|
|
|
Wine Maker's Toy Store
&
Dallas Home Brew
March 2012
Volume 10, Issue 3 866-417-1114 (Long Distance) 972-323-7921 (Local) 972-323-7955 (Fax) "The Wine Maker's Toy Store™" | |
|
USING YOUR HYDROMETER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perhaps the most important piece of test equipment available to the home winemaker is the hydrometer. Fortunately, it is also an inexpensive piece of equipment. Using the hydrometer the winemaker can:
- Estimate the amount of sugar available in the must
- Estimate the potential alcohol content of the wine
- Estimate the amount of sugar that needs to be added to obtain a desired alcohol content in the finished wine
- Monitor the progress of the fermentation
- Determine when the fermentation has finished
The hydrometer is a glass tube with a bulb on one end which is weighted so that it will float upright. The hydrometer measures the weight of the liquid in which it floats and the reading is taken from a paper scale inside the tube. In wine making the weight of the liquid is related to its sugar content. The more sugar the liquid contains, the heavier it is and the higher the hydrometer will float. The triple scale hydrometer can be used to measure the specific gravity, the potential alcohol and sugar content.
Specific gravity is the scale most widely used by home winemakers. It measures the weight of the liquid relative to the weight of water. One liter of water at 60º F has a specific gravity of 1.000. A sample with a specific gravity of 1.080 therefore weighs 1,080 grams per liter and is 9% heavier than water. A sample with a specific gravity of 0.994 would be 0.06% lighter than water.
As fermentation progresses, the sugar is converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide, the wine no longer weighs as much and the hydrometer floats lower in the liquid. By periodically checking the specific gravity during fermentation any problem with a stuck fermentation can be identified early and resolved. At the conclusion of fermentation, the specific gravity of the wine may be 0.994 indicating that it now weighs less than water. This is possible because the wine now contains alcohol which (with a specific gravity of 0.789) does weigh less than water.
A hydrometer cannot be used to measure the alcohol content of a finished wine. The potential alcohol scale indicates that based on the amount of sugar in the liquid, it has the potential to produce the specified amount of alcohol. A wine that has finished fermenting will have no sugar; it will have no potential to produce alcohol and will have a hydrometer reading on the potential alcohol scale of zero.
To use the potential alcohol scale requires that two readings be made; one before the yeast is pitched and one after fermentation is complete. The second reading is subtracted from the first and the result is an estimate of the alcohol content of the wine. There are also several calculations that use the beginning and ending specific gravity to calculate the estimated alcohol by volume of the finished wine.
The third scale on the triple scale hydrometer is the Balling or Brix scale. This means of measuring sugar content is most often used by grape growers, wineries and the publications aimed towards them. The scale measures the percentage of sugar by weight that is contained in a juice. A reading of 10 on the Balling or Brix scale indicates that there are 10 grams of sugar in 100 grams of juice or 10% by weight.
As with all equipment, the hydrometer, test jar and wine thief should be clean and sanitized before use. Add some of the must (strained through a cheesecloth if necessary) to the test cylinder so that the hydrometer will float freely. Spin the hydrometer to dislodge any air bubbles that will affect the reading. At eye level, take a reading where the surface of the liquid crosses the scale, ignoring the meniscus.
The hydrometers available to home winemakers are not precision instruments. The paper strip can move around within the glass tube and result in incorrect readings. To calibrate the hydrometer take a reading of water at 60º F. It should be 1.000, if it is more; say 1.002, then 0.002 would be subtracted from all future readings using this hydrometer. If the reading were less, for example 0.998, then 0.002 would be added to future readings. Since the paper strip may move through usage, the hydrometer should be periodically calibrated.
The second adjustment factor is for temperature. The typical hydrometer is calibrated to measure a sample at 60º F. The paper strip will indicate the temperature the hydrometer is calibrated for. If the sample is at a temperature other than 60º F, a correction to the reading will be necessary. The following table indicates the amount to add or subtract.
Temperature of the sample Hydrometer Correction in Specific Gravity
|
Temperature of the sample |
Hydrometer Correction in Specific Gravity | |
50 |
- .0005 | |
60 |
0 | |
70 |
+ .001 | |
77 |
+ .002 | |
84 |
+ .003 | |
95 |
+ .005 |
Of all the tools available to the home winemaker we believe that the hydrometer is the most important. When a winemaker calls with questions regarding the progress of their fermentation, our first question is what was the specific gravity at the start and what is it now? |
Out of Stocks and Backorders
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I try my best to keep the store well stocked. Unfortunately, we will have times when I am out of the wine kit you want. Part of this problem is due to my desire to have the freshest wine kits possible. As such, we have weekly or bi-weekly deliveries from all of our wine kit manufacturers. As long as they are well stocked, this strategy works; however, if the manufacturer or the distributor is out, re-stocking can take some time.
If you want a wine kit that is currently out of stock, you can still order it. As soon as it comes in, we will ship the order to you. If it appears we won't be able to ship the kit in a week or two, we will let you know in case you want to change the order. Please remember that we do not charge for products until they are shipped or picked up. The only exception to this rule is for perishable products or special orders. |
|
Rahr Grains
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With the purchase of Crosby-Baker by Beverage Supply Group, Malteurop has been discontinued. The good news is that it is being replaced with Rahr, a extremely well-liked brand and we will also be adding more grains from Simpsons and Crisp. |
|
Monthly Specials
I constantly get asked for my recommendations for wine kits; therefore, I am putting a dozen kits on special that I have found make exceptional wines. To see which kits I have selected, click on the following link:
Wines of the Month
We have also put 3 beer kits on sale this month. Use the following link to see which ones they are:
|
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~ Current Specials
To see this month's specials, new products and close out specials, click on the links below:
|
Brew Day
No brew day in March. |
|
|
As a reminder, we continue to add products and content to the web site, therefore, if you have any special requests, please let us know. We like to hear what you have to say about our site, our products and/or our customer service, good or bad. Please send your comments and/or suggestions to the contact us link below.
Don't forget we like you to CALL!
If you have any questions about our products, our service and/or wine making or home brewing, please call us. We are here to serve you and enjoying assisting you in any way we can. We have an international toll-free line so you WILL call us. Someone is usually at the store between 9 am and 6 pm, Monday through Friady and 10 am and 5 pm on Saturday. We always try to answer the phone when you call; however, sometimes, we are unable to answer the phone as we are on the other lines or we have customers in the store. If you get the voice mail, please leave your name, number, brief message and a best time to call. We will return your call just as soon as we can. If you don't want to call, just send us an email. We usually answer our emails daily. Please remember, we are a resource and we are here to serve you.
We don't want to be the biggest store, just the BEST!
Cheers!
Contact Information: Please use the following link to contact us with any questions and/or suggestions you have.
George, Joseph and Brian
Fine Vine Wines, LLC, The Wine Maker's Toy Store and Dallas Home Brew
|
|
|
|
|
|
