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Wine Making - Hydrometers
When attempting to measure specific gravity or potential alcohol, you will have to have what is called a hydrometer. This handy little gadget measures the weight of water relative to water. You can actually know ahead of time whether your wine juice will be equal to, lighter than, or heavier than water. There are many places to purchase a good hydrometer. There are great online shops as well as good old fashion brick and mortar spots that sell them. These hydrometers come with basic instructions, but trust someone who knows, you're going to want more detailed hands on training. The initial hydrometer reading will usually be around 1.1. Although this reading can differ for different wine types, we'll stick with the hypothetical 1.1 for now. This reading lets you know that you have sugar dissolved in your juice and that it weighs more than water because sugar increases the specific gravity of a liquid. This gives you an excellent prediction of what your specific gravity (or S.G.) will be after the fermentation process is complete. Your S.G should end up being LESS THAN 1.00 because water weighs MORE THAN alcohol. So I hope this little bit of information helps you along your way to making a top notch batch of wine. Nothing can surpass the sense of joy and satisfaction I remember feeling when I finished my first batch. Sampling the texture and flavor with my friends and loved ones was an exciting experience. -Jonathan R Devonshire Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Mike Carraway has been wine making at home for over 20 years. He has written many books and given both live and online seminars on the subject. Get one of his latest books free at How-To-Make-Wine.net. |
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