what do you do with honey that crystallizes in the bucket before you can get it into the tank? Or in other words, how do you soften it enough to make the transfer?


Mine does crystallize but never to the point where I can't rake it out with a clean spatula.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

I put the buckets of crystallized honey into a warming box (just an enclosed wooden box (actually a couple of bee boxes) with a some 60 watt lightbulbs) Usually 2 days there and it’s back to liquid form again.


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## Ambrose (May 9, 2019)

One of my reasons for wanting a bottling tank is to be able to obtain liquid honey year round, both for myself as well as for sale. I've tried the bulb in an insulated box in the past with limited success - honey just became sludgy and would crystallize again shortly after removal. Sounds like the tank will do a much better job, but it would be nice to have only one warming device. 

Has anyone ever tried lowering an entire bucket into their tank with water up the sides just until the honey was soft, then draining the tank and emptying the bucket back in?


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## Bdfarmer555 (Oct 7, 2015)

Ambrose said:


> One of my reasons for wanting a bottling tank is to be able to obtain liquid honey year round, both for myself as well as for sale. I've tried the bulb in an insulated box in the past with limited success - honey just became sludgy and would crystallize again shortly after removal. Sounds like the tank will do a much better job, but it would be nice to have only one warming device.
> 
> Has anyone ever tried lowering an entire bucket into their tank with water up the sides just until the honey was soft, then draining the tank and emptying the bucket back in?


I have an old Maxant sump I bought from Facebook marketplace. I can warm 3 buckets at 95-100 degrees for about 2-3 days and can pour them into a bottling tank. If I want to use a spatula I can move them after a day pretty easy. 

My first warming cabinet was a tiny old deep freeze I got for free. I have a hot water unit for a cowan uncapper that I hooked up to 25' of pex tubing. 20+ feet of the pex inside the freezer warms it up quite nicely.


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

Ambrose said:


> One of my reasons for wanting a bottling tank is to be able to obtain liquid honey year round, both for myself as well as for sale. I've tried the bulb in an insulated box in the past with limited success - honey just became sludgy and would crystallize again shortly after removal. Sounds like the tank will do a much better job, but it would be nice to have only one warming device.
> 
> Has anyone ever tried lowering an entire bucket into their tank with water up the sides just until the honey was soft, then draining the tank and emptying the bucket back in?





Maxant has a wax melter that you can sit a five gallon bucket into.


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## Schultz (Mar 9, 2015)

I used my Maxant bottling tank to liquefy a 5gal bucket this year. I put the bucket in, no water (except in the jacket, of coarse) and set the temp to about 110f (maybe). It worked good.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

Schultz if you put some water in the tank it will work better. I bought a 16 for this melting wax. An other jobs.


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## Ambrose (May 9, 2019)

My-smokepole said:


> Schultz if you put some water in the tank it will work better. I bought a 16 for this melting wax. An other jobs.


When you're melting wax, do you use the tank like a double boiler, ie with a container inside the tank and the wax in the container, or do you just dump the wax right in? Thanks.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

I just dump the wax in. I had a extra nipple put into this one that I can put water to float the wax if I need to. For capping so far I have just melted them down after I got a bunch of the honey off them. I did build a stainless steel insert to hold the most of the junk down when I float wax. And to help get more honey out as a press.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

I just dump the wax in. I had a extra nipple put into this one that I can put water to float the wax if I need to. For capping so far I have just melted them down after I got a bunch of the honey off them. I did build a stainless steel insert to hold the most of the junk down when I float wax. And to help get more honey out as a press. I use just a ball valve for wax


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## Ambrose (May 9, 2019)

Do you guys with a Maxant bottling tank use it to store honey over a period of time, or only have it in use when you're actively bottling? I recently received their 16 gal tank, and the lid that comes with it just sort of sits on top. There's something around the edge that might help it to make a seal, but I had always heard that honey will absorb moisture from the environment if not sealed up tightly, and I'm wondering if that lid, only being held on by gravity, is up to the job? Appreciate everyone's thoughts.


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## Amibusiness (Oct 3, 2016)

I don't have a big bottling tank yet (just 3 5 gal buckets with honey gate for about 1000 lbs). Yes, honey can absorb moisture from the air. However, a slightly dry household environment, say 50% rh, will still reduce moisture in honey. I don't know the exact figures but we do dry down honey in frames when needed at 45-50% before uncapping and extracting. Anyone have accurate numbers? I enjoyed reading this. Can someone point me to a thread discussing using one of these as a bottling tank and wax melter? Thanks


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

I have a 25 gallon and a 1000 pounder. That I use as a settling tank. I keep honey in it year around. Unless I am out of honey.


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