Please Help with refractometer Brix not matching temp and I'm trying to finish today

[Ocelotsden]

I'm having a problem with my readings that I didn't have last year and trying to finish up my less than 2 gallons today.

I don't have a hydrometer but the couple years I've been using a refractometer to tell when I'm at 66 brix and that normally matches the boiling temp of 219.5 F pretty closely. But this year My pot has reached 221 degrees but the refractometer is only reading 59-60

I have cooled my syrup sample, doublechecked the refractometer with virgin olive oil and it's reading 71.5 as it should, and have tried 2 different thermometers to verify that I did go over and hit 221 degrees. Unless I'm missing something, maybe my olive oil that I tested with is bad? I also verified water boiling temp at my location.

I don't know which one to trust so I can bottle. I'm leaning towards just going with temperature and adding a little sap to bring it back down to a 219.5 degree boiling temperature. :confused::confused:

[JoeJ]

The syrup hydrometer with syrup at 211 is the best route to go with in my opinion. I have refractometer and do not use it on hot syrup off the evaporator. The hydrometer is fool proof. Always buy 2. I have only broken one in 10 years, but I have one to use and 2 new ones in the boxes.

Joe

[ecolbeck]

Temp for boiling water must be verified on a daily basis (at minimum) because atmospheric pressure changes will affect it. When was the last time you checked?

[Ocelotsden]

I checked today both with the SapTap App and also I boiled some water on the stove and checked the temp.

[ecolbeck]

Sounds very frustrating. Not sure what's happening with your refractometer. One option is to use the old school method of "sheeting" the syrup to check for doneness. A forum or google search will be helpful. Basically the idea is that instead of dripping off a spoon the syrup will form a "sheet". That would tell you if you are close.

[Ocelotsden]

I think there's something up with the refractometer. I checked a sample from last years syrup in the refrigerator after bringing the sample up to room temp and it only read 58 brix, but I know it was 66.5 when I bottled it last year. It was checked, and double and tripple checked. But that doesn't explain the olive oil reading correctly now.

Also, I just filtered what I had and now it reads 64 brix. So I'm thinking that If my last years sample is correct but reading 58 now, and I have currently over boiled based on temp and it's reading 64, then my current sample is maybe really at 70ish brix. If that's the case, I can add some sap, boil to 219.5 and hope it's okay?

[Ocelotsden]

I'm not sure what's going on today, but things are screwy for me, that's for sure. I just boiled more water on the stove and this time it boiled at 214 on one thermometer and 213.6 on a second one which is a big change since this morning. I'm going to try using the new numbers to reheat the sap and recheck with the refractometer.

[TheNamelessPoet]

This. today I checked and my boiling temp of water is 213. last year on 2/23 it was 209.5. 2/29 was 209.0. and 3/8 was 212.

sometimes its different even in the same day! Nature is a teenage girl, don't try and figure it out

[Ocelotsden]

Okay, all sorted out I think. My apologies for the panic post.

For whatever reason, there was a big water boiling temp swing between early this morning and this afternoon. Couple that with the fact that I never really realized how much brix in finished syrup can change with just 1 to 2 degrees in boiling temperature.
I noticed that even at 220.5 degrees, my syrup was still a little thin and not sheeting as it should. I ended up taking it to a little over 122 and when checked on my refractometer it read just over 67.5 brix, so I called it a day, filtered and bottled. I just hope it wasn't too heavy and crystalizes.

This is just my 3rd year as a backyarder. The first year I just winged it on my BBQ grill, went to 219.5 and canned a half gallon. The second year I got the refractometer to be more precise, used real bottles and a big propane burner and did over a gallon. This year I moved to a wood fired barrel stove and hoped to make more, but snow, weather and health didn't cooperate and I did a little over a gallon which would have been a good bit more except for a big boil over mishap when finishing on a big propane burner. I lost a lot, but live and learn

This is my best tasting so far, and even with the mishap, it's enough for the year for my wife and I, plus giving away to a few family and friends.

[Goatogether]

This. today I checked and my boiling temp of water is 213. last year on 2/23 it was 209.5. 2/29 was 209.0. and 3/8 was 212.

sometimes its different even in the same day! Nature is a teenage girl, don't try and figure it out

”Her”. 🤣.....

[Pdiamond]

I like my smoky lake hydrometer and murphy cup the best, it takes all the guess work out of making syrup. This is my personal opinion. I still set my auto-draw at about two degrees over what the SapTapApp gives us daily. Then at the end of the day make my adjustment with hot sap if needed.

[Mister maple]

I have just started to use a hydrometer this year. Are they always accurate? Any chance on defective ones? I tested the boiling point of water and two different thermometers were very close to 212. Less than one degree off. I boiled to 219 and my hydrometer sank tot he bottom when I eased it in the cup. It’s a quality , new hydrometer , from a reputable supplier. I then boiled to 221 and the hydrometer floated but didn’t quite come up the the red line. Close but not quite. I didn’t dare go higher than 221. Any thoughts ?

[Pdiamond]

On any given day the syrup temp can change, even on the same day. I have set my auto draw as high as 224 - 225 on certain days. Do you happen to use the saptapapp. It is very helpful as it provides you with the barometric pressure for your location and will then calculate your syrup temp. When I set my auto draw valve I set it at 2 points over density. Then I use my murphy cup and hydrometer to to get it to the correct density by adding hot sap from the evaporator.

[BCPP]

I have just started to use a hydrometer this year. Are they always accurate? Any chance on defective ones? I tested the boiling point of water and two different thermometers were very close to 212. Less than one degree off. I boiled to 219 and my hydrometer sank tot he bottom when I eased it in the cup. It’s a quality , new hydrometer , from a reputable supplier. I then boiled to 221 and the hydrometer floated but didn’t quite come up the the red line. Close but not quite. I didn’t dare go higher than 221. Any thoughts ?
Hydrometer will be more accurate than thermometer for determining sugar content BUT it is also very temperature dependant. Most usually have two red lines, one that aligns with the 66.6% sugar when the sample is at room temp and another, higher up the scale that shows the 66.6% when the sample is near 219 so you need to pay attention to the sample temp when doing measurements. Also, make sure you wash off and dry hydrometer between readings as thin layer of water/syrup on the glass can affect their accuracy.
Third way of doing it is a refractometer but they're a little more pricey but not as subject to breakage! They too are affected by temperature but the sample size is so small it only takes 30 seconds to cool to room temp. You can watch the Brixton reading rise as it cools!

[Mister maple]

My hydrometer has only one red line. I clean it and the syrup is hot straight out of the pan. I checked the boil point of water about an hour prior and it seems to always be very close to 212 +/- The two times I have booked so far with the hydrometer , I have had to go to 221 and am still just above my red line a bit still. It looks and feels like syrup. I am wondering about buying another hydrometer and seeing if mine is maybe not accurate.

[Ocelotsden]

I've tried to find a temperature chart to see how much brix changes for each degree or even half degree over 219, but haven't found one. I have a feeling that once I get to say 219.5 the difference in brix at 220, 221 is bigger than I realize.

[ecolbeck]

This instruction manual contains a temperature conversion chart to allow you to determine correct density

https://leaderevaporator.com/content/Syrup-Hydrometer.pdf

[Ocelotsden]

Thanks Ecolbeck. What I was trying to find was something that showed how much brix increases for each degree once you reach 7.5 above boiling. For example, if my water boils at exactly 212 and I should have 66 Brix at 219.5, what would the brix be if I kept going to 220, 221, etc. I don't know if jumps one brix or two per degree over 219.5, or if it's exponential.