Hydrometer Cup

[johnpma]

Why hasn't somebody made an insulated hydrometer cup to maintain the 211 degrees that the hydrometers are calibrated at? We go through all this effort of insulating and bricking the arch, blowers, air over fire, hoods, pre-warmers, dry wood and all kinds of gadgets, and widgets to make syrup and in the final process of syrup making we start the "math" process of temp dissipation and look at charts to convert ect....

Wouldn't it make more sense to have a cup that held the temp at the correct degrees so you could plop the hydrometer in making the whole process simple?

[wiam]

My hydrometer is not usually in the cup long enough for much cooling to happen. Most cooling is from a cold cup so insulation would not help that.

[johnpma]

My hydrometer is not usually in the cup long enough for much cooling to happen. Most cooling is from a cold cup so insulation would not help that. I usually fill the cup a couple times before the final fill and reading Most cups I have seen are just stainless thin wall tubing so I'm assuming they release the heat rather quickly

[Aa2tn]

You are drawing the syrup off the evaporator at between 217 and 220 at my elevation, so in the few seconds it takes to read the hydrometer I don't think the syrup would cool below 211 degrees. We have never had a problem with it, we tend to run on the high side.

[johnpma]

You are drawing the syrup off the evaporator at between 217 and 220 at my elevation, so in the few seconds it takes to read the hydrometer I don't think the syrup would cool below 211 degrees. We have never had a problem with it, we tend to run on the high side. I'm doing something wrong then I draw off at 219.5 and when I stick the thermometer in the cup at draw off I get 209 degrees just seconds after......

[wiam]

I'm doing something wrong then I draw off at 219.5 and when I stick the thermometer in the cup at draw off I get 209 degrees just seconds after......

So compensate. That is what the chart is for.

[Cedar Eater]

Why hasn't somebody made an insulated hydrometer cup to maintain the 211 degrees that the hydrometers are calibrated at? We go through all this effort of insulating and bricking the arch, blowers, air over fire, hoods, pre-warmers, dry wood and all kinds of gadgets, and widgets to make syrup and in the final process of syrup making we start the "math" process of temp dissipation and look at charts to convert ect....

Wouldn't it make more sense to have a cup that held the temp at the correct degrees so you could plop the hydrometer in making the whole process simple?

How would you heat the cup so the insulation would be doing its job. You have to add freshly drawn samples to it to get a reading on them, so the cup would have to either sit empty and stay warm or hold some warm liquid that you dump out just before taking a sample. That liquid would then have to not pollute your syrup.

[Cedar Eater]

I'm doing something wrong then I draw off at 219.5 and when I stick the thermometer in the cup at draw off I get 209 degrees just seconds after......

And some people think cups are not a PITA. Fill your cup with hot syrup and pour it out two times before each sample to prewarm the cup (a PITA thing to do). Or leave the cup sitting in a pot of hot water (another PITA thing to do). A coffee mug warming plate with a jar of water on it will keep your cup warm.

[johnallin]

I hang my cup on the draw off box. The cup is then sitting just over the hot syrup and steam - stays plenty hot that way.

[Hkb82]

I hang my cup on the draw off box. The cup is then sitting just over the hot syrup and steam - stays plenty hot that way.this way sounds best to me.

[BoarsNest]

I bought a Smoky Lake Murphy Compensation Cup that will tell you the proper density based on the temp.

[johnpma]

So compensate. That is what the chart is for.how do you compensate for temp drop?

[johnpma]

I bought a Smoky Lake Murphy Compensation Cup that will tell you the proper density based on the temp. thanks ill check them out

[unc23win]

I'll second the Murphy Cup. But if you don't want to spend the $ you can get a chart and use a digital thermometer in the cup along with the hydrometer.

[wiam]

how do you compensate for temp drop?

https://www.google.com/search?q=maple+syrup.hydrometer+compensation+chart&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

[maple flats]

Try making a PVC pipe hydrometer cup, using 1.5 or even 2" PVC with a flat cap attached on the bottom.
There is a formula in the North American Maple Syrup Producer's Manual and a chart, to compensate if you need to.

[johnpma]

Try making a PVC pipe hydrometer cup, using 1.5 or even 2" PVC with a flat cap attached on the bottom.
There is a formula in the North American Maple Syrup Producer's Manual and a chart, to compensate if you need to.Thanks I'll check it out....maybe a part of my issue is I have a small diameter cup:confused: Thinking I don't have enough syrup in the cup for consistent heat

[Tweegs]

I’ll third the Murphy cup.

Got one this year, will never go back to probes and charts.
Even with a hot cup, you’d be amazed how fast the temp drops.

[DrewCP]

I'll second the Murphy Cup. But if you don't want to spend the $ you can get a chart and use a digital thermometer in the cup along with the hydrometer.

This is 100% the way I do it. Even with a hot test cup I'm lucky to ever see syrup above 190 by the time the digital thermo comes up to temp. No big deal. Just cross reference what to add from the chart.

[buckeye gold]

I made a cup out of a copper expansion tube and I hang it in the flew pan. I fill and dump it a couple times still and then read. I have checked with a probe and my temps stay between 209 and 213. I finish a tad heavy and I'm good. I do my checks at room temperature before bottling and I feel that is best as the temps are not fluctuating. It's a simple matter of checking my chart for proper brix, But it's always 71-72 in my kitchen so I have the reading memorized. I can only remember once or twice ever having to adjust before bottling. Sure my syrup will vary by two tenths brix or so either way, but it is never light. As long as it's 66.5 I'm satisfied, but I shoot for 67 brix. So what if its 67 on one batch and 66.6 on one or 67.2 on another. I am guessing most producers are working in a range of acceptable measurements instead of working at an exact science of, say 66.8 brix and nothing else. Things are moving way to fast in a sugar shack to make sure every drop is exact. With that said I'm kind of puzzled why so much consternation on where my hydrometer is reading. If it's legal and within your desired range, bottle it.

If your sure your hydrometer is correct and you know your temp, you know what minimum density must be. I do understand the concern on reading properly and the temp swings. I think the best way to approach the issue is develop standard repeatable techniques that eliminate as much variation as possible. Learn a certain way of doing it and what you need to do to hit desired density at that technique and then repeat it as consistently as possible. As I said, check your density at a stable temp for confirmation. I have done quite a lot of lab work using standard formulations and I found a long time ago that consistency is one of the most important things to learn. I had one person do all my standard solutions in the wet lab and no one else was allowed to be involved. It made our life a lot easier to not have the variances.