4% alcohol,,,why

[scubahawk17]

so I have brewed 2 batches so far and both times I have an alcohol content of 4% I am not understanding why...hope someone can help....

 

[woozy]

Uh, why *shouldn't* you have an alcohol content of 4%?

We can't answer if there isn't a question.

 

[NewWestBrewer]

Agreed. What is the recipe? What were you supposed to have? Extract? All Grain? Need way more info.

 

[GuldTuborg]

You got 4% both time either because:

1) your OG and FG were such that it made for a 4% beer, and you measured this correctly, or

2) you haven't been measuring gravity or calculating abv correctly.

We need a lot more information to know why. Otherwise, we're just consulting a crystal ball.

 

[duboman]

Are you by chance reading the potential alcohol scale on your hydrometer? This is not the scale you read.

You need to take a gravity reading before pitch on the scale that starts with 1.000 and then a final gravity from the same scale.

 

[scubahawk17]

You are right I am reading the hydro meter...what can I say I am a newbie...my next batch I will take my readings...and be able to calculate correctly...thanks for the help

 

[woozy]

Are you by chance reading the potential alcohol scale on your hydrometer? This is not the scale you read.

You need to take a gravity reading before pitch on the scale that starts with 1.000 and then a final gravity from the same scale.

The potential gravity scale, if used correctly, will read the alcohol content. That's what the scale is there for, after all. But it doesn't measure how much alcohol is in the beer. It measures how much alcohol the remaining sugar would create if all the remaining sugar were converted to alcohol. This is *potential* alcohol. You can think of it as the alcohol that *isn't* in the beer.

You take the initial potential alcohol. (This is how much alcohol the sugar is capable of making.) Then you ferment and when the fermentation is done you measure the remaining potential alcohol (how much alchol the remain sugar would be capable of making). And then you subtract the difference (which tells you how much alcohol the sugar that has been converted made).

Ex.

Initial gravity = 1.062. Twist your tri-scale hydrometer sidewise and that is 8% potential alcohol (plus a teeny bit) .

Final gravity = 1.018 = 2.5%. Final or is 8% - 2.5 = 5.5. *OR* ABV = 131*(1.062 - 1.018) = 5.75%.

This works because the potential alcohol scale is simply 131*(gravity - 1). However you should use the gravity scale rather than the potential alchohol scale because it's markings and margin of error is more accurate.

===
Now back to the O.P. We don't know *anything* so we can't tell you anything. Give us some info. If you don't know what to tell us consider:

1. What did you expect/want your ABV to be?

2. How do you know/Why do you think your ABV is 4%.

3. What type of beer is it and what (more or less) is the recipe? How long did you forment it?

4. How did you brew and measure you're original gravity *or*

4a. If you didn't take an original gravity, why do you think your ABV is 4%?

5. How did you measure your final gravity? How did you determine fermentation was over?

5a. If you didn't take an original gravity, why do you think your ABV is 4%?

 

[woozy]

You are right I am reading the hydro meter...what can I say I am a newbie...my next batch I will take my readings...and be able to calculate correctly...thanks for the help

???HUH???

We *haven't answered your question yet*!

So you read the hydro meter like you were supposed to do and... next time you will also read your hydro reading like you are supposed to do. This is going to fix things how?

What exactly are you asking and what exactly do you think we have answered?

 

[duboman]

The potential gravity scale, if used correctly, will read the alcohol content. That's what the scale is there for, after all. But it doesn't measure how much alcohol is in the beer. It measures how much alcohol the remaining sugar would create if all the remaining sugar were converted to alcohol. This is *potential* alcohol. You can think of it as the alcohol that *isn't* in the beer.

You take the initial potential alcohol. (This is how much alcohol the sugar is capable of making.) Then you ferment and when the fermentation is done you measure the remaining potential alcohol (how much alchol the remain sugar would be capable of making). And then you subtract the difference (which tells you how much alcohol the sugar that has been converted made).

Ex.

Initial gravity = 1.062. Twist your tri-scale hydrometer sidewise and that is 8% potential alcohol (plus a teeny bit) .

Final gravity = 1.018 = 2.5%. Final or is 8% - 2.5 = 5.5. *OR* ABV = 131*(1.062 - 1.018) = 5.75%.

This works because the potential alcohol scale is simply 131*(gravity - 1). However you should use the gravity scale rather than the potential alchohol scale because it's markings and margin of error is more accurate.

===
Now back to the O.P. We don't know *anything* so we can't tell you anything. Give us some info. If you don't know what to tell us consider:

1. What did you expect/want your ABV to be?

2. How do you know/Why do you think your ABV is 4%.

3. What type of beer is it and what (more or less) is the recipe? How long did you forment it?

4. How did you brew and measure you're original gravity *or*

4a. If you didn't take an original gravity, why do you think your ABV is 4%?

5. How did you measure your final gravity? How did you determine fermentation was over?

5a. If you didn't take an original gravity, why do you think your ABV is 4%?

Thanks, I am well aware but many beginner brewers just read that scale when done and think that's what their ABV is.......

 

[woozy]

Thanks, I am well aware but many beginner brewers just read that scale when done and think that's what their ABV is.......

Well, yeah... but not to be snide, the hydrometers *do* come with instructions that explain how to do this and... okay, I guess I'm just being grouchy but...

Anyway. If the OP got 4% potential alcohol as a final reading, then that is 1.030 final gravity and something *else* is probably wrong.

Anyway I shouldn't be grouchy and I'm sorry.

 

[duboman]

Well, yeah... but not to be snide, the hydrometers *do* come with instructions that explain how to do this and... okay, I guess I'm just being grouchy but...

Anyway. If the OP got 4% potential alcohol as a final reading, then that is 1.030 final gravity and something *else* is probably wrong.

Anyway I shouldn't be grouchy and I'm sorry.

No worries!
Yes directions are the key, unfortunately not always used

I know both of us have seen this mistake many times with new brewers. Cheers!