I'm baffled; I'm mystified, I'm confused. The more I look up and read about the conversion of sugar to ethylalcohol, the more confused I get. Virtually everyone seems to state something else. The numbers go from 17 grams of sugar for 1 vol.% of alcohol in a liter to as much as 21 grams or even more. I know, I know: 180 grams of sugar convert theoretically into 92 grams of alcohol. Density of alcohol is 0,794 (15C/15C), so 92:180 = 0,5111, so
0,5111 x 100 : 0,974 (density)= 0,6437. 17 grams of sugar = 17 x 0,6437 10.940 ml which gives 1,094 vol% in a liter. But somehow I don't believe that. Apart from the fact that is is a theoretical yield, and you can"t get that far in real life, I am missing the "shrinking factor" because 1 liter of water and 1 liter of alcohol put together don't make up 2 liters, but less. Now I don't know how to put things in the right spot. Help is wanted. When I want to make a "light" wine I don't want to end up with far too less alcohol.I would appreciate the theory but would enjoy to also hear from the old foxes in the art of winemaking. Lum?
Ed