Apple Jack -- Proof?

[AzuredEyed]

How would you determine the alcohol content of cold-made batch of applejack? Hydrometer?

 

[Pith]

I'm pretty sure there is a special kind of hydrometer that distillers use, that goes way under 0.990. Go get one of them.

 

[GinKings]

I'm pretty sure there is a special kind of hydrometer that distillers use, that goes way under 0.990. Go get one of them.

I believe they are not accurate with anything with sugar in it.

 

[kamkamdac]

heres a thought, might work. check the gravity of the cider before you freeze it, then check the gravity of the cider after you freeze and separate it (thaw it first of course). this should tell you how much alcohol you lost with respect to volume and from that how much alcohol with respect to volume you have in you applejack.

mite work, but the cider would have to be bone dry for the calculations to be accurate. any sugar (or any dissolved particulate for that matter) would leave the cider and go the the applejack, giving a false low reading for the residual cider gravity and a false low calculation for the applejack abv.

if this pans out ill try to make a formula for the calculations after class

 

[divi2323]

You could also measure abv prior to jacking. Then multiply the % by number of gallons and this tells.you the total gallons of alcohol in the drink. Then as you start jacking your total volume will decrease buy your amount of alcohol stays the same and thus you can calculate it roughly.

Example:

10% abv in 1 gallon of cider (numbers are for simplicity)

Total alcohol is 1/10 of a gallon or 12.8oz

You start jacking and end up with a total of 1/2 gallon. This means you've got 12.8oz of alcohol in 64oz of liquid. Total abv is now 12.8/64 or 1/5 ratio or 20%.

This is a crude calculation of course but close enough for bragging rights.

 

[kamkamdac]

You could also measure abv prior to jacking. Then multiply the % by number of gallons and this tells.you the total gallons of alcohol in the drink. Then as you start jacking your total volume will decrease buy your amount of alcohol stays the same and thus you can calculate it roughly.

Example:

10% abv in 1 gallon of cider (numbers are for simplicity)

Total alcohol is 1/10 of a gallon or 12.8oz

You start jacking and end up with a total of 1/2 gallon. This means you've got 12.8oz of alcohol in 64oz of liquid. Total abv is now 12.8/64 or 1/5 ratio or 20%.

This is a crude calculation of course but close enough for bragging rights.

assuming you get around 100% off the alcohol out of the cider this sounds like a grate idea, and mutch simpler than what i came up with

 

[Pith]

I believe they are not accurate with anything with sugar in it.

What makes you think hes got sugar in it?

 

[snccoulter]

I'm pretty sure there is a special kind of hydrometer that distillers use, that goes way under 0.990. Go get one of them.

I have one, ordered the wrong one. but it looks cool
well not really it is just sitting there not being used. my wife says i cannot under any circumstances distill. Not even to make use of the hydrometer. I guess she is right..

 

[GinKings]

What makes you think hes got sugar in it?

I believe what you had originally suggested is called a proof and tralle hydrometer or an alcoholometer. They are designed to be used in distilled beverages (vodka, brandy, grappa, etc). I'm no chemist, but I believe they are basically just water and alcohol. Alcoholometers are not designed to be used in fermented beverages, which typically contain sugar, solids, and other impurities. These impurities make the readings inaccurate. I believe they cost less than $10, so I'd be tempted to get one to compare to a mathematical estimate, such as what divi suggested.

 

[Pith]

I believe what you had originally suggested is called a proof and tralle hydrometer or an alcoholometer. They are designed to be used in distilled beverages (vodka, brandy, grappa, etc). I'm no chemist, but I believe they are basically just water and alcohol. Alcoholometers are not designed to be used in fermented beverages, which typically contain sugar, solids, and other impurities. These impurities make the readings inaccurate. I believe they cost less than $10, so I'd be tempted to get one to compare to a mathematical estimate, such as what divi suggested.

Neither the proof and tralle hydrometer nor the other method would be mathematically accurate, since there is still alcohol locked in with the water crystals when you draw them out, and you would be overshooting your estimate. Using the hydrometer would probably be undershooting your estimate, so I would use both methods and find the mean number.

 

[divi2323]

Neither the proof and tralle hydrometer nor the other method would be mathematically accurate, since there is still alcohol locked in with the water crystals when you draw them out, and you would be overshooting your estimate. Using the hydrometer would probably be undershooting your estimate, so I would use both methods and find the mean number.

If he was looking to be mathematically accurate I don't think he would ask on a home brew forum. Pretty sure ifits +/- half a percent he would be fine with the measurement. That said we realize the ice scooped from the Jack will no doubt carry alcohol with it hence my comment that it was a "crude" measurement.

 

[Pith]

If he was looking to be mathematically accurate I don't think he would ask on a home brew forum. Pretty sure ifits +/- half a percent he would be fine with the measurement. That said we realize the ice scooped from the Jack will no doubt carry alcohol with it hence my comment that it was a "crude" measurement.

I was thrown off by GinKings use of the word "mathematical", and I thought that it was being used to describe your method, but upon closer inspection this was not exactly the case. My bad.

 

[roymullins]

just get/make a still and run it! tell the wife it is for the lawnmower...!