Alcohol Percentage

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fsa46

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I know there's a specific forum for this but it doesn't get many views, so please forgive me.

What is the alcohol percentage if I mix 1.75 liter of 95% alcohol with 3 1/2 qts. of water.
 
Fermcalc says 33.7% ABV. I think what the other answers are neglecting is that volume is not conserved when you mix ethanol and water. E.g., if you were to mix 500 ml ethanol with 500 ml water, the total volume would be about 965 ml, not 1000 ml. It surprises many people, including scientists, to learn that volume is not a conserved quantity!
 
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Thank you so much for the replies, I really appreciate it.

How about one more try ? How much water would be needed to get an 28% alcohol using the same amount of alcohol in the original post ?

At 77 and no longer on top of my game this is so much easier. Thanks for all your help.
 
It all depends on what formula was used to create the calculator and if the small variation in volume as mentioned above was taken under consideration. It’s a tiny difference so if mixing is not used for any scientific experiment but just for drinking, I don’t think it makes any significant difference.
 
It all depends on what formula was used to create the calculator and if the small variation in volume as mentioned above was taken under consideration. It’s a tiny difference so if mixing is not used for any scientific experiment but just for drinking, I don’t think it makes any significant difference.

I agree. As I said, the answers were quite close, so I was indicating corroboration.
 
Thought I'd pass on an interesting observation because of all the help you gave me..

I always made my Limoncello and Orangecello at 33% alcohol, that's the reason for the original post. I forgot what it was or how to figure it out. I always kept it in the freezer. However, it was a little tough for a couple of my friends so I made a batch of Limoncello and a batch of Orangecello at 28% alcohol.

Both came out awesome. The only problem is that the old method at 66 proof didn't freeze, but the 56 proof does. I'll have to keep in in the fridge instead of the freezer, still good, but I love drinking it out of the freezer.

Also, I always finished both at 1.07-1.08 SG gravity, but these were finished at 1.05 SG. Definitely liked these better than the sweeter version.
 
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Just wanted to share a tidbit I picked up recently - Fermcalc says 33.7% ABV, and it got me thinking about the quirky nature of mixing ethanol and water. It's wild how the volume isn't conserved – mix 500 ml of each, and you end up with around 965 ml, not the expected 1000 ml. Mind-blowing, right? I'm a bit of a cocktail enthusiast myself, always on the lookout for interesting reads. Found some cool articles on https://goodmocktail.com/, you should check them out if you're into that kind of stuff. Anyway, just wanted to say hi and share my two cents.
 
welcome to WMT
. . . It's wild how the volume isn't conserved – Anyway, just wanted to say hi and share my two cents.
There are a lot of systems where this is seen. Try mixing one part rice with one part water. Try mixing Portland cement with sand and gravel. We aren’t small enough to see the molecule sizes when mixing alcohol.
 
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