If you have a wine with low total alcohol, say 10%, and wanted to raise it up a couple % using 70 or 80 proof vodka, short of trial and error, is there an EASY mathmatecal solution for a 5 gallon carboy? I'm sure there must be some kind of a formula.Thanks.
Use a pearsons square, or a web based calculator.
Treetoad,
Droopy is right, you should use the Pearson's Square to make the calculation. My personal advice, though, is to use grain alcohol, rather than vodka. Vodka is 40% alcohol (80 proof), but grain acohol is 95% acohol (190 proof). The primary benefit of using grain alcohol is that less volume is needed, therefore, there is less dilution of your wine, and therefore more of the original wine character is preserved.
Regards,
Gary
Thanks guys. I sometimes forget aboutJK's web site when I start pondering stuff.The "pearsons square was exactly what I was looking for, and very easy to use. Unfortunately, in Pennsylvania, you need a pharmacists liscence to buy grain alcohol, so I'll have to live with a little bit of dilution.Thanks again for the point in the right direction.
Can't you get everclear at a state shop? That would be ideal.
Not in PA..
Depending on the amount of fortification desired, you could put the wine in a plastic container and partially freeze it. Remove the water and you have instant fortified wine. Repeat as desired. Downside: less liquid, upside: more flavor. This is like distilling, only with out the smoke trace that the revenooers look for. Also you can get grain alcohol: volka. Right? Or travel to the next state and check that out.
Sean
probably a LOT cheaper to half freeze it and filter out the slush.
I think that's no doubt illegal if you live in a "free" country such as the United States of America.
That's become the rule in many states; but consider 100 proof vodka instead. You can get that at any state store in PA, I'm using it to make Limoncello. It's not wine, but you have to branch out once in a while...
Joe
Unfortunately, in Pennsylvania, you need a
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