Brix - sugar

[user 143549]

Someone asked me if I could measure sugars in a commercial bottle of kombucha with my hydrometer (I homebrew, but know zip/zero about kombucha or using the Brix reading).

I measured 150ml of room temperature/non-carbonated liquid.
Hydrometer Brix reading was 5

Not sure what to do with that info - or even if I can make a ballpark calculation.

Thanks!

 

[Qhrumphf]

Brix is a weight/weight percentage of sucrose in water- say a cider must (ie apple juice) measures 13 Brix, it's 13% sugar by weight. The issue is whether other compounds in kombucha will impact the density, and thereby whether you can read it directly. My assumption is no- much like how ethanol has a lower density than water, and wines/meads/ciders that ferment dry will often have a negative Brix because of the alcohol present, and not *negative sugar*