When Is Maple Syrup Done? Finishing Temperature Calculator
Syrup is done at a fixed number of degrees above the temperature water boils at — today, where you are. Enter the boiling point you measured (best) or your elevation for an estimate.
Water boils at 212.0°F. Draw off syrup at:
Near the finish, 1°F is about 2.5 °Brix. Too thin and syrup can spoil; too thick and it crystallizes — confirm with a hydrometer or refractometer.
Finished syrup at 66.0 °Brix boils 7.1°F (3.9°C) above the boiling point of water. For 66.9–67 °Brix — the Vermont and New Hampshire standard, and where most maple hydrometers' red line sits — add about 7.5°F (4.2°C).
"219°F" is only right when water boils at exactly 212°F. That happens at sea level on a standard-pressure day. Weather alone moves water's boiling point a degree or more, and near the finish 1°F is about 2.5 °Brix — so boil water (or watch raw sap at the back pan) with the same thermometer the day you finish.
The elevation estimate uses the standard atmosphere and the Antoine equation for water. It's a starting point, not a substitute for a same-day measurement and a hydrometer.
Sources
- North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual, 2nd ed. (Bulletin 856) — The Ohio State University Extension
- Maple Sugaring Tips for Beginners and Backyard Maple Sugar Producers — UNH Extension
- Maple Syrup Production Beginner's Notebook — Cornell Maple Program
More sugaring tools
- Sap to syrup calculator →
Gallons of sap in, syrup out — using the updated Rule of 86.
- Hydrometer correction →
Correct any reading to 60°F and check your density.
- Taps per tree →
Measure the trunk, get a safe tap count.
Common questions
- What temperature is maple syrup done?
- 7.1°F above the temperature water boils at that day. At sea level on a normal day that's about 219°F, but higher elevations and low-pressure weather bring it down.
- Why is my thermometer reading different from 219?
- Water rarely boils at exactly 212°F. Measure it the same day with the same thermometer, then add 7.1°F.
- Is temperature alone enough?
- It gets you close. Confirm density with a hydrometer or refractometer before bottling — thin syrup can spoil, and syrup above 68.9 °Brix can crystallize.
Your whole season, logged
LuckySap keeps every collection and boil in one place — sap totals, sugar readings, sap-to-syrup ratios, and a season you can compare next year. Free on iPhone.
