hydrometer or another piece of equipment?

How would I determine is something was 20% sugar and 80% water? That wouldn't be 1.2 on a hydrometer would it?

I'm no expert, but I don't think that's correct. Water = 1 on the hydro, so I think you'd have to know the mass of sugar in relation to the mass of water and go from there.

And if it was 20% sugar and 80% water, it would actually be 25% sugar, so would read 1.25. But I'm with Gameface, I don't know how it actually works.

plaidpaint said:

And if it was 20% sugar and 80% water, it would actually be 25% sugar, so would read 1.25. But I'm with Gameface, I don't know how it actually works.

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You might want to check your math on that one. . . .

Mix 20% sugar and 80% water and take a hydrometer reading. Make a few samples like this and that's your magic number on the hydrometer.

Kieran said:

Mix 20% sugar and 80% water and take a hydrometer reading. Make a few samples like this and that's your magic number on the hydrometer.

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Excellent suggestion

h22lude said:

How would I determine is something was 20% sugar and 80% water? That wouldn't be 1.2 on a hydrometer would it?

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I assume you're referring to the relative percentages by weight correct? Brix is probably the scale you're looking for and 20% brix means 20% dissolved sugar by weight.