Help estimating Alcohol %

[rjm]

In the vein of Kevin K’s recent post, I wonder if someone could help me out with some calculations.

I didn’t get a good reading of my OG, but here is the extract + steeped grain recipe I followed:

2 kg (4.4 pounds) Extra light DME
1.5 pounds of Medium Crystal steeped slowly until the temperature reached just shy of 200F (I now know this is a bit high, but that is what my recipe called for)
And hops at the various stages…

I do not plan to rack to a secondary (I know, I know – again recipe said it wasn’t necessary for this beer, and my first), and it has been in the primary for 10 days. I took a reading of the gravity today (day 10):

1.014 at 61F, hydrometer says that it is calibrated to 68F
-0.001 recommended adjustment for 59F, the closest on the list
= 0.013

The recipe says that the gravity should be 1.050, and with a 5.5 to 5.8% alcohol/vol. What does the 1.050 mean? Is that the target final gravity? According to the little chart that came with my hydrometer, my 0.013 reading means that it has a potential alcohol content of 1.48% but because I don’t know the OG I cant do the subtraction to find out the estimated alcohol content. Can anyone help me here with an estimate?

I will take another reading on Sunday and then again on Monday to see if it is staying constant at 0.013 and then I will bottle Tuesday or Wednesday. Does this seem right? Should it drop to 1.050?

P.S. I am relaxed, and will have a store bought brew with lunch, but I’m just learning this stuff and I’m excited to figure it out. I appreciate everyone’s advice so far. This is a great board, and I’m glad I found it.

 

[Walker]

1.050 is the estimated STARTING GRAVITY for the recipe.
You have a measured FINISHING GRAVITY of 1.013.

This gives an approximate abv of 4.8%.

One more thing... the way you use the "abv" scale on the hydrometer is to take a reading before fermentation, and take a reading after fermentaton and subtract the final reading from the original reading. This gives you the abv in a straight percentage value.

One final thing... I don't believe the recipe when it states that the estimated startikng gravity is 1.050 and the estimated abv is appx 5.7%. You would need to have a finishing gravity of 1.006 (dropped from the original 1.050) to hit that abv target, and 1.006 is a VERY low gravity and would be a very thin beer.

-walker

 

[Desert_Sky]

1.050 was your OG you should of gotten when you pitched your yeast

And assuming you were close

1.050 - 1.013 = .037

then

.037 * 131 = 4.8% ABV


*edit

Walker beat me to it

 

[budbo]

I have given up on using a hydrometer, They do nothing for me but cause stress and make me want to kick my dog (a homebrew makes that feeling pass)

 

[Walker]

hmmm.. that reminds me of someone's signature.

oh yeah! it reminds me of MY signature.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I love hydrometers.

 

[rjm]

Thanks for setting all of that straight for me. I think I have a better understanding, and although I can see that the hydrometer should be used with a 'grain of salt', I feel more comfortable now knowing that the beer is sitting in a normal range around 5%. I didn't have a lot of action in the carboy, so I was a bit nervous, and this sets me at ease. But, I tasted the brew, and it is pretty darn good. Not quite as sweet as I had hoped for, but it smells fine (I was a little concerned about contamination), the colour is nice, it cleared well, and it has a hoppy bitterness and aroma that is pleasant. I'm pretty excited to see what it will taste like after sitting in the bottles for a month!

Thanks again,

Rob

 

[Walker]

I'm pretty excited to see what it will taste like after sitting in the bottles for a month!

I'm wondering if there will be any left 1 month after bottling.

I swear to god, my first batch was in the bottles for 14 days before we sampled it, and it was gone 2 days later.

 

[cweston]

One final thing... I don't believe the recipe when it states that the estimated startikng gravity is 1.050 and the estimated abv is appx 5.7%. You would need to have a finishing gravity of 1.006 (dropped from the original 1.050) to hit that abv target, and 1.006 is a VERY low gravity and would be a very thin beer.

Perhaps the 5.7% was abw and not abv?

A good rule of thumb, I think...

OG of 40 or less: low alchohol session beers
41-55: "standard" (standard macro swill is usually around 45, I believe)
55-75: stronger beers
above 75: very strong "imperial" level beers

 

[Walker]

Perhaps the 5.7% was abw and not abv?

A good rule of thumb, I think...

OG of 40 or less: low alchohol session beers
41-55: "standard" (standard macro swill is usually around 45, I believe)
55-75: stronger beers
above 75: very strong "imperial" level beers

abw will be LOWER than abv (since the density of alcohol is < the density of water).

to get 5.8% abw, you would need about 7.5% abv.

 

[RichBrewer]

I have given up on using a hydrometer, They do nothing for me but cause stress and make me want to kick my dog (a homebrew makes that feeling pass)

I'm just about there with you and walker on hydrometers. My latest brew is stuck at 1.020 and I think I'm going to have to live with it. I almost wish I never checked it and just kegged, conditioned and drank it up. I may have never known the difference.

 

[Walker]

I'm just about there with you and walker on hydrometers. My latest brew is stuck at 1.020 and I think I'm going to have to live with it. I almost wish I never checked it and just kegged, conditioned and drank it up. I may have never known the difference.

yessss.... give into your anger, young Skywalker. Strike down your hydrometer and turn to the Dark Side.

-walker