How Do I Measure Alc/vol Content On Beer Kit Form

[synister69]

Hi am a newbie at this so will be short have a kit an by brew from local shop im an aussie an like VB have used a morgans bitter with hops dext and usin carb drops for a batch hydrometer was 1030 ish when started now at bootleing its 1010 ish how do i measure alc content if that all makes sense

 

[kelbygreen]

using a calculator online is the best way. I use beersmith as it tells you in build into the program but if you want to know just by gravity use one like THIS!

So it says you have 2.55% I have not used that one but id say if you are bottling you add .5% ontop so it will be around 3%.

I will also add if you are just using dextrose and a kit I would def not bottle yet as it should get closer to 1.005 with a OG around 1030. (this is just a guess but 1.010 seems to high for me from what you put in). How long has it been fermenting for???

 

[Mr Flibbles]

VB? *shudders*, another calculator is here:

http://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/

How much dextrose? How long has it been fermenting?

 

[bignath]

I think the bigger problem here is a starting gavity of only 1030. Assuming (often dangerous) that you used a kilo of sugar, the whole can contents and a standardish volume 20/23lt, you are a long way short from the starting gravity you should get. Not saying the reading you got wasnt what you said it was, but i am certainly saying that the reading you got wasnt a true indicator of your gravity.

 

[kelbygreen]

unless he is trying to make a mid strength beer, Yeah its very hard to see whats going on without the list of all ingredients and the volume of water in the fermenter.

 

[BennyH]

Using your hydrometer and the calculator as the lads suggested will set you straight.
If your keen on what is coming out of the tap or bottle, use one of these;

Refractometer

Additives in the beer will play with the % on a refractometer a little, but it's a cheap fun way of checking as you're drinking

 

[ianh]

Take your start gravity minus your final gravity mutiple by .131 and add 0.4 for bottling.

So say OG 1.035 FG 1.010

((35-10) * .131) + 0.4 = 3.67% Alc

 

[iralosavic]

You should really masure temperature for each gravity reading, as this will affect the actual ABV%. For example, yesterday I took my OG reading of 1036 at 30c before the wort chilled to pitching temps and with temperature correction, it works out betwen 1039 and 1040. The difference between a mid-strength and a weaker heavy.

Many refractometers have temperature compensation built in, but it is usually limited to 10-30c. Still very handy. And for post fermentation readings, there are calculators around that seem to be highly accurate at generating a final gravity reading too.

 

[RobboMC]

How well did you stir the wort before taking that initial reading. The extract can be quite difficult to get to dissolve
and then when water is added to the top it takes a lot of stirring to get a truly homogeneous mix. It doesn't matter much for fermenting as the carbon dioxide bubbling out churns it all up for you, but I have had too many faulty OG readings to count, one in particular when I was rushing a brew was about 20 points out as I totally forget to stir up after adding water.

So if you want to use OG-FG calculations to measire alcohol% make sure you mix thoroughly first.

and mixing at 25 deg C or thereabouts is only good for your beer as you mix in oxygen which is good at this point but BAD BAD BAD at any other point, such as bottling or when hot.

 

[bignath]

You should really masure temperature for each gravity reading, as this will affect the actual ABV%. For example, yesterday I took my OG reading of 1036 at 30c before the wort chilled to pitching temps and with temperature correction, it works out betwen 1039 and 1040. The difference between a mid-strength and a weaker heavy.

Many refractometers have temperature compensation built in, but it is usually limited to 10-30c. Still very handy. And for post fermentation readings, there are calculators around that seem to be highly accurate at generating a final gravity reading too.

That's a good point actually. But i wouldn't have thought 10degrees (im assuming a ferment temp close to 20?) would have changed the gravity correction by 4 points. I haven't run this through a calculator, just my gut feeling, but i wouldn't have thought it'd change quite that much....