Hydrometers getting the real numbers

[soatman]

Hello,
This may be a little confusing, and thanks if anyone can help.

I am making a mead have been for a few months now.

I have one hydrometer that I was using then it broke so I bought another different brand. But both did say they were for wine or beer. They both had the three scales SP PAV and Brix. But there scales were off from one another.(some may think the amount is not much but I am working toward getting a Permit for sale in the future so it is off). It was the Brix and PAV that were different.

I look around online for days and found so many different conversions to figure AV from specific gravity differences. There are a lot of tables online that you can put in your numbers and they give a AV so there has to be a conversion, what is the correct one?

I am even finding hydrometers not having the same scales in them. One show 1.090 = 12% then another 1.092 = 12%. now come on

etc.
SGO-SGF x 131 = AV%

% Alcohol = ((1.05 x (SGO – SGF)) / SGF) / 0.79

SGO-SGF / .736 = AV%

Any help or input??

 

[cpfan]

I would think that hydrometer readings might not be good enough for a commercial operation. Although I know that commercial wines do not have to be exact, and have a certain amount of leeway (over 1%?). The hydrometers that home wine makers use are fairly cheap instruments (under $10) sometimes with built-in errors.

Are the two hydrometers calibrated at the same temperature? This might make a difference of .002. Or it might be less.

Personally I find that SGO-SGF x 133 = AV% matches my hydrometer pretty closely. It is calibrated at 68F.

The difference between 1.090 and 1.092 is a simple reading error for many people. Do you take the reading with the hydrometer floating in the primary or in a tube level with your eyes? Also .002 represents (.002 *133) 0.266%. Not much of a difference, at least for a home wine maker.

Steve

 

[shoebiedoo]

While we're on the subject, Why are the REAL number's I want to see always on the opposite side of the hydrometer from me?

 

[Arne]

While we're on the subject, Why are the REAL number's I want to see always on the opposite side of the hydrometer from me?

That is built into the hydrometer. Every one of them does that, if it doesn't it is defective. LOL, Arne.

 

[soatman]

I would think that hydrometer readings might not be good enough for a commercial operation. Although I know that commercial wines do not have to be exact, and have a certain amount of leeway (over 1%?). The hydrometers that home wine makers use are fairly cheap instruments (under $10) sometimes with built-in errors.

Are the two hydrometers calibrated at the same temperature? This might make a difference of .002. Or it might be less.

Personally I find that SGO-SGF x 133 = AV% matches my hydrometer pretty closely. It is calibrated at 68F.

The difference between 1.090 and 1.092 is a simple reading error for many people. Do you take the reading with the hydrometer floating in the primary or in a tube level with your eyes? Also .002 represents (.002 *133) 0.266%. Not much of a difference, at least for a home wine maker.

Steve

With the discrepancy of the hydrometer it was on the scale chart inside the glass tube not when I was floating. So the hydrometers are not even printed the same. I have come across this with three different brands even. The one I am using now is a Alla France which I was told is a Name Brand company, they even make certified hydrometers. But they are even off on the scale (paper in the glass tube).

I am a home wine maker now but working toward getting a Winery Permit (Meadery, but there is no permit for just that area of wines). What dose a commercial wine maker use if all the hydrometers are just for home wine makers (guessing)? If you know what I mean.

I want to be able to say it is 14% and it is 14% not 15%. TTB dose not allow more then a .4% difference from your numbers and a lab test. Especial when you are working in the 14% area. There is a tax change per gallon of wine, 14% Alcohol or Less is $1.07 and Over 14 to 21% is $1.57 Over 21 to 24% is $3.15 So they do not let one guess with there numbers. That is all the hydrometers is doing giving a best guess from what I am seeing. No reliable numbers, and I know all the wine makers out there are not sending all there samples to a Lab to get there number no way.


Any and all info is helpful and thankful

 

[cpfan]

With the discrepancy of the hydrometer it was on the scale chart inside the glass tube not when I was floating. So the hydrometers are not even printed the same. I have come across this with three different brands even. The one I am using now is a Alla France which I was told is a Name Brand company, they even make certified hydrometers. But they are even off on the scale (paper in the glass tube).

I don't really understand what you mean. Do you mean that two different hydrometers have a slightly different scale inside? With regard to the ALLA, what do you mean off on the scale?

I use an ALLA hydrometer that is calibrated at 68F. If I had an ALLA calibrated at 60F (which I don't), I would expect the paper inside to differ slightly. Is this your problem?

On my 68F ALLA hydrometer, 1.091 corresponds closely to 12%. So (1.091 - 1.000) * 133 = 12.1%. That's good enough for me. But if you need better than that, then you'll have to use something else, and sorry but I don't know what. (BTW 1.091 - 1.000 * 131.87 = 12.0%)

Steve