how much to draw off??

[VT maple maker]

Hello all, just a quick question. I have my 2x6 but im not sure exactly how much to draw off. How do you know how much to draw when the syrup in ready? Do you go by a certain size pail or a single compartment. Im stuck.

[maplekid]

i think you draw off until the temp starts to go down

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You can do it several ways, the two best ways in my opinion is to get the valve barely cracked open to where you have a constant drizzle coming out, just more than a fast drip on a 2x6 or draw off about 1 quart at a time. You could draw off more, but to keep the drawoff coming fairly regularly and a good gradient in the pan, open the valve wide open and draw off aprox a quart on that size evaporator. This helps to keep the gradient even in the pan and with the trickle draw off method, it keeps it constant.

I like to dump small amounts at a time on my evaporator because in my opinion, it helps suck out more of the sugar sand that builds up in the drawoff compartment.

Hope this helps!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

As far as knowing when to draw off, I have two 0-30 degree thermometers on each side of the syrup pan. They are calibrated so 0 is the boiling point of water and 7 degrees above boiling point is syrup as maple syrup is 7.1 degrees above the boiling point of water. I set them several years ago with boiling water and have never changed them since and they are always very close. I reheat and finish at a later date, so I am not going to worry about a slight difference each day.

[Dave Y]

Brandon,
I cant believe you have never re-calibrated your 0-30 thermometers. the point on boiling water changes everyday.

[maple flats]

I do not recalibrate either. I finish in the canner but it is always rather close. If too thich I draw some to add that is not quite at +7 yet, if too light I boil a little in the canner.

[Fred Henderson]

I never boil in my canner . I make it a little heavy in the evap and dilute in the canner.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I'm with Fred, I try to draw off a little heavy and then dilute it down with the flush water from the filter press. I never could understand why people calibrate those things all the time as the boiling point of water could change hourly unless they are filtering and bottling right out of the evaporator and I don't see how you could ever get it perfect straight off of the evaporator every time. I never really see much difference in the syrup and it would be a waste of time to recalibrate those things.

[tapper]

I never calibrated at all just relied on the hydrometer but picked up equipment today so I will be calibrating a few times a day if need be.

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

the first boil everyday i check with my hydrometer, and if it's syrup at +6 F or +7 F, etc... i just go with what ever # it's at. then in my canner tank I will correct the density, add the filter aid and then filter into bulk storage or into our smaller canning tank for retail size containers.

[halfast tapper]

I don't have a sugarhouse myself, but have been boiling with a good friend for about 20 years. We drum all the syrup and can at a later date when needed. We alway check after each draw the density and get it correct before we filter and drum. Then when it comes time to can we reheat and filter again , then can.
I know here in VT the state regularly checks syrup off the shelf of stores to see if it is of correct density. If it is heavy that's ok , but if it is light they will pull product off of shelf and you get visited by the state. Have had our syrup tested at a store before , passed with flying colors.