specific gravity to alcohol - hydrometer readings scare me.

Don't worry yourself, you're reading it wrong. Your hydrometer potential alcohol probably shows -1.3% alcohol or something, and that's why you think you have no alcohol, correct?

Here's the steps to really read it. Take potential alcohol content of your original SG reading(Before adding yeast), which with an SG of 1.095 gives you a potential alcohol of 12.6%. Then SUBTRACT the potential alcohol of your current reading, which is -1.3%. so 12.6% - negative 1.3% gives you an alcohol level of 13.9%. So actually starting to drift over into high alcohol area(for regular store bought wines most of what I buy ranges from

Dave, All is well, you take the beginning gravity and subtract the finished gravity to determine the rough amount of alcohol, you are over 12% without looking anything up. Sooner or later the hydrometer will stop falling, fermentation will cease.

The way to check the hydrometer is to place it in distilled water at the temp it's rated for, usually 60 or 68F. It should read 1.000. The reason yours is lower in wine is because alcohol has a specific gravity of 0.79 and you have over 12% volume of alcohol replacing water in the solution.

I really don't make kits but wine is wine; to be honest I really don't go in for all of this 'in between' racking. I let it ferment down to dry and then rack. (Most of my wine is made from fresh juice, i do make some from grapes too.)

Most people who make kits say that time makes them better just like any other wine so don't be concerned about doing things at specific times, several months of aging will change any wine.

Joe

DAve Allis> Hi.

With the kits, the instructions state to rack when the wine is 1.010 or below from the primary fermenter into a secondary fermenter. Often, many people don't do this "in-between" rack, and just leave the must in the primary fermenter until it's done fermenting, or dry, i.e. no more sugar. Van

throw the hydrometer in the trash and give it the sniff and taste test.

hydrometers are for people making stuff for sale, you aren't.

Dave, I meant wait until the wine is dry or quits bubbling for the most part. Once all of the sugar that can be converted is consumed by the yeast you will literally see the activity cease. The wine will also begin to clear since there is no turbulence.

I disagree on the 'throw the hyrdometer away' comment, if you are making wine from kits you may not need it but it's the best $10 you will spend if making wine from anything else.

You will eventually develop a sense of taste that gets you close but the device is pretty foolproof.

Joe

Thanks for all the inputs. I guess I should add "taste and smell" to the hyrdometer testing, never occur'd to me to do that. So I learned another trick. But I will keep the hyrdometer. Dry means done. no more sugars converting. Got it. thanks. The Pinot Noir is in final stage... can't wait. :*)

DAve

Joe Sallustio wrote:

i like the hydrometer, its lets you know where your at,and thats especially important for us newbee's. was talking to an experienced wine-beer maker and told her how my granddads beer blew some corks after bottled. he said that was because it wasnt done fermenting,and if grandad had had a hydrometer he would have known when it was done.best regards,lucas