Second equipment purchase thoughts?

[berkshires]

Cooked till it was 219 degrees on a 5" digital food thermometer
-NT

That alone is definitely not sufficient to know you're at syrup. In fact, I have never had a batch that was done when my thermometer (it's a good digital thermometer) first hit 219. If you know what to look for, you can make good syrup by a combination of going 7.1 degrees over boiling point of water at that specific time/location, plus a sheeting test. Otherwise, a hydrometer plus a thermometer will get you there.

Cheers,

Gabe

[johnallin]

Hydrometer and a test cup. As long as you can test it right off the pan, and quickly, you should be at 211 degrees. Your hydrometer will float at the top red line (hot test line).
This may set you back about $50 for both; but you'll be light years ahead of where you are at present. Filtering could be your next phase - but you need to make syrup first.
Sure you can test using sheeting and taking temperature, but there are better and easier ways to do it.