how to use a hydrometer for newbies

[jdrum]

yep i agree, must have been closer to the bottom of that glass of liquid apple pie than i thought.
if i could figure out how to delete edit images i will replace with a corrected image

jim

 

[Micah]

Great tutorial on how to read the hydrometer.

If possible I would expand a bit on it and talk about what the hydrometer is measuring, why it's important and how to calculate final alcohol content from the numbers that have been collected during the process.

From my own anecdotal experience, those were the items missing that kept me from really utilizing this important tool. I would take a measurement and go, "Great. The SG is 1.028. I have no idea what that means or why it's important but it's definitely 1.028 and the instructions with my kit say it should be below 1.1 so I'll go ahead and move on."

I'm know I still don't utilize everything the hydrometer tells me but even a rudimentary explanation on the What and Why would be a huge help along with the How when it comes to the hydrometer.

 

[jdrum]

hear is the next bit to add, thanks to micha for pointing me in this direction,.

HERE IS THE DIRECTIONS THAT CAME WITH MY HYDROMETER

TRIPLE SCALE BEER AND WINE HYDROMETER, 60 DEGREE F

RANGES SPECIFIC GRAVITY 0.990 TO 1.170
BALLING OR BRIX 0 TO 38% SUGAR BY WEIGHT
POTENTIAL ALCOHOL BY VOLUME 0 TO 20%

A hydrometer measures the weight of a liquid in relation to water, the weight of water on a SPECIFIC GRAVITY scale is expressed as 1.000.
As you add sugar or other soluble solids, the numbers will increase, i.e. 1.010 to 1.020 up to 1.100 and more.
1 cup sugar raises 1 gallon's s.g. by .020 = 1cup raises s.g. from 1.050 to 1.070
5 cups raises 5 gallons' s.g. by .020 = 5 cups raises.g. from 1.040 to1.060

The BALLING or BRIX scale tells you the percentage of sugar by weight.
1 cup sugar raises 5 gallons liquid aproximately 1 degree Brix

The ALCOHOL scale is actually the potential alcohol.
( Just reading the scale will tell you about how much alcohol you can expect from a batch of wine if the must ferments to dry or below 0%. this gives you a ballpark figure to work with. there are to many varables to predict just the exzact amount of alcohol a batch of must will produce, but if everything goes right, it should be close

In order to determine the alcohol content in wine, you need to take two readings.
the first reading is taken before fermentation (before you pitch the yeast).
the second reading is taken after all fermentation has stopped.
Subtract the second reading from the first reading and the result is the potential alcohol

FOR EXAMPLE
1ST READING 12% ( = 1.090 SG)
2ND READING 0% ( = 1.000 SG)
____________________
POTENTIAL ABV 12%

OR

1ST READING 13% (=1.098 SG)
2ND READING 1% (=1.008 SG)
POTENTIAL ABV 12%


TO USE YOUR HYDROMETER:
Put a sample of your must or wine in a hydrometer jar, (or any slim vessel as deep as the hydrometer is tall, and you can see through, many of us just float it in the primary fermenter bucket. i started out using the plastic tube the hydrometer came in.)
then give the hydrometer a spin to dislodge any bubbles .
Then at eye level read the numbers where the liquid cross the stem of the hydrometer.
this figure will tell you how much sugar is in your must and the potential abv.
with these figures you can adjust the sugar according to the style wine you wish to produce.

( YOU WILL ADD SUGAR OR HONEY TO RAISE THE THE POTENTIAL ABV . )

TEMERATURE CORRECTIONS:
This hydrometer gives accurate readings when the temp of the liquid is at 60 degrees.
The following tables show how to correct for temp variations,

TEMP. DEGREES F. SPEC. GRAV. CORRECTION
50............................... SUBTRACT 1/2 EXAMPLE
60.................................................... 0 TEMP OF MUST IS 84
70.............................. ADD............ 1 SP GRAV. IS 1.100
77.............................. ADD ........... 2 CORRECTION FIG IS... .003
84.............................. ADD............ 3 CORRECTED SG IS.... 1.103
95.............................. ADD............ 5

THE ABOVE TABLES ARE NOT REALLY NESSESARY AS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE FINAL RESULTS DOSE NOT AMOUNT TO MUCH.


( THESE NOTES ARE A C/P FROM ANOTHER POST ON ANOTHER FORUM)

These are notes I've written in the back of my Wine Log Book over the years. They're not all exact, but close enough for my use in winemaking. I've gathered them here and there and thought I'd share them. Maybe they'll help someone figure out a batch of wine. Be sure and double check before taking my word for it, in case I'm wrong or make a typing mistake. I know for many of you this will be stuff you already know, but it helped me to have it written in the back of my book. Hope it helps someone else!

SUGAR NOTES

2 oz. (4 TBSP) sugar raises 1 gallon's s.g. by .005
1 cup sugar raises 1 gallon's s.g. by .020
5 cups raises 5 gallons' s.g. by .020
4# sugar = 9.44 cups
1# sugar = 2.36 cups
5# sugar = 11.8 cups
10# sugar = 23.6 cups
1# sugar in 5 gallons liquid will raise Potential Alcohol 1%


Sweetness:
1# sugar = 3 cups corn sugar
4# sugar = 5# honey
3# sugar = 5# raisins
1# sugar = 20 oz. grape concentrate

Using BRIX, % Sugar:
1 cup sugar raises 5 gallons liquid aproximately 1 degree Brix

jim

 

[Wade E]

To edit stuff like that you have to click edit then select Go Advanced and near the bottom there will be manage attachments.

