I draw off thick, then toss it in my freezer until bottling day, once I have 15-20 litres ready.I put the stock pot on the propane burner, and start to heat it up. As soon as it gets warm, I stir it well to make it uniform, then I float my hydrotherm in the big pot and check the density. I add sap 2 cups at time, stirring and retesting until the density is where I want it to be, all the while continuing to bring it up to a boil. ( I don't bother with the hydrometer cup for this, as the pot is full and the hydrotherm floats in it)
Once I have the right density, I take it to a full boil for 5 mins, then pour into the filter tank and bottle right away.
This way I'm not waiting forever to boil off that last cup of water while the syrup foams over, and I filter in large batches which minimizes the filter cleaning and keeps the syrup hot longer while filling the bottles.
Just how I do it. The hydrotherm is great for this, as it is accurate from 37 -210 degrees F without any charts or calculations.
