finishing syrup

[maplefarmer]

i bought a leader 2x6 drop flue evaporator, and am having trouble finishing syrup on it, i can get temp. to 219 and slightly over, but can't get the hydrometer to float.i take it and put on a turkey cooker and doesn't take real long to float hydrom. do most guys finish on something else, or is there a trick to finishing on this evap. also wood is good and even tried burning pallets to no avail ?

[KenWP]

Is the lower concentrate mixing with the syrup to much and it's not getting to the right density.

[tapper]

I ran that same evaporator for 10 years and finished many gallons on it. Keep a steady hot fire. Use good dry hot wood and keep the firebox 3/4 full so firebox temp does not vary much. Too much temp variation causes more or less fresh sap to enter making it hard for you to reach density.

[PerryW]

If you are at 219 but your hydrometer won't float, either your thermometer is screwed up or your hydrometer is screwed up. Stick the thermometer in boiling water and see what it reads. Then add 7 degrees, and that is where syrup should come off.

If your are having trouble finishing syrup on your drop flue, your probably running too deep or the pan is out of level.

[Fred Henderson]

Do you mean to say that you are putting the hydro dricetly into the syrup pan and not using a cup?

[maplefarmer]

i am using a cup to try float hydro. i did have a guy tell me it seems like the float box is feeding to much sap too fast, he took his float box off, and went with a warming box on top which he manually controls, i might have to try this also, but like the reliability of the float maintaining the flue pan at 2 inches. thanks everyone for the tips

[danno]

The answer to your question - patience.

As long as your syrup pan is keeping the same level, keep boling and you will reach syrup. Sometimes it feels like it's going to take forever. I've seen that last degree take an hour. I've also been within a degree just to see the temp drop a half a degree.

[tapper]

2 inches is a bit much . Try lowering your level to 1 1/2 inch and when you are comfortable with that go to 1 1/4 or 1 inch. Also make sure the entire rig is level it is real tough to make syrup at the drawoff if you are not level.

[johnallin]

219 is not always the number you need...we boiled off 100 gallons last night and hydro would not float until we hit 222 and once it was close to 223. Temperature is only an indicator - you don't have syrup until the density is right.

It's tempting to take it off, but just wait and keep testing until you can see the red line.

[Fred Henderson]

The hydrometer don't lie . Use it religiously.