thin syrup

[fenwick865]

This is my first year. I'm using a few sugar and a few silver maples which makes for low sugar sap. I have a sap hydrometer (thinking I was buying a syrup hydrometer) which so far is reading 2%. I'm boiling and finishing on my gas stove top. I use stainless lasagna pan to boil and a medium sauce pan to finish as i'm only ending up with about a pint or two at time. I use a candy thermometer. Question is my finished syrup is very thin. Nice color and taste but thin. I turn the heat down when it gets to about 210-215*. Does giving it more time to reach 219* thiken it up? Great site by the way, loads of information.

[Bill'sSugarShack]

At 219 it will be a bit thicker...but any hot syrup will be thinner than the cold you pour on your pancakes.
I never trust the thermometer..only the syrup hydrometer

[PerryW]

you can get close with a candy thermometer.

Just check you thermometer by immersing it in boiling water. Then add 7 degrees for the correct temperature for syrup for your altitude & air pressure.

For example, If water boils at 211 on your thermometer, syrup will boil at 218.

The boiling temperature will slowly climb as the syrup thickens. Be careful of boil-overs when you start getting close.

[jordy95]

I boil to 7 degrees higher than boiling water and my hydromter only floats a little bit.I dont think it is right. to get it to the right line I have to get a temp of 221 or 222 and I live at sea level I got it late last year I dont think it was ever right.

[red maples]

at the evaporator I go by the thermometer. I have too much other stuff to worry about there. I usually draw off when it is 8-9 degrees over and draw off unit it comes back to 7 degrees over. and then when I get ready to hot pack it I check it with the hydrometer and I usually have to thin it a bit...which is what I like, I would rather have to thin it than boil it more. once its at the correct density then I bring it up to just a boil and filter it one last time put in the canner make sure it's between 185-190 bottle and I am done!!!

[RipTyd]

I had same problem with thin syrup, I had it up to 222deg and thought it was done . Boy did it filter fast , and after botteling 3 gallons , the next day I tried it on pancakes and it was way too thin. I had to reboil all 3 gallons and ended up with about 2 gallons. I went out and bought a syrup hydrometer and a sample of some syrup. When you are boiling you can test with hydrometer and you can also cool some down and compare thickness with your sample. I found I had to boil for quite some time at 220 plus to get the thickness I wanted. Once you get if figured out you will want to make MORE!! RIPTYD

[jordy95]

could my thermometer be of I boil water at 212 at sea level is this right or close to right thanks.

[Buckshot]

boiling temp can change during the day. barimetric pressure controlls at what temp water will boil at . What water will boil at sea level can and will change with weather fronts system lows and highs.


Are you checking what temp water will boil at just before finishing?

[jordy95]

I Check It At The Sametime

[johnallin]

I turn the heat down when it gets to about 210-215*. Does giving it more time to reach 219* thiken it up? Great site by the way, loads of information.

Jordy, You don't have syrup if you are only going to 210°-215°. As mentioned earlier, you need to be 7° above the boiling temp of water for that day.... You are not there yet. Buy a hydrometer, take it up to 219 and then begin checking. You may find that you need to go even higher o the temp but the hydrometer is king.

[jordy95]

no i went to 221-222 deg

[cpmaple]

Like they are all saying it varys. I just had to boil to 221-223 to get it to read correct on the syrup hydrometer. Finish off 1.5 gallons tonight get up at 4 am and start boiling some more. I check mine with two different theromonitor digital and dial and both hung at 219 but still was not ready due to hydrometer and apron off my scoop.

[fenwick865]

so will keeping it at 219* longer thiken it up?

[PerryW]

so will keeping it at 219* longer thiken it up?

It won't stay at 219 if you are boiling. As you boil, the temperature gradually climbs from 212+- to 219+-. When the temperature hits 7 degrees above the boiling point of water; it is syrup

[JohnsSugarShack]

I would say yes that keeping it at 219 longer will thicken it up. Because eventually it will go up to 220 it just takes longer if you have the heat turned down. Basicly the only way you're going to make it thicker is by boiling longer which is just evaporating more of it. I've also had to go to 220 because 218 just wasn't enough even tho it was 7 over the boiling temp of water which I check every time I fire up. But I also swear by the hydrometer which I have 3 of.

