Copper Hydrometer Cup?

[The Dude]

I was wondering if there would be any problems with a home made hydrometer cup made from 1" copper tubing and solder?

Another idea would be galvanized pipe used for natural gas, but I would guess copper would come first since our drinking water sits in it all day.

[Farmboy]

Copper would work fine i would sugest at least 1.5 inches in diameter though. Any smaller and when you put syrup in it it will cool of to fast ot get an acurate reading. I asked a local dealer if copper would be fine and they said yes.

[Sugarmaker]

Copper with no lead solder sounds like a much better option than any galvanized material.

Regards,
Chris

[PARKER MAPLE]

Lasy Year I Made One Out Of Copper Tube That I Bought For A Job I Was Doing, It Was 1 1/2 From Home Depot, I Just Went And Bought A Cap For The End And Soldered It One, Worked Very Will.. This Year Bought A Stainless One Though.. If I Can I Will Post A Pic Of It..

[markct]

i made two homemade hydrometer cups outa stainless, my first was a 1 inch diameter short cup when i just had small flat pan. i used the drawtube from a beer keg and mig welded it to a small piece of stainless steel sheetmetal, and attached a handle to the side. the second i made last year for my current 2x8 evap, i used a 2 inch dia stainless tube from a swimming pool ladder. i could have mig welded this one also of course but now have a tig so used that instead. so keep an eye out and the materials to make one will come along for free sooner or later!

[Clan Delaney]

And let's not forget how cool shiny copper looks!

Here's an idea - make it outta copper pipe, then wrap it with the black foam pipe insulation to keep the syrup from cooling too fast. Copper will conduct heat much faster than stainless.

[KenWP]

I can just see how long foam insulation will last with 219 degree syrup against it. Its made for house hold temps not boiling temps. You water heater only puts out 140 degree water there abouts.

[The Dude]

Thanks for the replies. I was surprised that I haven't heard if any resistance from buying the $30 tiny stainless cups. Most of my hobbies, such as fly fishing, fly tying and woodworking, have trained me to make my own things instead of buying such simple accessories. That's how I feel about the hydrometer cup. I couldn't seem to find anything on here about ways to make your own. I don't have a welder, so steel is out. My dad is a plumber, and I got thinking about copper tubing when I saw the marketed cups are just steel tubing.

This is my first year sugaring, and I am surprised with how many "things" are needed when tapping any more than 1 or 2 trees. I'm planning on somewhere around 10 trees to start, with the option for 20 to 30. I've already racked up a bill close to $300 in equipment, which is much different from my vision back in the fall when I started saving milk jugs for free. A few people have said to me that it's as expensive as I want to make it. Well, I can't think of any way to make it less expensive than what I've forked out. So I am looking to save a little here and there at this point. The $30 evaporator cup is a good opportunity.

[Hurry Hill Farm]

1 inch copper pipe is too small to retain the heated syrup you are testing.

What you could do is have the cup hot before testing i.e. submerse the cup in the syrup and then also submerse the bottom of the cup in the finishpan and keep it hot while you test it (never place it on the bottom of the finish pan).

I would always retest, also, because you are going to lose a lot of heat to the cup since the volume is so little.

Regards,

Jan Woods
Hurry Hill
Edinboro PA

[SeanD]

I like the copper testing cup idea. I was originally thinking pvc, but I like the sound of copper more. What could be put on the bottom so it stands up by itself?

Someone on here a while back had the really DIY approach by soldering a few tomato paste cans together.

Sean

[The Dude]

I forgot to mention that I will take the advice and go with 1.5" or 2" copper tubing, instead of 1." The reason I was thinking 1" is because there are some stainless ones sold in that size, and since I'll have a small volume I figured they must be suitable for operations like mine. But I'll go bigger.

As for a mounting plate, copper sheet would work, but I don't have any. I do have a 2.5" or 3" round brass plate I picked up off the ground near an old brass factory that is about a half inch thick and pretty heavy. I am considering using that if it cleans up well.

That got me thinking that brass tubing would probably be better than copper as well, since it does not corrode. I don't know anything about max temps or food contact, but I assume brass is fine.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Dude California is banning the use of brass that has lead in it for drinking water. So be careful you dont use brass thats not FOOD GRADE:)

[Pete S]

Made one out of 1" copper a year or two ago. It's a bit tight, but it works fine.

