How can there be on ABV?

[Toby Karnes]

Im brewing a fruit brew that I got and added peaches and followed all directions and recipes. Added peaches after soaking in vodka. Sat for a few weeks. Today I am separating peaches, checked with hydrometer and it says abv is zero. It fermented for around 3 days but I didnt get sg before starting. Why would abv be between zero and 1? Ideas?

 

[Velnerj]

Well technically a hydrometer does not measure alcohol. It only measure the amount of sugar (presumably) in a liquid. The only way to know abv therefore is to measure the sugar before and after fermentation and then run a calculation. If you're adding alcohol to your beer (like vodka) your hydrometer is useless in this instance and you'll have to run a calculation based on volume and abv of the vodka.

Also side note, if you're saying your hydrometer is reading 1 do you mean plato or gravity units (I.e. 1.000)?

 

[Toby Karnes]

Well technically a hydrometer does not measure alcohol. It only measure the amount of sugar (presumably) in a liquid. The only way to know abv therefore is to measure the sugar before and after fermentation and then run a calculation. If you're adding alcohol to your beer (like vodka) your hydrometer is useless in this instance and you'll have to run a calculation based on volume and abv of the vodka.

Also side note, if you're saying your hydrometer is reading 1 do you mean plato or gravity units (I.e. 1.000)?

Thank you. Im struggling to learn and apparently have been given a load of useless information. I will keep trying and watch closely the masters at work. Appreciate it!

Well technically a hydrometer does not measure alcohol. It only measure the amount of sugar (presumably) in a liquid. The only way to know abv therefore is to measure the sugar before and after fermentation and then run a calculation. If you're adding alcohol to your beer (like vodka) your hydrometer is useless in this instance and you'll have to run a calculation based on volume and abv of the vodka.

Also side note, if you're saying your hydrometer is reading 1 do you mean plato or gravity units (I.e. 1.000)?

 

[kh54s10]

You need to make a calculation for alcohol, a hydrometer does not measure the directly. ABV = (OG - FG) * 131.25

 

[Toby Karnes]

Awesome! Thanks for the i fo. Learning curve is huge!

 

[Ninoid]

Use some brewing software for create recipe and calculate ABV, IBU and other.