[valleyman]

I've been reading this thread and decided to boil some water just to check my Taylor thermometer. Sucks, I'm going to have to reboil about 2 gallons of syrup (at least I thought it was syrup) to get it thicker too.

After checking the thermometer read between 215º and 216º for WATER. :mad:

Prior to checking I pulled my batches at 220º thinking that would be fine. That was before the reality check.

I got a syrup hydrometer for xmas but I dont know that its 211º when I check it and it sinks just a little to deep so I stuck with the thermometer. A lot of good that did me.

[PerryW]

I got a syrup hydrometer for xmas but I dont know that its 211º when I check it and it sinks just a little to deep so I stuck with the thermometer. A lot of good that did me.

Valleyman,

The hot test (211 deg) on the hydrometer is designed to draw off syrup directly from the front pan and right into the hydrometer cup. They figure you will lose a few degrees from when it's boiling until you test the syrup, that's why it's 211 degrees and not 219 degrees.

Whether you are at 205 deg. or 215 degrees, the hot test line is close enough (and certainly much more accurate than a thermometer).

[fenwick865]

Thanks to all. I'm now in the proccess of boiling about 12 gallons of sap. I'm going to try finishing on a lower heat giving it more time to get to 219* and see if makes a difference.

[valleyman]

Thanks Perry. Thats encouraging and I just need to learn to use it.

[Cardigan99]

Jordy, You don't have syrup if you are only going to 210°-215°. As mentioned earlier, you need to be 7° above the boiling temp of water for that day.... You are not there yet. Buy a hydrometer, take it up to 219 and then begin checking. You may find that you need to go even higher o the temp but the hydrometer is king.

We routinely draw at 215 on a good clear day @ 1400 feet above sea level.

[maple flats]

Use the hydrometer. to be at 211 you must draw into the test cup, wait a minute, dump it in a seperate pan (preheated the cup) , draw again (219 or 220 syrup) read hydrometer as soon as it stabilizes in cup. You have cooled to 211 by that time. If you take very long it will be lower than 211. If you are boiling in a large pat you can dump the preheating syrup in the pan, if not put in something else so you don't cool the pot too much. Better yet, get an accu-cup. It has a thermometer in the cup and you get a chart to temp. correct the readings. Also, when you buy a hydrometer, mark exactly where the line is as a ref. and check it when in doubt. Never drop a hydrometer in the cup or you will slide the scale paper inside thus giving an erronious reading.

[valleyman]

Finished some syrup off last night using the hydrometer instead of the thermometer. Finally did it. Actually I went too far past syrup so I added a couple of ladles of sap and got it back!

Trivial to you pros but a major step forward for this greenhorn. (2nd season apprentice):D

[fenwick865]

finished off a batch last night. took it up to 220*. has good color, taste but still runs like water. I'm gona reboil it and take it up to higher temp. I checked the thermometer in boiling water and the water boiled at 211*.

[valleyman]

Hi fenwick

I bet you're still 1-2º shy. Go to a higher temp and if its slightly thicker, thats better than too thin.

[johnallin]

We routinely draw at 215 on a good clear day @ 1400 feet above sea level.

I stand corrected, are you pulling finished syrup off at those temps?
Water should be boiling at 208° on those days, if everything about syrup being 7 over the boiling temp of water is right. Must be the altitude and the clear weather - high pressure system.

[kinalfarm]

must be the weather because i had to take mine to 222 to get it to read good on my hydrometer last night. it took me off gaurd.

[Doc]

must be the weather because i had to take mine to 222 to get it to read good on my hydrometer last night. it took me off gaurd.

Same problem last night here in Ohio. Water boiled at 209. When the syrup was 217-220 the hydrometer wouldn't float. Hydrometer read syrup at 222 and syrup had a good taste but still was on the thin side.
Odd going on's happening 'round here.
:)

[Moshers Maples]

I had to go to 222 as well last night

[Farmboy]

I had to go to 222 lastnight. Didnt make any syrup tonight.

[red maples]

I have to go higher too. I didn't check mine before I drew off not thinking the temp would change much and pulled off about 3 gallons and its wicked thin bu tdidn't notice untlil I was shutting down I checked it and it was about 5 brix too thin!!! I usually take it up to 220 -221 and then draw off until I hit 219 and it comes out just a hair thick now need to to finish it more.

I am in the grade B range now.

[danno]

221 on my evaporator every night, including last night:)