 

[jdrum]

thanks again wade, it's funny how somethings can be right in front of you and you don't see them. I CAN'T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES.

JIM

 

[Micah]

A whole lot of excellent info.

Good stuff Jim. Just along the lines of what I was thinking and then some.

 

[jdrum]

this is what i want to do, somebody give me the idea and i will try to dig up the info. this way i learn as i try to help others, and i don't mind being corrected if i get off line. because i'm just learning this stuff to.

jim

 

[ev-c]

do SG readings tend to go up or down during primary fermentation?

 

[rhoffart]

do SG readings tend to go up or down during primary fermentation?

Down, as the sugar is converted to alcohol the Specific Gravity will drop.

 

[ev-c]

Oops, didn't see that there were extra pages I could have read after the first one...still figuring this site out. Makes sense, thank you!

 

[soatman]

Help with a hydrometer

Hello,
This may be a little confusing, and thanks if anyone can help.

I am making a mead have been for a few months now.

I have one hydrometer that I was using then it broke so I bought another different brand. But both did say they were for wine or beer. They both had the three scales SP PAV and Brix. But there scales were off from one another.(some may think the amount is not much but I am working toward getting a Permit for sale in the future so it is off). It was the Brix and PAV that were different.

I look around online for days and found so many different conversions to figure AV from specific gravity differences. There are a lot of tables online that you can put in your numbers and they give a AV so there has to be a conversion, what is the correct one?

etc.
SGO-SGF x 131 = AV%

% Alcohol = ((1.05 x (SGO – SGF)) / SGF) / 0.79

 

[Kev]

Hydrometer accuracy

Brand new to wine making. Concerned about some of the numbers I am getting.

Started with some big reds ( Luna Rossa by WE for example) with a starting SG of 1.095. That part seems OK. After the specified time in the primary and then the secondary the SG only get down to 1.00. Waited a few extra days, it does not budge, so I stabilize. I now have three reds that are in the .99 to 1.01 range. How will this impact the quality of the wine, and the alcohol level?

Will they be off dry and low alcohol? I do have another one that went to 0.96.

Not sure if this is stuck fermentation, or an inaccurate hydrometer. So I tried it in room temperature water ( tap and RO). It read 1.02. Should it not read 1.00?

Also my fermenting room in the basement may be a bit cold. 19-20C or 68F. Could that be an issue?

 

[Kev]

This is what I am brewing if that helps any.

Kev

 

[jdrum]

recheck your hydrometer and check the temp of your water, most hyd are calibrated at 60 degrees .
as for your fermenting temp 68 degrees should be fine for your white wines,
reds normaly work better a little higher, 75 degrees.

abv % should only vary a 1 % or thereabouts still high enough to keep well

more important is the taste if it tastes good now it will only get better.
it looks like you do mostly kits so follow the directions but warm up your reds and you should finnish out under 1.000
jim

 

[cpfan]

Brand new to wine making. Concerned about some of the numbers I am getting.

Started with some big reds ( Luna Rossa by WE for example) with a starting SG of 1.095. That part seems OK. After the specified time in the primary and then the secondary the SG only get down to 1.00. Waited a few extra days, it does not budge, so I stabilize. I now have three reds that are in the .99 to 1.01 range. How will this impact the quality of the wine, and the alcohol level?

Will they be off dry and low alcohol? I do have another one that went to 0.96.

Not sure if this is stuck fermentation, or an inaccurate hydrometer. So I tried it in room temperature water ( tap and RO). It read 1.02. Should it not read 1.00?

Also my fermenting room in the basement may be a bit cold. 19-20C or 68F. Could that be an issue?

Kev:

You need to start quoting your sg readings as 3 decimal places. Your hydrometer probably read 1.002 when you tested it. Your wines are probably .99? to 1.001. This is OK, depending on the wine. Adjusted for your hydrometer this is .99? to .999.

This is most important if you start calculating alcohol. (1.095 - 1.02) * 133 = 10%. This is wrong. (1.095 - 1.002) * 133 = 12.37%. This is better.

Steve

 

[DeniseHogemann]

Thanks!

Thanks for all the wonderful information. It sure helped verify alot of stuff that I wasn't too sure if I had right or not.

 

[Kev]

Kev:

You need to start quoting your sg readings as 3 decimal places. Your hydrometer probably read 1.002 when you tested it. Your wines are probably .99? to 1.001. This is OK, depending on the wine. Adjusted for your hydrometer this is .99? to .999.

This is most important if you start calculating alcohol. (1.095 - 1.02) * 133 = 10%. This is wrong. (1.095 - 1.002) * 133 = 12.37%. This is better.

Steve

Good point. I wish somebody made a hydrometer with bigger numbers on it. I have one of those triple scale types. I printed out this post, and will go practice with it, to get the hang of reading those three digits correctly.

Kev

 

[cpfan]

Good point. I wish somebody made a hydrometer with bigger numbers on it. I have one of those triple scale types. I printed out this post, and will go practice with it, to get the hang of reading those three digits correctly.

Kev, I believe that the one pictured in the first post is an ALLA hydrometer. It has pretty much the biggest numbers. Usually, the problem (for this oldie) is seeing the ticks between the numbers.

Steve

 

[jdrum]

kev if you still have the paper that came with your hyd look there it should tell you what temp the hyd is calibrated at.

jim

 

[bhmjones]

can you guys confirm if it harms anything to simply leave the hydrometer and thermometer floating in the must during the entire primary fermentation period?