A bummer at the time, but what's a guy supposed to do when he reaches into his bag of tricks and the Hydrometer is busted? Having no alternative I cooked on.
The last step in completing the process of making Pure Maple syrup is to use a Maple Syrup Hydrometer like the one you in this collage. The hydrometer, when used correctly will give you the exact density of the syrup. A brief definition of Pure Maple Syrup is a density of 32 degrees Baume, at 211 degrees F.
Without this important tool, you're pretty much on your own. Due to overcooking the maple syrup, sugar crystals can be seen forming on the sides of this bottle. If I were to take a guess, the Baume reading was probably closer to a 30 than 32. This reading is what you would want to get if you were making maple candy, not syrup.
This bottle only had a few ounces in it, left over after filling nine other bottles from the 1st batch. While in the cabinet, the bottle got knocked over on its side. Once I noticed it a week later, I knew I had overcooked the first batch.
The sugar crystals are just that, crystalized sugar. They sure don't add any esthetic value to the syrup.
The cylinder in this picture is what you pour the boiling syrup into and then place the hydrometer in it. This test is done several times until the bobbing hydrometer settles exactly on 32.
I ordered a new hydrometer the next day and I hope to make a few more batches this year but without the crystals.
But, before that can happen we'll need some warmer temps.
Now, we only need #Mother #Nature's cooperation,
temps below freezing at night and 50 or above during the day.
We've made Maple syrup six out of the past seven years.
The only year we missed was 2020 as we got back from Florida late in March. We enjoy keeping a record of the syrup we make every year. From one year to the next, the amount of syrup we can make varies greatly, with the weather being the key factor.
This year we started earlier than any other year by about six weeks.
With that being the case, we were hoping to have a banner year, possibly making over the three gallons we made in 2018. But, #Mother #Nature has not been cooperating. Up to this point, we have only made syrup once, and reaching the three-gallon mark no longer looks possible. We'll be happy to get enough sap for one more boil.
P.S. To my buddies 
