Maple sugar "Nuggets" question

[Meuphrat]

I have been producing and selling granulated sugar for about a year now. I have also been selling the sugar nuggets that don't go through the seive when I grade the sugar for size. I have a client who would like to buy the nuggets in bulk. I'm afraid I will not be able to satisfy the demand. As far as I have seen my batches of sugar yield around 80-90% small granular and 10-20% nuggets per batch. So, I'm wondering how I might invert that ratio (pun intended). Does anyone have any insights into what makes the nuggets form in the first place and thereby how I might make a batch of nuggets only? I have done no experimentation as of yet. I have some theories but figured I'd throw it out to all the confectionary chemists on the Trader first.
Thanks

Mike Euphrat
The Bunker Farm
Dummerston,VT

[Sugarmaker]

Try dropping the syrup temp in 5 degrees increments (small batches of syrup) Until you get more of the nuggets compared to grains. I believe that this will keep more moisture in the sugar and result in more chunks. I also may depend on your agitation method? What temp are you currently taking the syrup to?
Regards,
Chris

[tbear]

The last batch of sugar I made (last month) I left it in the mixer quite a while (30/40 minutes maybe longer) because things around me spun out of control. Turned out to be some of the most fine grained sugar I've made. Very small amount of nuggets. I wonder if a person only mixed it till it granulated, pulled it off and dumped to cool it, would it have significantly more nuggets? Just a thought. Ted

[Sugarmaker]

I do know from experience that you can mix it too long and it will go to very fine grain.
(FYI I have very few nuggets in my sugar, I don't put it through a sieve)
Regards,
Chris

[Meuphrat]

Thanks for the ideas guys.
I'll do some experimenting and report back findings.
Mike

[ennismaple]

I find that the slower and the less I stir it the more "nuggets" I get. Lower temps will mean it is more prone to clumping as well.