My sugar water disaster - any chemists here?

[FordGuy]

I need some help -  I guess I'll buy my wife a new cooking pot, but somebody please tell me what is the proper formula for mixing bee sugar?  And be specific regarding cups, pounds, none of this "1-1" stuff since that is the origin of my troubles in the first place.

I thought 1-1 was in heigth of the cooker?  (basically physical space, so 1 part sugar "space" to 1 part water "space." )  so I would pour dry sugar say two inches tall, then pour water another two inches till I had four inches of mix, then heat it until clear...

my problem,   - I tried 2/1 where I put 4 inches of sugar to 2 inches of water and I ended up with a giant block of crystal candy that is good for nothing but odd conversation, weights at least 20 pounds, and has raised serious questions from visitors.  I have no business in the kitchen in the first place.  

So I'd like some chemist to chime in (I know you are out there) about proper preparation, hell I want to know the proper specific gravity of the product.  I'm through just throwing sugar and water together, adding heat  and praying.

[thegolfpsycho]

I'd like to give you the chemical propertys, the atomic weight, and the position on the chart, but it's just not rocket science.  You can do it by volume or weight, and they don't really seem to mind.  So one pound of sugar and 1 pound of water (a pint) would be 1:1   8 pounds of sugar and 1 gallon of water would be 1:1.  Heat the water up and then stir in the sugar as it cools.  No need to COOK it.  Just heat the water up enough to aid in getting the sugar into solution.

[Jerrymac]

I simply put two pints (32oz) of hot water from the kitchen faucet into a jar and ad two pounds of sugar. Stir it around a bit and go feed bees.

[lively Bee's]

This is what I use

1:1

I add 2.5 gal of water to a Pot and bring it to a boil.
I pour this in a 5 gal bucket.
I reuse the same pot and fill it back up to were the water was in the pot
"2.5" gal

I add 1/4 of this to the bucket and mix it in with a paint mixing stick
Keep adding until all the sugar is mixed in

2:1
1.25 gal of water, Boil
Add to bucket
Mix in 2.5 gal of sugar.

Sugar candy
1 qt of water
1 cup of karo syrup
5 lb of sugar.

Add water to a pot heat to 160 degrees
Add karo
Slowly add sugar keep stirring
When all the sugar is added.  Pour the mix on to a baking sheet that is lined with wax paper.

[firetool]

I just take the quart jar and almost fill it with sugarand then to the top with hot tap water and sture it up good and go feed the bees they like it good.

Brian

[TwT]

I made some last night , all I do is if I have 2 five pound bags of sugar I put 5 quarts of water in the pot ( 1 pint water for every pound sugar ), heat the water to almost boiling or boiling, take the pot of the eyelet and then pour in sugar, stir until disolved and let cool , then I put the mixture in gallon milk jugs, my wife bought me a 25 pound bag from Sams and I got my last 5 pound bag of sugar to see how many cups of sugar mawas in a 5 pound bag ( 10 cups with a pinch to spare) and its 2 cups sugar to make a pound. just my 2 cents  

[Michael Bush]

You can do it by weight or volume but you can't do it by adding sugar to the water to measure the volume unless you allow for the fact that the sugar will take up less vlolume in the water.  In other words if you add one gallon of water and one gallon of syrup you will get 1:1 sugar syrup.  But you will NOT get two gallons of syrup.  You'll only get about a gallon and a half or so.  So adding one gallon of water and adding sugar to the water until you have two gallons of syrup will be much closer to 2:1 and maybe even stronger.

I mix the 1:1 with hot tap water.  I mix the two to one into boiling water.

[tejas]

I do 2 1/2 quarts of water to 5lbs. sugar for spring and cut the water in half in fall.