Complicted OG problem

[Saprobic]

I am brewing a batch of hard lemonade and just thought of a minor issue. The recipe I am using requires that I add ingredients (lemonade) throughout the brew process. As such my original gravity reading it not really a good measure of the total sugar available. Is it possible to take readings of the material being added and somehow calculate a total value? I guess it doesn't really matter if I can't determine the alcohol content but would be nice.

 

[Walker]

Yes, you can do this pretty easily. It's basic averaging of numbers.

Example, if you started with 2 gallons of liquid with an OG of 1.050 and were to then add 1 gallon of liquid with an OG of 1.040 to it...

2*50 = 100 gravity points from the initial liquid.
1*40 = 40 gravity points from the new liquid added.
This is a total of 140 gravity points.
This 140 gavity points is distributed in 3 gallons of liquid.

Gravity of the 3 gallon blend of liquids is 140/3 = 46.6, so OG is appx 1.047


Continuing....

You later add another 1 gallon of 1.040 liquid to it.

2*50 from initial liquid
1*40 from 1st boost
1*40 from 2nd boost
180 total gravity points in 4 gallons of liquid is a resulting blend with OG of (50+50+40+40)/4 = 1.045

 

[Saprobic]

Awesome thanks. This was what I was thinking but wasn't sure if there might be multiplicative effects or if it was just additive.
Cheers

 

[threeeight]

Keep in mind-if you give too much of this to the swmbo in your life, it could have a multiplicative effect...