Maple Syrup Hydrometer Temperature Correction Calculator
Hydrometers read low when syrup is warm. Enter your reading and the syrup's temperature in the test cup to get its true density.
Right on density. Bottle it hot.
Doing a hot test? Straight off the evaporator at about 211°F, a 66.0 °Brix syrup reads 58.0 °Brix. Read it before it cools.
Most maple hydrometers are calibrated at 60°F. Near room temperature, add about 0.05 °Brix for every degree above 60°F (subtract below). The correction gets steeper as syrup heats up, so this calculator follows the published correction table point by point, up to +8 °Brix at 209°F and hotter.
The hot test: straight off the evaporator at about 211°F, syrup at 66 °Brix reads about 58 °Brix. Most hydrometers' red lines are set for Vermont's 66.9 °Brix, so finishing "to the line" gives you slightly heavier syrup than the national minimum.
Sources
- North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual, 2nd ed. (Bulletin 856) — The Ohio State University Extension
- Maple Syrup Production Beginner's Notebook — Cornell Maple Program
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Common questions
- How do you correct a hydrometer reading for temperature?
- For a 60°F hydrometer, add about 0.05 °Brix per degree above 60°F. At 80°F a reading of 65.8 is really 66.8.
- What should a hot hydrometer read for maple syrup?
- About 58–59 °Brix at 211°F for syrup that will be 66–67 °Brix once cool. Read it quickly before the cup cools.
Your whole season, logged
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