hydrometer readings

[chris889671]

I may have miss read the first reading of 1.025 for my vino del vida Merlot kit. I was doing some math last night and came up with 4.5% alc. by vol. my merlot has fermented for one week after pitching the yeast and is at 1.000 sg. The beginning reading of 1.025 seemed very low. do i need to adjust sugar and ferment again or leave it. im still not certain I read it correctly in the beginning being new at this. is there another way to test alc. content?

 

[cpfan]

Although it's a few years since I made a VdeV Merlot, my memory says that they started around 1.080-1.085. Your low reading may be a mis-reading or perhaps you did not stir the water & concentrate sufficiently prior to talking the reading.

Steve

 

[robie]

Sometimes the hydrometer can stick to one side of its tube and give a wrong reading. Don't know how you tested yours, but I would suspect your reading was off. As already mentioned, a reading of 1.085 or a little above is what you likely had. It would not be conceivable that it would have been 1.025.

Just go ahead and ferment it out. It should be fine. Although you will never know for sure what the alcohol content really is.

They sell a device that checks for alcohol level. Sorry I don't remember what it is called, but it is notoriously inaccurate. I would not waste my money buying one. Someone else will remember the name and jump in here.

 

[rhoffart]

ditto ... I would not add sugar to a kit, I did that once and the result was not positive.

 

[cpfan]

They sell a device that checks for alcohol level. Sorry I don't remember what it is called, but it is notoriously inaccurate. I would not waste my money buying one. Someone else will remember the name and jump in here.

It's a vinometer, and despite being inexpensive, it's still a waste of money. And a waste of time when you try to use it.

At least in my opinion (and many others).

Steve

 

[chris889671]

thanks everyone for the advice. I guess I,ll check the alc. the ol' fashion way, drink it.

 

[djrockinsteve]

With a kit if you add all that you are suppose to you should be close to the recommended specific gravity.

 

[gwm72513]

Be sure to give your hydrometer a quick spin in the test tube before you take your reading, to make sure it's free floating.

 

[naperwineguy]

You should calabrate your hydrometer! Its pretty easy to do.

Water should have a brix reading of 0 at 60 degrees

You can also mix up a water/sugar mixture to a known brix level and then test your hydrometer that way to insure both ends of the scale are calibrated correctly on your hydrometer.

 

[robie]

You should calabrate your hydrometer! Its pretty easy to do.

Water should have a brix reading of 0 at 60 degrees

You can also mix up a water/sugar mixture to a known brix level and then test your hydrometer that way to insure both ends of the scale are calibrated correctly on your hydrometer.

Not knowing your water source and quality, I would use distilled water. Make sure your hydrometer is calibrated for 60F and not 68F. If 68F, make sure water is 68F.

 

[naperwineguy]

Not knowing your water source and quality, I would use distilled water. Make sure your hydrometer is calibrated for 60F and not 68F. If 68F, make sure water is 68F.

Agreed - but even better is to insure that your water is the same temp as your must and adjust accordingly - i.e. if at your must temp water reads 1.002 or 0.998, then you need to adjust your hydrometer readings either up .002 or down .002 when you take your must hydrometer reading.

Personally I prefer a refractometer to take my initial brix reading and not worry about any of this!!