estimating O.G.

[clover]

hey there, new to wine making but not to making beer. i tried to search for my answer but had no luck. i made a wine for my wife out of 5 11.5 oz welch's white grape raspberry concentrate, 10 lbs of sugar, and K1V-1116 yeast in a 5 gallon batch...i broke my hydrometer during a batch of beer the weekend before and never got an o.g.

is there an online calculator or anyone have a ballpark number so i can figure this out? thanks!

 

[Tom]

Hmm You need to get another ASAP. Some here may give you a general idea but you use the hydrometer more in making wine then beer so try to replace soon. You will need to ck it after 4-5 days and when its finished.
I dont make wine from frozen concentrate. So, wait I'm sure you will get an answer.

 

[clover]

oops i guess i should of said i got another one already and i think i wrote down it finished at 1.010 (i'll have to check to be sure)...i just never checked it in the beginning and now i'm curious...

 

[Wade E]

It would be some where aroun 1.115 and you most likely have some very potent stuff there. What yeast starin did you use? I would recommend not so much sugar next time and a 2.5-3 can of Welches per gallon ratio next time.

 

[smurfe]

So the important question. hows it taste?

 

[arcticsid]

The last batch I made was from concentrate(Orange pineapple mango), I used 16 cans of concentrate, 12 cups of sugar and water to make 5 gallons, my sarting SG was 1.110@75 dergrees. Wade is right, and I can prove it, 3 cans and water to make a gallon seems to be the magic number no matter what flavor, the SG of course depends on the type of juica and the sugar you add. I've made quite a few batches with concentrate and the sugar you add absolutely depends on the juice. Be sure the concentrate you use doesn't have any sorbate or preservatives in it or you may have a helluva time getting it to start fermenting. Good Luck.
Troy

 

[clover]

thanks for the imput. the wine tastes good, sweet upfront but finishes fairly dry. it does seem like it's potent stuff, that's why i am curious about it. i used the lalvin brand k1-v1116 l.n.r.a. montpellier yeast, recommended by my lhbs. i like it the way it is, sweet, but my wife would like it drier next time.

 

[Luc]

If you are willing to offer some wine for the purpose there is a way to calculate the alcohol content of a wine without knowing initial SG.

Here we go.
You will need a test tube and the hydrometer.

First pour some wine in the test tube and measure SG.
Also mark the exact level of the volume.
Next boil the sample till half the volume has evaporated. Now you are sure that there is no alcohol in the sample left.
Pour it in the test tube again and fill it up with water until you have reached the exact same level again. Stir well.

Now measure the SG again.

Enter both values in fermcalc.
http://web2.airmail.net/sgross/fermcalc/fermcalc_applet.html

Look for the upper tab alcohol and then choose in the lower tab the 'boiling off method'.

Now from the figures you have being the SG when boiled off and the amount alcohol you should be able to calculate how much sugar was initially in the must........

Another way to calculate alcohol would be measuring SG with a hydrometer and measuring with a refractometer.
Again use fermcalc and now choose hydrometer+refractometer method. Gives also an estimated alcohol percentage fromwhich you can derive initial SG.
But then you would need a refractometer of course.....

Luc