Hydrometer..question??

I went without a hydrometer for about 9 months, before I bought one. It isn't necessary, but it certainly helps quite a bit. However, I only test my wine when I rack. As an example, if I rack 3-4 times in a 7 month period before I bottle, then I only test 3-4 times. I did not use the balloon method, but I've heard about it. A bung & airlock cost about $1.50-$2 total. A balloon won't keep the bugs out or dust or anything else (germs) floating around in the air. A balloon will also allow air into your wine which can cause oxidation. A bung & airlock will protect your wine from bugs, dust, and other stuff; plus, it will keep oxygen away from your wine when you're bulk aging. Hope this helps. Darlene

Dar, You don't check the OG when you first start? I check the OG, the about every other time I rack, not every time.

Ever used a refractometer? I'm thinking of getting one. I do

1 gallon batches, and a couple drops makes a far smaller dent in my batch than filling that chimney jar. If anyone's used one, will it work on straight grape juice, and at every stage up to bottling? Any recomendations?

Thanks. Greg

P.S. Here's a link to Jack Keller's page that talks about Balloon Wine.

Greg, Yes, forgot about that - I do check the SG before I add the yeast, but I don't test a lot (or at least I don't think I do). Have not used a refractometer. Darlene

Yes, you can drive a car without a gas guage, too, but how will you know how much gas you have in the tank? The hydrometer will tell you how much sugar you have at each step of the winemaking. When I started making wine I accidently dropped mine so now I have several on hand. I chuckle when I hear of using the balloon method. My brother made wine "secretly" in his closet using a balloon. I remember it was a mess when it exploded. The lessons we learn! Hopefully...

Pierre

What's "OG"?

clyde

Hi Clyde - Looks like some beer terminology slips in here every once in a while. We beer makers talk about OG (original gravity), FG (final gravity), TG (terminal gravity), SG (specific gravity or starting gravity). Lots of gravities.

This just came up in our KC Cellarmasters club. We are in the process of writing up the Entry Packet for the November wine contest. I wanted to put some specific numbers in the part that talks about dry, semi-dry or sweet wines. I thought brix values would be sufficient but some of the fellows thought we should include specific gravity equivalents because some winemakers don't have brix hydrometers. So, I used "SG" to refer to specific gravity values. Of course, this caused all kinds of confusion, even among the Cellarmaster members who are all conversant in wine making terms. So in the end I used "sp.gr." to refer to specific gravity values. Clear as mud.

Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas

Even if you "try to use it for drunkeness alone", it doesn't matter "exactly how much alcohol is in it". But that's not the purpose of the hydrometer. [If you want to know precisely how much alcohol is in your finished wine, you need an ebuliometer, or you need to distill the sample before measuring the SG, and perform some calculations).

One needs to measure the brix (percent sugar by volume) prior to fermentation for several reasons: If the brix (and therefore the POTENTIAL alcohol) is too low, you will need to add sugar. A wine less than 10% alcohol will not keep properly. Conversely, if the brix is too high, the potential alcohol may be higher than the yeast can tolerate, or higher than you wish your finished beverage to be, and you will need to dilute the must (or sell the grapes to someone who likes high octane beverage).

A hydrometer is not essential for this task. Some people have a sensitive enough palate, that they can ascertain by taste if the sugar is in an acceptable range. There are also other (more expensive and/or complicated) means of determining the brix. The hydrometer is preferable because it is more accurate than (most) palates, and less expensive and/or easier to use than (most) alternatives.

One needs to measure the brix during fermentation to monitor its progress and determine the right time to perform certain steps. For example, if one is sugar-feeding (to produce a higher alcohol wine than the yeast would normally tolerate), it is essential to monitor the SG to know when (and if) to add more sugar. Similarly, some people prefer to press when the SG reaches a certain stage (although others prefer to wait until the cap drops). If one does NOT wish a dry wine, one might wish to stop the fermentation at a certain SG (although it is generally considered better to allow the wine to ferment to dryness, and then add sweetener to the desired level). And, just because the bubbles stop, does NOT mean that the wine has fermented to dryness. The fermentation might have stuck at a higher level, leaving you with an overly-sweet wine. Also, if the SG is dropping at a lower (or higher) than normal rate (for that type of wine), you may have some sort of problem which can be corrected now. For example, you may wish to increase or decrease the must temperature.

Again, one can do without a hydrometer. There are other (more expensive or complicated) means of determining this data, or one can make wine without considering them or by guesswork --- and risk ending up with wines that are overly-sweet or lower in alcohol than desired.

[A side note. If you observe proper sanitation procedures and clean your test equipment and environment, there is no reason the sample taken for testing the SG cannot be returned to the fermenting must. So testing the SG daily will not result in a significant loss of wine.]

Most of us try to achieve some consistancy in results. If we use the same ingredients, recipe, and procedure, we expect to obtain the same wine this procedure yielded in the past. If we wish variety, we vary (and document) these factors --- so we can reproduce the results if we like. Tools such as a hydrometer help us achieve this purpose and make consistently great wines. A ruined wine is not "fun" for most people.

Oooh, I will indeed. I'll spend a weekend touring the MO wineries this October. Can't Wait!

Don't mean to get picky, Aaron, (well maybe it do) but a tool is an object used to accomplish a task. Not a part of the body. I know where you are coming from and the nose and taste and even sight are more important to a winemaker than any tool, but by your definition, a dog is a tool user when he tracks down a rabbit.

Then again, you use your definition and I will use mine, and we can recreate the tower of babble as we drink our wine.

Enough wine and no word will mean anything and we will have reached a state of bliss.

;o)

Ray

Agreed! See you at the top!

I agree that it's not "required" Personally, I like to be able to tell people, or put it on the label, just how much alcohol is in there. I'm not entirely certain, but doesn't a wine need to be something like 12% to keep any length of time?

Greg

Greg Smith snipped-for-privacy@spamblocker.netzero.net Remove "spamblocker" to e-mail

But of course!

We're getting along just fine. 'Bout halfway through crush at this points.... the white half.

Thanks for the plug John. I commented on some of your wines several months back, but I guess you missed them. Folks were asking for your raspberry secrets. I think we have a couple bottles left..... kT has stashed them so I'm not sure where they are!?! She and her girlfriend are rather fond of that fruit stuff!!! I have trouble when someone calls me a fruit wine drinker. Just my own sexual insecurity, I guess.

clyde

Greg, be sure to give me a heads up when you're passing by this way sos I can be sure to be around. Maybe do some barrel samples.

clyde

So I mis-typed. So sue me.

The po>>

Greg Smith snipped-for-privacy@spamblocker.netzero.net Remove "spamblocker" to e-mail

My lawyer will be calling you in the morning.

I knew of OG and SG, even though I do everything by Brix. Wasn't quite sure if you had mistyped or if I was missing something. I hate to miss something: don't mind mistyping.... done the ol' fat finger myself.

clyde