Need some advice!

[mooseman]

I am in the process of finishing some syrup and bottling. (Or so I thought) Candy thermometer reads 220 but the product is way too thin to be syrup. AndI mean thin. What is the problem. The thermometer is good as I did a batch a week ago with the same thermometer with great results and it was new a week ago. What is going on? Why the difference between temp and actual results????? I bottled one jar and just looking at it it is waaaaay too thin.

[KenWP]

Read what water is boiling at with it and see how much that is.

[PerryW]

Your Barometric Pressure changes from day to day, which affects the boiling point.

Like Ken says, stick the thermometer in boiling water, see what it reads and add 7 degrees.

ALso, the viscosity of syrup varies greatly over temperature, so you might find the syrup is thicker than you think when it cools down.

[mooseman]

Water is boiling 212 degrees F. I am stumped but am still boiling to thicken things up.

[KenWP]

Stick some in the freezer and get it cold see if it thickens up some. Straight off the evaporator mine is thin but it thickens up fast when its cold.

[Fred Henderson]

Use a hydrometer. Its the only way to be right.

[mooseman]

Well cold didn't thicken it up much. Still way too thin for syrup. I ended up bringing it up to 225 on the thermometer and it made good syrup. Maybe a tad too thick but it is better than water. my first batch went just perfect this year, so I don't know what was different with this second batch.

[KenWP]

With the thermometer any chance it can move on it's frame. But that would not count for the fact water was boiling at 212 for you. Stands to reason the syrups way to thick or somethings wrong someplace else. You really need a hydrometer to see what your makeing.

[michiganfarmer]

maple syrup is thin.Thats just the way it is. If you try to thicken it too much it will just crystalise in your jugs. Buy a hydrometer. A thermometer is just for rough estimating.