2steps
|
Percentage of alcohol in homemade winesIs there a way to tell what the percent of alcohol is in wine I've made?
|
jema
|
Re: Percentage of alcohol in homemade wines | 2steps wrote: | | Is there a way to tell what the percent of alcohol is in wine I've made? |
A hydrometer reading when you start and stop works well 
A Vinometer will tell you directly, but if you can get one to work such that you trust the reading, you will be doing better than me.
|
Caplan
|
There are ways but it's cheaper to use a hydrometer and measure the OG and FG and work it out from that. There's an article on here about using one.
|
Caplan
|
Beat me to it Jema!
|
2steps
|
haven't got a hydrometer. it doesn't really matter, I was just curious as to what it would be
|
Treacodactyl
|
You should be able to guess by the amount of sugar and the yeast you use. A reasonable wine yeast should give 10-12% I think and some of the special yeasts 14-15% in good conditions. I may be wrong but I think you can get a yeast to ferment to about 18%.
|
jema
|
| Treacodactyl wrote: | | You should be able to guess by the amount of sugar and the yeast you use. A reasonable wine yeast should give 10-12% I think and some of the special yeasts 14-15% in good conditions. I may be wrong but I think you can get a yeast to ferment to about 18%. |
With special yeast, over 20% can be done and done very quickly. But I am not convinced that they make good wine making yeasts.
|
2steps
|
thats pretty high then. or is it about normal for wine? I don't normally drink alcohol so I have no idea 
|
Treacodactyl
|
The standard sort of strength for shop wines is about 12-14% although some such as German whites can start at about 6-7% and something like a full bodied Ausie red could be as much as 15%.
|
JB
|
Have commercial wines been stronger in recent years? My OH thinks they have, I think they haven't.
|
cab
|
Most commercial wines clock in at 12-13%, some being a little more potent. Most home brew tends to be (intentionally) made stronger, because we at home don't have such tremendous filtering facilities, we can't pasteurise the wine, etc. So the extra alcohol preserves the wine for us.
|