I put a pitcher style handle on mine from soft copper tubing, and just a cap on the bottom. It allows me to dip in and be aways out of the scalding hot syrup.

I would recommend a wider bottom,...........BUT we just lay ours in a ss pan.

As for cooling off too soon,...............I think that idea is a bit over thought.

Dip the copper tube into the scalding hot syrup,......the copper will readlily accept the heat.

Have you Hydrometer in your other hand,.....wha-la!

Maple Syrup Producers Manual says up to 30 seconds,....................which would be for a 1 1/2" tube I guess,...............so get it done in 10.

1 one thousand, 2 one thousand, 3 one thousand,............it's easy! :-P

[vtjeeper]

Made one out of 1" copper a year or two ago. It's a bit tight, but it works fine.

I put a pitcher style handle on mine from soft copper tubing, and just a cap on the bottom. It allows me to dip in and be aways out of the scalding hot syrup.

I would recommend a wider bottom,...........BUT we just lay ours in a ss pan.

As for cooling off too soon,...............I think that idea is a bit over thought.

Dip the copper tube into the scalding hot syrup,......the copper will readlily accept the heat.

Have you Hydrometer in your other hand,.....wha-la!

Maple Syrup Producers Manual says up to 30 seconds,....................which would be for a 1 1/2" tube I guess,...............so get it done in 10.

1 one thousand, 2 one thousand, 3 one thousand,............it's easy! :-P

I haven't done it yet but I agree with this and the reason for me using 1" is because I have a stick of it leftover from building my house. just need a cap and maybe a clamp hanger that will be bent into an L so I can hang it in the inside of my boiling pan to keep it hot

[The Dude]

I just found a local plumbing supply place that will sell me 1 foot of 1-1/2" copper tubing for $6.30. Kinda pricey for what it is, but still beats the cost of a stainless cup, and I like making it myself. It would be much cooler if I thought of the idea because I already had some on hand.

I was thinking of making a handle that runs the length of the cup out of 1/2 copper I have laying around. I can smash it flat, bend it to shape, and solder it on. I could probably even make a base out of the scrap 1-1/2" I have left over from the foot, by hacksawing it lengthwise and flattening it out (picture how flue pipe is sold flat before you snap it together). I'll probably stay away from the brass plate I have since it is old and I have no idea if it has lead (Thanks Haynes!)

[Haynes Forest Products]

Make them bottom heavy and with a wide base so the will stay upright when you bump them or they sit on something uneven. Now for the guys that are making their own. This is not patented yet so here goes. When you cut the tube off add about an Inch to the length and grind /snip away 80% off the top leaving a small area that you will bend inward with a grove in the center. Make the grove the width of your hydrometor with a little wiggle room. When you install the handle put it at 90 degrees right or left from the inward fingers. make the fingers so they will hook and hold the bottom of the hydrometer. Im tired of trying to keep it in the cup during pour off and I dint like holding them when I do. This will save alot of hot syrup on the hands or hydros falling on the ground:mad: or into the evap or drawoff bucket:emb:

Please send all royalty checks to my first two wives they live at the same address..you got it married her twice:rolleyes: Had to pay her twice for my sugar shack:cry: Thank god this one likes doing this sport.

[The Dude]

Haynes, that sounds like a great idea. If I understand correctly, this little arm would be at the top of the cup, so when the cup is dumped out, the top of the upside-down hydrometer will rest on the fingers and not fall out. Is that right? It sounds easy enough to make.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Yes what happens is you either pull the hydro out or hold the stem hen you pore ar you try and hold the hydro in with your thumb as you hold the cup handle and dump. Its always a trick to dump the syrup and refill with one hand and the other on the ball valve and then there is the matter of a cold beer:lol:

[Pete S]

Here's a shot of what I did.

Pete

[The Dude]

Pete, that looks great! I love the aged look it's taken on. I can't wait to make mine. How did you curl out the top edge? Something inserted and pounded in?

[Pete S]

I rounded it by peening it over a portion of my small anvil,....................gently. Then just work around and it seemed to want to work into what you see there.