Mead and Math question

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wineforfun

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I put together a batch of JAOM last night. However, I had a container that read 5lb. (80oz.) of honey. So I measured out, in a Pyrex measuring cup 3 - 16oz. cup fulls, equaling my 3lb. (I was using 3 instead of 3 1/2 to dry it up some). The thing is, that took all of the "5lb. (80oz.)" of honey.
I then took a 48oz. container of water and filled up the empty honey container and it nearly filled it all the way up.
So am I doing the math wrong or could I assume the container is mismarked?
 
I am guessing, but , honey is denser than water. Therefore a smaller volume will weigh as much as a larger volume of water. Hope this makes sense to you, think it does to me, lol, Arne.
 
Well, then I may have a problem with my mead as I used nearly the whole container. Thanks Arne.
 
You are correct Arne, I used the "interweb" and looked it up. 1lb honey=1 1/3c. Guess I will dump it out tonight and start over. I should have used 4c instead of 6c.
Still a little confused at how the label reads 80oz., unless that is honey oz. :)
 
Wineforfum, I am from the UK, (Scotland) and have lived in the USA for a long time (Just became a citizen on 9/11 - 2012), so for me a cup is really a volume measure although it can approximate weight (1 C sugar will not weigh the same as a 1 C water or 1 C honey). An ounce (oz) is a weight and 80 oz of feathers will weigh precisely the same 80 oz of steel or 80 oz of honey but the volume of each will be very different. I think you may be trying to use a kind of rule of thumb approximation for a relationship between volume and weight that is OK when used for small quantities of only a small range of items. (1 C of grapes will weigh considerably more than 1 C of dandelion petals) When you work with larger weights then I would think the rule of thumb breaks down as those assumptions about relationships between volume and weight no longer hold.
 
Wineforfum, I am from the UK, (Scotland) and have lived in the USA for a long time (Just became a citizen on 9/11 - 2012), so for me a cup is really a volume measure although it can approximate weight (1 C sugar will not weigh the same as a 1 C water or 1 C honey). An ounce (oz) is a weight and 80 oz of feathers will weigh precisely the same 80 oz of steel or 80 oz of honey but the volume of each will be very different. I think you may be trying to use a kind of rule of thumb approximation for a relationship between volume and weight that is OK when used for small quantities of only a small range of items. (1 C of grapes will weigh considerably more than 1 C of dandelion petals) When you work with larger weights then I would think the rule of thumb breaks down as those assumptions about relationships between volume and weight no longer hold.

Yes, I am still a little confused on how the container comes up with 80oz when it only holds 50'ish oz of water but I do see where the 1C of honey is different than 1C water, etc.
 
You could just adjust your recipie for the extra honey you usws.

I only have 1gal carboys so this is not an option. The recipe is pretty specific on not altering things.
I will just dump it out and take it as a lesson learned. Just out some honey.
 
Split it into another gal. and you will probablly be ok. Add extra fruit and you should be able to make it work without pitchin it. Arne.
 
Like Arne says and also try a different yeast that will dry it out the way you want. Honey cost way too much money to just dump it out. I only use recipies as a guide you can do what ever you like. More honey only means higher ABV or more risidule sugar. All could be blended away after fermentaion or during.
 
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I may try that(to split it). My problem right now is I have too many batches brewing and no carboys available. Will see what I can come up with. Thanks for all the help.
 
1 US gallon of water = 8 pounds
1 US gallon of Honey = 12+ pounds, depending on the amount of water
Unfortunately we dont use the metric system, and use ounces for weight and volume. You keep seem to be mixing up weight and volume.

WVMJ
 
Yes, I am still a little confused on how the container comes up with 80oz when it only holds 50'ish oz of water but I do see where the 1C of honey is different than 1C water, etc.

80 oz is 5 pounds. 16 oz equals 1 pound. 5 x 16 = 80. The 80 oz on your honey container is not liquid ounces, it's weight. You should have been weighing it on a scale not measuring it in cups or other methods of liquid measurement.

LOUMIK:hny2
 
At worst case if u only have 1 carboy is freeze the leftover. It will be fine.
 
yeah, whatever you do... do not dump it....
concur, and the OP should get a damn hydrometer and a 5 gallon (or so) mixing bucket.

There's little point in messing around with weights and volumes when you've got variables like the difference between fluid and "normal" ounces and the different density against weight issues.

A hydrometer will allow you to add honey to water and mix it in, then measure. If the result is low (start smaller, as it's easy to add a bit more, but considerably harder to remove sugars or reduce the gravity if it's too high) then add a bit more (half pound increments are reasonably managable).

Don't do what beer makers do and try to get all the fermentable sugars in up front. If you want something that's about 18% ABV, then remember, that strength is equivalent to 133 gravity point drop, so rather than starting at 1.133, start with say, 1.100 and when it's dropped to something like 1.050, add more honey to increase the gravity. You could add enough to bring it back up to 1.083, but it's easier and less stressful to the yeast if you added say enough to increase the 1.050 back up to 1.070 then when it's dropped again to about the 1.050 area add the last part to bring it back up about to 1.063 then provided you don't get any pH issues and that the batch is well enough nourished it should drop to 1.000 - if you've used a yeast that will get to that (K1-V1116, EC-1118, DV10, etc etc).

All that can be done in a bucket (with grommet and airlock) then be moved to a fermenter to finish and throw it's first sediment etc.....
 
concur, and the OP should get a damn hydrometer and a 5 gallon (or so) mixing bucket.


=QUOTE]

I have a hydrometer, but not sure what a damn hydrometer is.

Yes, it was my mistake, and won't happen again. I mixed up weight and liquid ounces.
 
Jump in your car, run up to 84th & L behind just good meats fermenters supply has gal. jugs for sale. Think last time I saw them they were less than $5. Get a bung and airlock too and you are ready to go. Arne.
 
concur, and the OP should get a damn hydrometer and a 5 gallon (or so) mixing bucket.


=QUOTE]

I have a hydrometer, but not sure what a damn hydrometer is.

Yes, it was my mistake, and won't happen again. I mixed up weight and liquid ounces.

Don't blame yourself. Imperial measures are fundamentally confusing, non intuitive and not very friendly. Heck! NASA crashed a hundred million dollar orbiter on Mars in 1999 because they muddled imperial and metric measurements. One of the beauties of metric measures is that weights and volumes are simple to calculate and use: so 100 ccs (or ml) is 10 percent of a liter (1000 ccs) and 100 gms = 10 percent of 1 Kg (1000 gms) and 1 liter of water weighs 1 kg (at 4 C and at the surface of the planet) - Compare that to: 16 ozs = 1 lb (so 1 oz = 6.25 percent of 1 lb) and 1 gallon (US) of water weighs about 8.35 lb but 1 British gallon is 1/5 larger than 1 gallon which weighs 10 lbs...

We seem to prefer to design in problems rather than design them out...
 

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