Cold Checking SG

I just started my second batch yesterday and used my hydrometer and tube for the first time. I added a cup of sugar to the gallon batch and checked the SG and it was 1.070. Now the juice was cold...out of the fridge for about 2 hours. Is my reading going to be off due to the cold juice?

Also, if I wanted a cider that was naturally sweet in the ABV range of 5.5 to 6.25...what gravity would I need to get it down to? Or how can one figure that out so I don't have to ask all the time =)?

Thank you all in advance.

Hydrometers are calibrated at a specific temperature, usually 60F. If you are off from that it'll cause error in your reading. Heres a couple of calculators for what you need.

Temp correction: http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator/hydrometer.html
Alcohol by volume : http://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/

Hope this helps

dezman said:

Hydrometers are calibrated at a specific temperature, usually 60F. If you are off from that it'll cause error in your reading. Heres a couple of calculators for what you need.

Temp correction: http://hbd.org/cgi-bin/recipator/recipator/hydrometer.html
Alcohol by volume : http://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/

Hope this helps

Click to expand...

It does...thank you greatly!

It looks if I want a brew with a 5.5 ABV, I need to get it to a gravity reading of 1.030.

Also, that temp adjust link really didn't calculate a different SG when I changed the starting temp.

liquidavalon said:

It looks if I want a brew with a 5.5 ABV, I need to get it to a gravity reading of 1.030.

Also, that temp adjust link really didn't calculate a different SG when I changed the starting temp.

Click to expand...

I'd try those calculators again. The temp correction calculator won't give you much of a difference if you are within 5 or 10 degrees of 60. The correction increases the further you get from 60 degrees.

1.030 is still pretty sweet. How do you plan to stop your fermentation?

If your computer isn't handy, you can estimate ABV. A 7 1/2 point drop in SG is close to 1%. For instance, OG 1.070 and FG 1.025 is a 45 point drop (70-25=45). 45/7.5 = 6% ABV. It's not exact, but it gets you in the ballpark.

GinKings said:

I'd try those calculators again. The temp correction calculator won't give you much of a difference if you are within 5 or 10 degrees of 60. The correction increases the further you get from 60 degrees.

1.030 is still pretty sweet. How do you plan to stop your fermentation?

If your computer isn't handy, you can estimate ABV. A 7 1/2 point drop in SG is close to 1%. For instance, OG 1.070 and FG 1.025 is a 45 point drop (70-25=45). 45/7.5 = 6% ABV. It's not exact, but it gets you in the ballpark.

Click to expand...

My SG was: 1.070 and my juice was cold, not right out of the fridge cold, but colder than room temp for sure.

I just finished recalculating with that correction calculator and I went down as far as 35 degrees and as high as 55. At 35 degrees the adjustment was: 1.069 and at 55 degrees: 1.070...so again, only 0.001 difference unless I am figuring that in error.

1.030 IS really sweet. I will probably let it drop down to 1.020 maybe ( 6.56% ABV ). Plus, I like a sweeter cider anyways. Since I am new to making cider and am soaking any and all knowledge about the craft that I can...I think I am going to rack off the cider once it reaches 1.03 to 1.02 and cold crash it for a few days. Rack it again until there isn't visible yeast collecting on the bottom. I am trying to stay clear from as many chemicals as possible.

I am going for a still sweet cider as I have no clear idea how to carbonate it...hearing stories of "bottle bombs" make me a little shy of that process.

I wanted to take half the gallon and after the crash, rack it onto some food processed Oregon cherries letting it age on those for a while and make cherry cider...but I don't know. I haven't even mastered making regular cider yet, let alone trying new adventures .

I went from 1.070 to 1.050 in two days...still needs to go more, but it is working.