Sap hydrometer brain fart

[BristolHills]

Okay folks, need some help here. My sap hydrometer reading less than 1. On 7 sugar maples on 3/16 line. Have I forgotten how to read the hydrometer?? Do you fill yours to the top?? Am I reading it wrong?? I appreciate all comments. Funny , sarcastic or what ever it takes. Also how do you get the info about you operation on the thread and post pictures

[adk1]

None of it matters but you should fill your hydro cup to the top just so it's easier to read the hydro. If it's your first run of sap it doesn't surprise me I have always found that the first run isn't really sweet. The trees know what they are doing and when they need to send more sugar up to those buds and when they don't. That's how I have always looked st it anyways

[RollinsOrchards]

Boil some down, if it takes 70 gallons to make 1 gallon of syrup you will know it was correct.

[Wanabe1972]

I checked a test tap a couple of weeks ago in my yard and it was .7 off a sugar

[Sugarmaker]

Not all maples are created equal. my sap hydrometer needs a lot of depth to read correctly. Also there are short and long stem hydrometers. short ones need less sap to float but are harder to read. long ones need more sap to float but more accurate to read.
test your hydrometer in water it should read 0%
test the sap from several trees.
Keep boiling!
Regards,
Chris

[BristolHills]

Thanks for the responses. Might have been my dismay at having a low sugar content on my first tubing line. Think ill get the longer hydometer.

[BristolHills]

Sugarmaker, took you advise. Put hydrometer in glass of water. The line was above the zero almost off the paper. Do not know why I didnt think of that before?????