Automated °Brix Measurements of Maple Syrup

Maple syrup production is an important industry for Canada and North America. For supporting the manufacturing process and quality control, Anton Paar instruments are a solution for a fully automated measurement of the Brix value of maple sap or syrup.

Introduction

In Ontario Regulation 119/11 definitions, "maple syrup" means syrup that,

  • is produced from the concentration of maple sap or by the dilution of maple products in potable water,
  • and has a minimum soluble solids content of 66 per cent as determined by a refractometer at 20° C; ("sirop d'érable").[1]

Soluble solids in maple syrup are mainly sucrose (sugar), followed by a small amount of fructose, minerals, antioxidants and glucose.

One way to find out the sugar content of maple syrup is the determination of Brix. The Brix value is a very important parameter in maple syrup production and quality assurance. Brix is the percentage by weight of sucrose in a pure water solution and is expressed as degrees Brix (°Brix). One degree Brix is equivalent to one gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution.

Determination of Brix can either be done by measuring the density value or by the refractive index. Herein we compare these two approaches with each other and try to describe the main differences.

References

  1. ONTARIO REGULATION 119/11, „O. Reg. 119/11: Produce, Honey and Maple Products,“ [Online]. Available: www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/110119. [Zugriff am 12 2019].

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