drawing off

[antler creek]

I,ve recently come to find out that you can not draw off by using a thermometer alone . This lesson I learned the Hard way. Although we calibrated the thermometer the day before it proved to be a good 3deg. off the next day. Question to all the small guys . do you use both hydro and therm. or one or the other?

[bowhunter]

I use the hydrometer. The temperature can vary a lot depending on what's going on in the pot. The syrup will foam up and when this happens the temperature goes high. After the foam collapses the temperature drops dramatically. I think the liquid is sub cooling after losing a lot of water in the foam up.

[asknupp]

Being new to the trade I was experiencing the samething. Just got my hydrometer in the mail yesterday. Last year all my syrup had sugar candy in the bottom. But my thermometer was doing the same thing.by using the hydrometer I think I'll be able to closer calibrate the thermometer to actually do constant draws

[Hill Crest Maple]

This is what I did last year and it worked great for me.
I drew off at 216 degrees filtered all. At the end of the day (last draw off)
I stored all the near syrup in a food grade 5 gal. bucket.
When I felt a need to bottle what I got, I just boiled at home
and checked with a hydrometer until syrup. Filtered and bottled.

[VT_K9]

We would use both a thermometer and hydrometer prior to draw off. When it is close we draw off though a filter into another contain to finish on a propane stove. This has always worked well for us and allows for more attention to the syrup for the fine details and allows the evaporator to keep going.

Mike

[maple marc]

I use a hydrometer to test the first two or three cups that come off the draw. For the first draws of the day I may check every cup, or every other cup, just to see how my thermometers are set for the day. Every day is different, mostly because of barometric pressure, but also other factors, as bowhunter said. Before each boil I try to remember to check the barometric pressure from the closest airport on the internet (in mb). Just 13 mb can change the boiling point of water by 1 degree. I find this is easier that resetting the thermometers to 0. I try to average just a little heavy, so I can adjust it down later. Better do to that than boil again.

[Outdoorsman0490]

This was my first year with a thermometer in the pan, and a hydrometer to use. I calibrate dr he thermometer, and drew off at 216-217; at that temp the hydrometer didn't float in the cup. I pulled off about 7 gal of sweet, which boiled down to 3 3/4 gal syrup, and took a long time to complete on the propane cooker. As this was my first time with all this stuff, I was learning to trust it and wanted error on the side of caution. Next time I evaporate, I will monitor the thermometer, but check drawing off with hydrometer, once the sweet is at 50 brix, I will draw off and take note of the temp and go by the temp for the rest of the day; maybe checking brix occasionally. Standing over the finishing pot for more than a couple hours is what I am trying to avoid.

[Mark-NH]

You need to calibrate the thermometer every day. Use your hydrometer to establish when it becomes syrup then adjust your thermometer accordingly. If you have a long boil you should double check with hydrometer occasionally. Have fun

[Dave Y]

Always check your thermometer against the hydrometer.the calibrate the thermometer to the hydrometer. It never hurts to have your hydrometer checked

[antler creek]

thank you everyone for your responses, It's funny that in a sap house you can have butter fingers as much as you have sticky fingers and when you drop a hydrometer you don't pick it back up in one piece. I guess I better pick up another one.