Hydrometer or Temperature

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

Hi Everyone,
I hope you have all had a great holiday season.

I have a question, when making your syrup, do you use one method over the other or always do both? I seem to have to boil to a higher temp to get my hydrometer reading to be right for syrup.

Im just a small timer, but should I stop at 219 degrees or should I wait until my hydrometer shows the 66% reading.

Thanks in advance!

-Scott

[DrTimPerkins]

I have a question, when making your syrup, do you use one method over the other or always do both? I seem to have to boil to a higher temp to get my hydrometer reading to be right for syrup.

Im just a small timer, but should I stop at 219 degrees or should I wait until my hydrometer shows the 66% reading.

Temperature elevation will get you in the ballpark, but can change due to elevation and barometric pressure, so unless you are correcting for these factors, you'll be a bit off.

To get to proper syrup density you will want to use a hydrometer or refractometer, although these are also subject to certain errors you need to correct for(temperature for the hydrometer obviously) or minimize through proper technique.

[buckeye gold]

I only use temperature for a guide, I determine syrup with a hydrometer. First temperature tells me when too start checking with a hydrometer and then temperature tells me how I need to read my hydrometer to determine final finished syrup. I never rely on just temperature. Your altitude and Barometric pressure influence boiling temps too. Rarely are these significant, but they do make a difference. The other day I was boiling and decided to check syrup I had on my finisher at 217-218 and to my surprise it was already heavy and I had to thin it. That made me think and I checked my barometer and sure enough the barometric pressure was low. I then checked my flue pan to see what temperature the sap was boiling at, and the thermometer was bouncing between 210-211 . This was during the line of severe storms this last week.

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

Thanks for the replies guys

[BreezyHill]

Scott, This is a great question.

Last year I installed a Temp sensor for an auto draw off valve system. It was a very eye opening advancement. As Dr Tim said if can change thru the day is so right. One day with a storm coming in for early evening the temp changed by 4.6 degrees F with the hydrometer keeping the same reading as did the refractrometer. Other days it would swing the other way. When you would be in trouble is when the preset temp is to high and you run the risk of burning the pan.

So for safety sake or SOP is to check with hydro when it is close to the preset temp. and we use the refractrometer when canning to check for density. My unit is set to read every half second. My lowest draw temp was 216.9 and 221.8 was the highest. My elevation does not change as I boil in the same building only, lol. Elevation of the evaporator is 755'.

Good Luck!

Ben

[Ray_Nagle]

Regarding the fluctuations in barometric pressure, doesn't performing a calibration boil with water solve for this variance? (i.e. Boil water just before starting the sap boil, note temp, and add 7.4 deg F for the target syrup temperature.)

[BreezyHill]

In theory yes; but you need to use the same probe and PID for accuracy. Then factor in the barometric change throughout the day for when storms systems are moving through.

[mellondome]

Or just get a auto compensation draw off / pid.

[RC Maple]

I like Buckeye Gold's answer. Use temperature for a guide and it is syrup when the hydrometer says it's syrup. You can go to the trouble of boiling a pot of water if you want to but conditions will change during the day anyway. When you see the red line on your hydrometer just over the top of the syrup it's time to draw off.

[wnybassman]

As I've said before, I never made syrup until I bought my first hydrometer.

[Goggleeye]

I like Buckeye Gold's answer. Use temperature for a guide and it is syrup when the hydrometer says it's syrup. You can go to the trouble of boiling a pot of water if you want to but conditions will change during the day anyway. When you see the red line on your hydrometer just over the top of the syrup it's time to draw off.

I still struggle with this issue. Was finishing some syrup today and thermometer was reading 221 when the hydrometer(s) (Yes, tried three different ones that were all within 0.25 of eachother) still were 1 brix shy of the red line at 211, yet rolling boiling water on the stove was right at 212.0. My math isn't the best, but 221-212 is 9 over NBP! What's up with that?
Maybe hydrometers calibrated in Vermont don't work well this far south:lol:

[Super Sapper]

There are several factors that can affect the temp. of boiling water including hardness. Trust the hydrometers and use that temp. for finished syrup. Several Michigan producers reported needing higher temp.last year to reach syrup.