What is my ABV ?

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NC-beeman

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I have made my version of dragon blood. It finished at 14% . I then added 1 and 2/3 bottles (42 ounce)of Peach brandy 35 proof. It is about 3.5 gallons of wine. I am trying to figure the ABV. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
Yes, In order to calculate the ABV you need to use what is called a Pearson Square and to use that method you need to know the volume of liquids involved. Was your "Dragon Blood" one gallon, or three or five?
 
Now I have about 3 3/4 gallons of wine. That is after adding 42 ounces of 35% ABV brandy.
 
Math:

Find absolute volume of alcohol in the batch. (I use "ml" for convenience in calculations)


1 volume of alcohol in the DB = 16/100 * (volume of DB in ml).


2 volume alcohol in the brandy is 35/100 times volume of brandy in ml)


Add 1 + 2.


This is the total absolute volume of alcohol in your batch.

Now divide by the total volume of your combined batch.

This is your final ABV which is percentage of alcohol by volume.

.
This same method is valid for use in calculating ABV after backsweetening. After backsweetening the S.G. is no longer valid to calculate ABV because it was not obtained by fermentation.

(It's simple math actually - by which I mean simple math operations - 'add', 'multiply' and 'divide'.)
 
Last edited:
So if you now have 3.75 gallons with the addition of 42oz that means you started with 3.42 gallons of 12 % abv. wine. With the additional of the 35% abv brandy your abv is about 14%.


I got a different calculation but also different input values.

NC-beeman stated:

  1. He started with 16 % determined by SG.
  2. And added 42 oz = 1242.09 ml (online calculator)
  3. And resulted final volume was 3.75 gal = 14195.29 total (online calculator)


Therefore: 14195.29 - 1242.09 = 12953.20 volume of wine before mix


So.
first calculate absolute volume of alcohol in batch.


1 = 12953.20 * (16/100) = 2072.512 ml alcohol

2 = 1242.09 * (35/100) = 434.7315

1 +2 = 2507.2435 absolute alcohol in the batch.

(this is the amount of alcohol in the final batch in absolute terms ie if you could separate the alcohol from the other liquid)




Therefore percentage alcohol by volume = 2507.24 / 14195.29 = 17.6624781 %


or 17.7 % alcohol by volume to one decimal place

(double checked the math)
 
I got a different calculation but also different input values.

NC-beeman stated:

  1. He started with 16 % determined by SG.


  1. 1. He never gave us a sg rating unless I missed a post.
    2. I stand corrected, he said his wine finished at 14 not 12%abv which gives him a finished wine at 15.8% abv.
 
1. He never gave us a sg rating unless I missed a post.
2. I stand corrected, he said his wine finished at 14 not 12%abv which gives him a finished wine at 15.8% abv.

Ah yes, I mis-read that as well - 14 not 16 percent.

so the corrected calculation is:

====>

NC-beeman stated:

  1. He started with 14 % determined by SG.
  2. And added 42 oz = 1242.09 ml (online calculator)
  3. And resulted final volume was 3.75 gal = 14195.29 total (online calculator)

Therefore: 14195.29 - 1242.09 = 12953.20 volume of wine before mix


So.
first calculate absolute volume of alcohol in batch.


1 = 12953.20 * (14/100) = 1813.448 ml alcohol

2 = 1242.09 * (35/100) = 434.7315

1 +2 = 2248.1795 absolute alcohol in the batch.

(this is the amount of alcohol in the final batch in absolute terms ie if you could separate the alcohol from the other liquid)




Therefore percentage alcohol by volume = 2248.1795 / 14195.29 = 15.8575031 %


or 15.8 % alcohol by volume to one decimal place

Correctamundo!
__________________
 
Thanks everyone for your help. So I have 15.8 ABV. I drink a little of it last night. It tasted pretty good. I just got back from Myrtle beach SC and on the way back picked up a bushel of peaches. I am going to get started on some peach wine.
 

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