Help! BRIX and Hydrometer don't imply same thing!

mandie14 · Oct 9, 2014

Hello everyone,

I am a UK girl making wine in a very small family inherited vineyard only 100 vines in France.

This is my third year, year 1 was a disaster, year 2 is drinkable and I am in the middle of year 3. This wine is for home consumption only.

I hope you learned people will be able to help me out from time to time. I have a question now about BRIX and specific gravity.

My red wine (unknown grape variety) is in primary fermentation at 25C. I am measuring BRIX and specific gravity with a hydrometer and getting different answers. I only have 30 litres.

eg today (this is day 4 after adding the yeast, BRIX started at 21.4)
9.5 BRIX and 1.014 (I have checked the zero on the refractometer, and the hydrometer was floating although the juice is thick). It tastes great! and I got a whack of CO2 so it must be still fermenting!

yesterday it was 12.2 and 1.030

Hope you have some advice for me!

Many, many thanks!

))

Julie · Oct 9, 2014

not sure if I understand but if you are measuring brix witha refractometer, it will not work on a fermenting wine. At this point you need to just use your hydrometer.

dralarms · Oct 9, 2014

First, you can't measure brix using a refractometer after fermentation has begun. Also you need to strain off some juice (no pulp) to get a proper reading with the hydrometer.

Welcome to TGO.

grapeman · Oct 9, 2014

You can use the refractometer after fermentation has begun but you need to use a correction table to get the true reading. For a small batch just use the hydrometer in a tube of must/wine. As long as it is clean you can replace it when done.

sour_grapes · Oct 9, 2014

I posted some info on this topic in your "introduction" thread before I saw this thread.

mandie14 · Oct 9, 2014

Thanks everybody!

Stupid me with BRIX changing and alcohol, all thanks for that!

I pressed the wine today and the sg was 1.005. Since I am trying MLB for the first time, and can't use SO2 to protect, I got scared and decided to rack into carbouys and put bubblers on. Will work out what to do with the MLF tomorrow!

jestvick · Oct 9, 2014

Hello everyone just saw this post about brix. I am new to the wine making. I have a few vines that have really produced lots of grapes. When I check the brix before fermentation and it was 10, and that seems low from what I have read. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

grapeman · Oct 10, 2014

You need to let tyhem ripen more to get the sugar higher. What variety are they? Some don't make as much sugar as others. Also overcropping tends to give lower sugar levels. A vine can only make so much sugar and the more grapes you get, the lower the average amount as the sugar tends to get spread between all the clusters.