hydrometer question

[slammer3364]

We were boiling Fri nite we have a new hydrometer as our original broke,anyhow my wife and I kept looking thinking we had syrup but when we checked the hydrometer would not even bounce,we must have checked it 3 or 4 times in a 10 minute period,we waited about 5 minutes and she said she could smell it,we checked it and hydrometer went about thru the roof,we did get it out with some pushing with skimmer.I reversed the flow Sat morning and found a small scorch which we cleaned up very easily but I think if we waited another minute we would have had a big disaster.We checked hydrometer in plastic case it came in and it checked out. Anyone else have this happen I checked several other threads but could not find any info. Any tips appreciated

[Harken]

That is where a thermometer in the pan really helps. 1st draw of the day,I check with the hydrometer & note what temp is for finished syrup. After that, draw using the thermometer as a guide. Syrup density can & will change in a hurry..2-3 *brix in a few seconds !!

[adk1]

we had the same situiation, although we dont use a hydrometer, yet. Draw using the thermometer. it was all over the place. The only thing that we could figure is that we had a build up of sugarsand.

[Jeff E]

Switching sides, reversing the pans, can leave sap in the middle of the syrup pan that is close syrup. On my arch, the middle sections boil harder than the outer sections, which makes the problem worse.

I have watched the temp on the auto draw off controller as syrup is coming off, and watched over cooked syrup come off in the middle of a dump that is 2 degrees over syrup. For me, when I switch sides I just expect 2 hours of screwy draw-offs, and syrup 1 grade darker.

[adk1]

true, the second section of the syrup pan seems to be boiling harder than the draw off section. used two thermometers the other day and it proved it

[Bucket Head]

I also make syrup in the middle of the pan. It is hotter there as mentioned earlier. Any ideas on preventing it? I know many producers that have this problem but just live with it. Large draw-offs are the result and thats not how a partitioned pan is supposed to work. I've experimented with different depths in the front pan and tried to put less wood in the middle of the firebox, but I still have the syrup in the middle problem.

Steve

[PerryW]

Somebody (on a post here today) built a heat shield for the middle of their front pan.

[Pete S]

We learned the hard way to:

1.) Clean off your hydrometer between checks as the buillt up syrup can weigh it down.

2.) You DO NOT need a lot of heat when you're finishing your batch in a 2x3 foot pan. When we finished our last batch it was boiling fine with about a coffee can full amount of coals and residual hat from the bricks, etc.

Also as stated by Harken it can come awn fast!

[maplwrks]

The solution for sap turning to syrup in the second and third divider is simple: CROSS FLOW PANS! You guys are correct, the hottest part of the rig is the second and third channels. Many rigs have you drawing off syrup at the back of the syrup pan, which is the hottest part of the rig. I've been told, but have never done this: when you defoam your front pan, put a drop of defoamer at the exit of the second and third dividers, supposedly the syrup will follow the defoamer, and will flow smoothly.

[Maplewalnut]

I do like Mike suggests. I usually let my front pan boil without introducing sap for a little while after I start my fire. I reduce depth about a quarter lower than where I run the front pan usually. Get a good boil going and open your valve and allow sap to come in. At the same time defoam at the drawoff cut out and the last pan cutout. The rush of incoming sap and defoamer re-establishes your gradient pretty quickly. My first drawoff is usually a little bigger but I dont have to fight syrup in the middle channels all day either.

Mike