This scale goes all the way up to around 30% sugar but depending on your recipe you will probably be starting around 24% sugar, a Specific Gravity (SG) of 1.085 to 1.10. This will give you a finished wine in the area of 12-13% alcolhol. If you want to make stronger wine, you can start with more sugar but it is generally thought to be better to feed sugar at several points in the process. If you are going to feed sugar be sure to have plenty of headspace because there will be violent foaming when you dump it in. It is great fun to watch beginners feed sugar for the first time... It's basic chemistry - Have the mop ready! The instrument is shown in a test jar of cranberry juice (available separately).
In the image shown above I am measuring some Cranberry/Pomegranate juice that has partially fermented. I started it at 1.10 and now it is at 1.06, so .04 sugar has been turned into alcohol - It's 4% alcohol already! THAT is why you need a hydrometer.
There are basic instructions with the instrument but it will help if you understand that the instrument measures sugar not alcohol. It works because the sugar becomes alcohol in more or less a 1:1 ratio. (slightly less) We know how much alcohol a pound of sugar will make in a gallon of water, about 6%. The instrument will help you measure your juice and sweeten it up your juice so that you arrive at the desired percentage alcohol.
The most important thing is to take a reading just before you pitch the yeast and write it down. This is OG, Original Gravity. It will be something like 14% in standard fermentations. This just means that you have sugar to make 14% alcohol. 1:1 ratio! The instrument is called a triple scale because in addition to the %Alcohol there are Brix and OG scales.
As the days go by, you can check it all you like. It is fun to watch the number go down. When it gets to 1% you have 13% alcohol! If you wait and the nutrients are there it will go down to zero or even -.01 and you have the full 14%. This is called FG, Final Gravity. Usually what happens is you get some fruit, juice it, and take a reading. If it is only 8% you add sugar to get it up to 12-14%.
If you have never made wine from cranberry pomegranate juice, get a gallon going soon! It's a good wine to make in midwinter because it is available in stores year round. Some friends raided my cellar for a tasting and a 2 year old batch of cran/pom was voted my second best out of 12 kinds sampled. The five year old Dandelion was first - bottled sunshine!
"Cheers" I carry mostly ONLY ESSENTIALS in my homebrew line no gimmicks no useless gadgets and if I am selling it you can be sure that I have tested it and I think it a good worthwhile product. Everything I sell is shipped from stock and we usually have plenty of them. We combine ship and if you add this item to your cart you will fine many of the things you need combine ship for as little as 25 cents each!
ITEM CONDITION: Brand new first quality merchandise. The juice and test jar shown are props and are not included.
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