Vinometer

[dantrubak]

Vinometers......Are these things worth a damn? Or is it a complete waste of time? I have read on some sites that you have to double the reading to get the alcohol content. Other sites say what it says is what it is. I have measured some store bought wine that I have and it seemed to be accurate based on what the bottle of wine states. Please advise!

Thanks!

 

[djrockinsteve]

Many of us have them. No one uses them as far as I know. We shall refrain from telling you our feelings on these.

 

[dantrubak]

Fair enough. I think I understand.

 

[BobF]

Many of us have them. No one uses them as far as I know. We shall refrain from telling you our feelings on these.

I won't refrain. They aren't worth the raw materials they're made from, much less their price. $5 bux isn't gonna' break me, but a vinometer was the most wasted winemaking $$ I've spent.

Second to the vinometer was the double-lever corker.

And don't forget the $3 I wasted on pH test strips!

 

[ibglowin]

We need to start a thread entitled what's the most worthless thing you have purchased for winemaking! Mine was a 10 pack of Accuvin SO2 test kits. Totally worthless IMHO!

 

[sjo]

We need to start a thread entitled what's the most worthless thing you have purchased for winemaking! Mine was a 10 pack of Accuvin SO2 test kits. Totally worthless IMHO!

Ouch, that hurts. I just picked up a pack of those.
SJO

 

[Wade E]

Yep, the Vinometer is worthless if there is any residual sugar at all left in the wine. A bucket of grape juice was my biggest waste of money right next to the acid test kit. Dble lever corker is next in line. It worked so it wasnt a waste but was more work then I care to encounter doing something I like. As for juice buckets. Ive mad e a few and couldnt stand the results of any of them. Grapes or kits is the way to go. The acid test kit was hit or miss as every time I tested it came out with different numbers.

 

[ibglowin]

Every winemaker should try them once. It will make you see the need for easier and more accurate testing. Its the color reaction. They all look the same to most people. If you have really good/great color perception you may be able to do better than many/most of us.

Ouch, that hurts. I just picked up a pack of those.
SJO

 

[sjo]

Every winemaker should try them once. It will make you see the need for easier and more accurate testing. Its the color reaction. They all look the same to most people. If you have really good/great color perception you may be able to do better than many/most of us.

Mike,
"It will make you see the need for easier and more accurate testing."
I ended up with these because everything else I saw appeared to be quite a bit more complicated and time consuming.
I have seen some kits for around $100 that I think had some kind of a small pump. Are these simple to use?
How do others check S02?
Sjo

 

[Wade E]

The Vinmetrica SC 100 is probably the easiest unit but is $245. The unit with the pump is what IBGlowin uses and he swears by it. Me, I have the Hanna S02 unit and its very expensive at $760 and is also very easy and very accurate and can be calibrated unlike the Vinmetrica. Thats the reason I went big because IMO of you dont have a known then how do you really know the unknown. I believe the unit that is $100 is called the AO system and I believe Morewine.com sells it.

 

[BobF]

morewine does in fact have a $100 A/O setup for SO2 testing. I have it and it works well. It is a bit time consuming, but not too bad.

The biggest problem people have with A/O is sourcing phosphoric acid at a reasonable price. Any bigger than a small qty has HAZMAT shipping surcharges.

I picked up a liter of 75% for $13 at a shop in St Louis. Diluted to 25% for running tests thats about 300 tests worth. Cheap.

IIRC there are videos out there demonstrating the A/O process.

 

[ibglowin]

I think the more wine a/o rig has gone up to $130 now. It seems easy to use to me but then I work in chemistry by day. More wine has great tutorial videos on you tube so you can try (sorta) before you buy. The vinmetrica is probably the easiest to use but the A/O rig is the cheapest especially if you can find a source for phosphoric acid (pool supply or tile and grout cleaner).

 

[BobF]

There is also the question of whether or not the vinmetrica is good for reds. A question I don't know the answer to, but I'm sure A/O (properly used) can be used with reds with reliable results.

Any vinmetrica users out there that can comment?

 

[Brian]

I agree with Mike we SHOULD start a thread with the most worthless items we have purchased. Anybody that has been doing this for a while has a shelf or a box with items that they no longer use. I myself have a vinometer, a hand corker, and a brake bleeder among other items on my shelf. I thought about putting them on ebay but do not want to steer another winemaker astray..

 

[BobF]

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16053