Explain Sugar Settlement?

[buck3m]

Our standard procedure is to draw slightly "thick" then let most of the nitre settle out before filtering. We then pour several batches of the "dregs" together, let that settle, then pour clear syrup off the top again.

This eventually results in maybe 2 inches of nitre (in a five gallon bucket sized container from perhaps 50 gallon batches of raw syrup) we discard.

I have bottled syrup a little too heavy on occasion. I've never seen sugar settlement in glass jars as far as I know but I have seen large sugar crystals form in a very few bottles.

My concern is this: might there be significant amounts of sugar mixed in with the nitre? If we draw off the syrup a little heavy, can this cause sugar settlement?

If not, what DOES cause sugar settlement?

[Allan Limoges]

Sap is composed of water, sugar, minerals and proteins. The sugar in 66% syrup is stable and what settles out are the minerals in solution. Your syrup should be 66% sugar no mater what settles out. The crystals form because your percentage of sugar is too high (unstable).

[buck3m]

Sap is composed of water, sugar, minerals and proteins. The sugar in 66% syrup is stable and what settles out are the minerals in solution. Your syrup should be 66% sugar no mater what settles out. The crystals form because your percentage of sugar is too high (unstable).

Thanks! I think most of that I know. To rephrase, I've never seen anything I KNOW is sugar settlement. IF we are letting slightly "heavy" syrup settle, is there a chance we are getting a significant amount of fine grains of sugar also settling out, (vs big sugar crystals if it's really over-done.) My understanding is sugar settlement looks something like nitre.

I'm don't know what sugar settlement looks like, and under what specific conditions it forms.

[bowtie]

i have noticed that when i get to the bottom of plastic container there is sometimes sugar crystalized in the bottom, i believe it is due to finishing a little "heavy". i would rather be a litle thick than thin when i sell. i have read that even if you get it exact that in the time it takes to bottle or if you batch it to bottle later and then re-heat that it can cause it to finish heavy. like i said better heavy than too light.
ps i usually eat the sugar out of the bottom it is as natural as it gets. i also have a very sweeeeeeet tooth.

[Allan Limoges]

I do believe the sugar stays in solution. It will not precipitate. If your solution is super saturated it will crystallize not settle.

[buck3m]

Hmm, it's a term I heard here once. Maybe there's no such thing.