Hydrometer - Hot/Cold lines

[katmike]

I've been making small batches for several years now and I always seemed to clog up the prefilters quicky - I may have discoverd the problem. When I finished, I dipped the hydrometer into the boil and took a reading using the "hot test" line (marked 211 degrees). I never really understood why they pick 211 for this test since syrup boils a a higher temp. Anyway, the other day I thought I'd test the "cold" test since I kept a finished batch in my basement at 60 degrees. When I measured with the same hydrometer (I have two and they both measure the same), the reading indicated it was almost 4 brix on the heavy side.

I assume "heavy" syrup is naturally harder to filter, correct?

Should I shoot for 4 brix lighter syrup than the "hot" test line indicates to get the correct density form now on?

[tuckermtn]

are you testing the syrup hot in a hyrometer cup or in the pan? I do my hot test with an accu-cup (mapleguys.com) which has the thermometer on/in it.

draw off into cup, swish it around to preheat cup, then dump back into canner- then draw off again, watch temp go down till around 213, then drop in hydrometer. read at 211.

I double check with the refrectometer, and I tend to be one+ brix heavy- but thats okay with me..

and yes, more dense syrup will clog filters more quickly. Key is to filter the syrup as hot as you can get it...we filter though a cone prefilter as it comes off the evap, then once more just as it is finished coming off the canner..

[maple flats]

I goofed today while trying to finish off my first batch for bottling. I had it too dense off the evap and when my hyd read 62 (hot) i boiled it more in the canner to get it to the other red line (cold test line) As I kept boiling I noticed them canner thermometer reading high and though I better recalibrate tomorrow and kept going. Before I got it dense enough to be at the cold test red line when hot I came to my senses. I will add low density to it tomorrow to get it right. I was glad I had no onlookers. I felt rather dumb, never made that error before. I didn't even use the chart that came with my accu-cup, if I had I would have cought the error sooner. Should be no harm except might grade a little darker from extra boiling time. I got it to a reading of 65 brix (approaching the cold test line, while the syrup was at 215 on the digital in the accu-cup, so it is real thich.

[maplehound]

might be time to make candy :)

[maple flats]

Not yet, this is my first batch of the season and I am out of syrup with several orders to fill. I will add near density syrup until it tests right and then be able to bottle even more. If I had done this later in my season I would consider candy BUT this would be too much for my market because I have about 8-10 gal in the canner now. I will see but it still looks like it will be med and not dark from the extra boiling. Time will tell.

[MaplePancakeMan]

Hey did your syrup come out okay after reconstituting it? I sorta made the same mistake today. I kept wondering why it took so long to get to the line before i realized i was approaching the wrong line.