Brix Reading

[fenwick865]

I'm a second year addict. 16 taps and finish on stove top. I have a hydrometer and cup. Boiled first batch of the season last night. Ended up with 2 pints of pure necter of the gods. When I tested with hydrometer right out of the finish pan it read 66.5 Brix wich is the red line for cold test. I have a pan of boling water on stove and keep filling hydrometer cup with it to keep the cup hot. The red line for hot test is approx 58.8 which is the reading I'm looking for. In this casee does my reading of 66.5 mean the syrup got too hot in the finish pan? It looks and tastes great. :confused:

[happy thoughts]

I haven't made the hydrometer plunge yet but I've been reading about them this week. Here's the link to a pdf file on hydrometer use I found the other day and saved for future reference. Looked like there was some useful info in there.

http://www.sugarbushsupplies.com/MapleSyrupHydrometer.pdf

Hope that helps or better yet, that someone with real knowledge steps in here:)

[fenwick865]

problem solved, thanks for the link

[PerryW]

If you see the RED line for the cold test when you are testing hot syrup, then you boiled too long. Syrup will be just fine, but may form crystals. You can heat it back up and add some water to bring it back down to the proper density.

[Rossell's Sugar Camp]

If you go too far it will turn to all sugar on you in the bottoms of the jugs

[Timber Juice]

...You can heat it back up and add some water to bring it back down to the proper density.


If you need to thin the syrup I believe it is best to add hot sap, not water.
:)