thermometer question

[sfsshadow]

Just purchased a new digital thermometer for $29.95. Made granulated sugar and cream this week and it turned out perfect. Tonight we just finished scooping out hundreds of 1/3 oz. candies because they were cream consistancy even though we cooked it a degree hotter than usual (243). We just wasted hours of our time not to mension gallons of our very best light syrup. This is our third thermometer we have tried in this price range. If we had Bruces home phone, he would be hearing from us tonight! :mad: My question - can I buy a realiable digital thermometer without going broke?:confused:

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Did you check the boiling point of water before you started? Big low pressure area here so it would have to be boiled hotter.

[brookledge]

I'd try it again. pay attention to the boiling point of water when you are going to make candy. 32 to 34 degrees over the boiling point of water. I'd be willing to bet you were shy on the temp.
Keith

[KenWP]

I wouldn't be surprised you have to go to almost 250 at times to make it. I have had to go to 260 to get sugar to form most of the time for plain maple suger. I use a digatal thermometer that cost all of $10 bucks from Wally world.

[Sugarmaker]

sfsshadow,
Candy is very tricky some days! It is not pleasant to have the candy not set up in that many molds. I have made many failed batches of candy over the years. I have been having much better luck with the new candy machine.:) compared to stirring by hand. I can usually tell by the first or second row of candy in the first molds if it is going to set up, or I get some sugar starting in the worm and I have to run a little hotter syrup in to keep ahead of the crystallization in the worm.
Granulated sugar is more forgiving than candy. Cream can be tricky because of the cooling process.

Good luck with the candy.
Chris C.

[sfsshadow]

Yes, we checked and adjusted the temp accordingly. At worst it should have been a little soft not cream consistancy. Still gonna call Bruce in the morning.:lol:

[3rdgen.maple]

I already know Bruces answer to that one. Anyways there are a few factors to consider when making candy. Sounds like you covered the basics. Personally I think you did not stir it long enough. Did you do it by hand or with a candy machine? Timing is everything.

[maplwrks]

The problem is not the thermometer....This year at the Big E, we needed to adjust the boiling point of the syrup one day, in the middle of the day. We were making beautiful candy, then WHAM!, it wouldn't set up at all!! We took it 2 degrees hotter, and it started setting up again. I would take it a couple of degrees hotter, and stir it a little longer.

The problem with making any maple confections is, you're going to waste some product learning to get it right!!

[cncaboose]

Don't throw the stuff out! Add some syrup to the mess, reheat it and start again. I have done this with failed batches and the next time it always is fine. The original syrup isn't wasted, only your time, and you can chalk that up to a "learning experience".

[sfsshadow]

made another batch of candy the next night, with the same syrup. Went one degree hotter, 244. Came out perfect. Must have been a glitch in the thermometer?!

[maple marc]

Don't forget that the quality of your syrup is important. You need just the right amount of invert sugar to make good candy. I learned this from Steve Childs, the confections expert from Cornell. If you ever have a chance to take his class, don't miss it. If your invert sugar is too low, the crystals will be large and form too early. If your invert sugar is too high, the crystals may not form at all. You need to test each batch of syrup with the test kit. We have learned that most early season syrup is too low to use for candy. The latest syrup is sometimes too high. You can mix batches to arrive at the correct level of invert sugar.

Of course, even with the right invert sugar, you still have to decide when to start pouring. I'm still learning! Good luck and have fun.

[Sugarmaker]

sfsshadow,
I smiled when I read your post about "must have been a glitch in the thermometer" I have been making small hand batches for years and if you had one come out perfect then you are doing very well with only a couple of tries!
After having a candy machine for only a short time and having very good batches come off of it. I believe that the machine cooling and agitation has a lot to do with it being "acceptable" smooth testures candy.
I made a batch by hand stirring the other night and it came out much grainier than I would have liked it! Could have been the hand stirring of a pint of syrup, could have been the invert was low causing large grains?

Anyway good luck with future batches.

Chris C.

[Bucket Head]

Can anyone confirm or deny what Chris is saying about the machine helping out with the grain of the crystals? I'm not doubting you Chris. I'm hoping to find out what you did! I recently bought a used machine but I have not made any candy with it. We have made many small batches with hand stirring and got a coarse grain too.

Anyone use the hand held funnel that Leader used to sell? How is the grain with one of them?

I know about invert sugar and the test for it. However, I know folks that make smoother candy than I and they don't test anything! They can take any grade, made throughout the season, on a dry or rainy day, cook it down and pour it and have better candy than mine. With or without the machine!

I know theres a lot of science that goes along with sugaring, but there must be some "slight of hand" going on too that I'm missing!

Steve

[sfsshadow]

been using syrup out of the same 42gl barrel since nov.1st. made over 250lbs of candy,with a machine.made 2 batches,since.came out perfect. got to be a glich.

[Sugarmaker]

Paul,
Well, if you have made 250 lb of candy, you should be able to teach me and others a lot! :)
Did you consider the weather? As Steve mentioned that can be a factor and some folks make better candy on a sunny day. There is a big difference in syrup from different sugar bushes too. We saw that when we tested for invert levels at a Steve Childs demo.

I have doctored syrup to improve the invert sugar to the correct levels, I believe that this helps the final product and reduces "failed" batches.
I have also cooked my syrup to a lower temp and this will move you closer to cream and be a softer candy. (it doesnt hold shape great in heat and not good to sugar coat but really makes great tasting "eat on the spot melt in your mouth" candy! But this lower boiling temp is counter to what others have mentioned on this thread. So the mystery goes on:)

You guys have made a LOT more candy on a machine than me. All I know is that I have had much better small grain candy from the machine than from hand stirring small batches.
One of the differences I see with the machine, is that in the screw when the candy begins to lighten and start to grain, that you can add more warm syrup into the trough and allow this grain to seed the new syrup you are adding. This seeded syrup is what is flowing consistently into the molds. This is very different than stirring a small batch by hand and the seed grains may be in the bottom and not evenly dispersed.
Another observation is that the first few candy's from the machine are not firming up well or may have different grain structure but the consistency of the candy's after those first 5-6 seem to be smoother and more consistent.

Guys I am not the expert on this. I am still learning after making syrup for 50 years. So I will be watching for the replies. Good thread by the way!

Just thought of another tidbit of info. A fellow sugarmaker mentioned that they boil all the items in contact with the candy process between batches. The theory here is that the seed form a previous batch may be lingering and may start large sugar crystals on the next batch.

Regards,
Chris