Maple Syrup Hydrometer

[bonus18]

Newbie maple syrup question.

Finished 3 litres of maple syrup yesterday at 219 degrees using an accurate digital thermometer. Now that the syrup has cooled and bottled the syrup the taste is there but the syrup seems thin.

I would like to be more accurate for the next boil and would like some recommendations of which Hydrometers I should purchase:

1. Hydrotherm 2000
Combination of an hydrometer and a thermometer.
Will give you reading between 35° F and 210° F
Precalibrated at 65.8 Brix from D&G

2. Maple sap densimeter Brix & Baume degree 35 at 75
Hot syrup 59 - Cold syrup 66 (2075) from D&G

3. 50-70 Syrup Scale, 230mm model, use minimum 12" cup. Calibrated to be accurate at a syrup temperature of 60º F. from Atkinson Maple

4. Which stainless steel Hydrometer cup would be used for the above?

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

[happy thoughts]

1.- hydrotherm- density is dependent on temp so this combines both a thermometer and a hydrometer so technically the reading should be accurate. I am not sure of the purpose of calibrating to 65.8 brix as this is below legal density everywhere. Anyone have an explanation for that calibration as I am curious as well. I have read both pros and cons for using these, mostly cons related to the lag time in registering a temp and because of the lack of standard calibration.

2- Not sure why this is called a sap hydrometer unless it is actually that- meant for sap and not syrup. Not sure what the numbers after the hot and cold syrup mean but if it means limited readings for hot syrup to 59 brix and cold to 66 brix then this would probably not be the hydrometer you want. Again, someone else may be able to explain the description. You would need to know it's length in order to get the right cup.

3- this looks like a 9+'" syrup hydrometer that requires a deep hydrometer cup. There are shorter syrup hydrometers in the 9" range that require a shorter cup.

As for what hydrometer to buy, my choice would be a short syrup hydrometer that is certified for accuracy. Depending on where you purchase it, not all are certified.

editted for BAD math:cry:

[BrutemanAl]

I had the same problem as you the first 2 years I started doing the sap'em and tap'em thing, boiled it to the proper temp and everything, but the end product was runny. I ended up purchasing a Refractometer this year and so far it has been an invaluable tool, the syrup I have made so far is no longer watery. I also purchased a Densimeter , but you have to have quite allot of syrup to use it because it is suppose to float to give you a reading. I dont have enough boiled syrup by the time i am done to use it, but for the 12 bucks i payed for it, i will keep it handy and maybe one day it will also be an invaluable tool.

The way I found out it was not 100% done, I put it in the freezer and most of the "what I thought was finished" syrup.... froze, not all of it in the bottle's froze,you could see a certain amount was not frozen in each bottle. I read some where on line ( probably this site) that syrup doesn't freeze, so this told me I was not at the finishing point. I actaully took a few out of the freezer and let them thaw, and took a reading with my refractometer and a few of them had a reading of 30 brix.

All this time I thought i was doing the perfect job lol , it's a learning process for me, but like I said earilier, so far this year I have had to problems using the refractometer.

[cbhansen]

I've been using the 50-70 hydrometer with a 12 in cup, those from Atkinson, for a couple of years now without issue. Prior to that, I used a hydrotherm, but switched to a hydrometer after the hydrotherm broke (my mistake). I prefer the hydrometer as it allows me to more accurately determine syrup density. Since using a hydrometer, a have produced a more consistent syrup.

Also, I would recommend the 0-12 sap scale. I use it daily to determine the density of the sap. It's nice to know when you are boiling 2% or 1.5%. It paid for itself the first time I removed quite a bit of frozen sap from a storage tank. I thawed the frozen sap in a separate drum and tested it with a sap hydrometer. The "sugar" content was less than 0.5% so I tossed it out. Save a few hours of boiling time.

Note that somewhere on the site, is a recent post from a fellow that made a cup out of copper pipe and plate. Looks nice.

[Big_Eddy]

1.- hydrotherm- density is dependent on temp so this combines both a thermometer and a hydrometer so technically the reading should be accurate. I am not sure of the purpose of calibrating to 65.8 brix as this is below legal density everywhere. Anyone have an explanation for that calibration as I am curious as well. I have read both pros and cons for using these, mostly cons related to the lag time in registering a temp and because of the lack of standard calibration.



A Hydrotherm is calibrated so that the top of the thermometer is level with the top of the syrup at a specific concentration. The way a hydrotherm is used is to float it in the syrup and let it equalize, then take off the syrup when the red thermomter column is X lines ABOVE the level of the syrup. Each line is 2/10 of a Brix.

•When the top of the red thermometer column is level with the surface of the syrup, the syrup density is 65.8 degrees brix.
•To comply with Ontario and Canada regulations for minimum density maple syrup (66 degrees brix) the top of the red thermometer column should be 1 graduation above the surface of the syrup.
•When the top of the red thermometer column is 3 1/2 or 4 graduations above the surface of the syrup, the syrup should be near the optimum density of 66.5 degrees brix.
•If the top of the red thermometer is not visible at or above the surface of the syrup, the syrup is too thin.

9383
In the photo, the thermometer column is 8 lines above the syrup level, and the syrup is 65.8+1.6 = 67.4 Brix and will be thinned during final finishing.


Two tricks using a hydrotherm.
1) Keep the hydrotherm hot. Hang a second (short) cup full of water in the steam path and place the hydrotherm in it between testing. It will speed up the time for the thermometer to register.
2) A hydrotherm is also a hydrometer. Take a mental note of which line indicates proper density syrup at your "normal" testing temperature and for a quick check, float the hydrotherm in your cup and see if it floats to that line. If it's close - let the thermometer catch up and get a final reading. If not - boil some more.

Like all hydrometers, the hydrotherm needs to be clean and dry before each test otherwise syrup clinging to the stem will affect your reading.

[Four Saps]

In our process we use both the digital thermometer for reference and the hydrometer for finish. We find using the thermometer set point changes each day with the barometric pressure. If you use the thermometer alone your product will vary.

[twoducks]

big eddy , i am fairly new at this , but learning alot on this site , how and when do you thin syrup during final finishing ?

[Big_Eddy]

big eddy , i am fairly new at this , but learning alot on this site , how and when do you thin syrup during final finishing ?

I draw off my evaporator a bit heavy into a 20l stainless pot, then adjust to final density on a propane burner. I bring my pot up to a boil and check density. If it is light (rarely) I just let the pot boil gently on the propane for a bit. If heavy, I add about a cup of raw sap to the pot as it is boiling, wait a minute or 2 and test again. Repeat until I have the density I want, then pour the entire pot into my preheated filter / canner. Some sugarmakers add distilled water, steam hood condensate or RO permeate instead. Same difference. Just let it boil for a couple of minutes after adding to equalize the density and eliminate any microbes in the fresh sap.