Hydrometer question

[Bucket Head]

I am not a "newbie", but I have a newbie type question regarding syrup hydrometer's.

I have alway's made syrup by temp. testing, and had no problem's doing it that way. A couple of year's ago I took it a step further and bought a digital barometer/boiling point meter and a digital thermometer. They are great tool's but I figured I had better have a backup plan for testing syrup in case of breakage, or low/no batteries. So I bought a short test cup and hydrometer.

I am a little confused with the red line's on the scale. When, or why, would you test anything at the hot test mark of 211 degree's? Water usually boil's around here at 210, give or take a little bit, and how high of an elevation would you need to have syrup at 211 degree's?

The cold test mark is near where you would normally make syrup, right? I do not have the thing in front of me, but I think, it is close to the 66% mark on the scale. So an actual hot syrup test out of the front pan would have you looking for the cold test mark on the scale?

What am I missing here?

Steve

[Russell Lampron]

The hot test line is for testing the syrup as you are drawing off of the evaporator. It is coming out of the evaporator at 219 +/- degrees F and drops down to 211 +/- degrees F in the hydrometer cup. The cold test line is used for testing cold syrup, the 211 and 60 degrees is the temp in Farenhiet of the syrup, not the Brix degrees you are reading on the hydrometer scale which is the density.

Russ

[Bucket Head]

Russ,

I should have added to my original post that I did use the hydrometer once last season, just so I could say I tried it and get a feel for it.

I scooped syrup from the pan and filled the cup a few time's and then filled it and took a reading. I drew off when the "hot test" line showed. Later, after the syrup cooled to 60 degree's, I checked it again to see if the "cold test" line showed. It did not. The hydrometer floated with the syrup about halfway between the two line's.

How is that possible? How do you test to see if the hydrometer is defective?

In response to the temperature's you stated above, I do not believe the syrup temperature dropped from my 217 to 211 that quickly. It only take's 10-15 second's to fill the cup with the scoop and steady the hydrometer for a reading. I could not have lost that much heat in that short of time.

How are you testing the syrup with your hydrometer?

Thank's,
Steve

[brookledge]

Steve
I use the long hydrometers in the tall cup. The short ones are harder to get an acurate reading. That may have been your problem but the hydrometer could be bad also. The way most do it is to keep atleast two hydrometers on hand at all times that way you can compare between the two of them.
Also when you buy a new one take a marker and make marks on the box where the hot line is so you can have a reference to check it in the future if needed.
It should give you acurate readings at 60 and 211. Even if the syrup was over or under 211 by a few degrees when it cooled to 60 it should have been closer than half way as you described.
Keith

[Russell Lampron]

Our state agriculture department inspectors test our hydrometers for us. They do it for no charge and will do it when they come to do an inspection. They will also do it at association meetings and I have seen them do it at places like Bascom's open house. I don't know if the inspectors in NY do that too.

Like Kieth said have a spare hydrometer, I have 4. I also have markings to check if there is a problem. All it takes is a little bump to make the paper inside slide and cause a false reading.

I draw syrup off of the evaporator right into the cup and take a reading. I do my final density check when I am canning and make adjustments as needed then. I have a chart that tells what the Brix should be at temps all through the measuring range from cold to hot.

Make measurements with a clean hydrometer and lower it into the syrup slowly so that syrup doesn't go above the level where you are taking the reading. The weight of syrup that is on the stem above what the actual density is will cause a false reading. This is especially true with cold syrup. That might be why you are getting the off reading when doing the cold test.

Russ

[Parker]

I have an acc-u-cup ,,a hydrometer cup-made by the maple guys with digital thermometer in it,,tells you how hot the syrup in the cup is,(another very useful innovation from them),that way when you put the hydometer in the cup you know the syrup temp is 211deg. ,,it is amazing how fast the syrup cools off once it is out of the pan,,and how much the cold cup cools the syrup,,,Last year I started leaving the cup in the draw off box of my syrup pan to keep it warmer between draws,,now when I am testing I only fill the cup 2 times and the syrup + ac-u-cup are up to temp.,,,out of the 5 hydrometers I have only 1 is accurate (first one I ever got)........
the accucup-hydrometer combination works very well on cold syrup also,,,I do have long stem hydrometers,,

[Bucket Head]

I appreciate the input on my hydrometer dilema. Thank's guy's.

I guess I'll have to get another one and compare the two and see if they read the same.

Hopefully I can get a handle on this problem before next season. Because reheating almost-syrup, that I thought was syrup, into syrup, and then filtering it again, is a pain!

Steve

[hard maple]

one final thought, measure at the bottom of the meniscus curve.

[Father & Son]

One other thought, you might want to try a comparison with a refractometer. They're not as cheap as hydrometers but very accurate.

Jim