Hi there, I am making my very first batch of cider. I have about 3.5 gallons and I used apples from my tree that I juiced. I took a reading when I added the juice to my glass jug and it read 1.025 so I added about 800 grams of brown sugar which gave me a reading of about 1.050. Now two weeks later the reading says 0.85 and I calculated that to 26% alcohol?!?! I don't even think that's possible and I'm super confused. Any info would be of great help, thanks!
Hydrometer Reading - very confused
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tstanonis1
Well-Known Member
are you taking your samples at the recommended temperature for your hydrometer? or are you adjusting for temp to make your reading calibrated? the density of your sample will change depending on the temp you took your sample.
according to your post your density is getting lighter which would suggest that you lost heavy sugar and replaced it with lighter alcohol. I don't know what yeast you used or if it could actually produce that much alcohol without dying off. maybe...
according to your post your density is getting lighter which would suggest that you lost heavy sugar and replaced it with lighter alcohol. I don't know what yeast you used or if it could actually produce that much alcohol without dying off. maybe...
Me too. Typically 1.050 on the nose, maybe 1.048. Even WalMart juice is close to 1.050.
The apples I used were pretty sour, I picked them before any frost. I have the cider in my basement which is about 20 degrees celcius so I don't have to make any adjustments with my readings according to the paper it came with. I really have no idea how I ended up with these numbers, but I really don't think it could have possibly ended up at 26%!
Your final reading is wrong- your hydrometer only goes as low as .990. So if you are at an "8", perhaps it's .998? Or .9985? No way it's .85- it's simply not possible.
It's not possible, due to the amount of sugar and not being distilled (but we don't talk about distilling here).
But you can test it- put the hydrometer in water and float it, and see what it reads.
I suspect your hydrometer read low (maybe the paper slipped down?) and that's why the low OG and FG readings.
That reading is 0.985, as described by you.
However, that still sounds very low, as does your starting gravity. I think you're reading your hydrometer wrong.
However, that still sounds very low, as does your starting gravity. I think you're reading your hydrometer wrong.
No, it is not possible. Something is wrong with the reading- either it didn't float, the paper slid down, it was touching the sides, or something weighted it. The only way it could be .985 is if it had Everclear or another super high alcohol added to it, since there is not enough sugar in that to ever go below .990.
.990 is entirely possible, and likely, but not lower.
Haven't done the ciders, but sounds right from what I have read. I was mainly explaining reading the hydrometer for .985 vs .850 and not thinking of if the reading was possible or not. Does the addition of sugars affect it in your opinion?
In any case, a calibration check on the hydrometer would be in order!
And if he still has cider a retest might be possible, but I have not tried FG tests in carb'ed liquids, anything special to do there? A drinking test would also help figure out the % alcohol
In any case, a calibration check on the hydrometer would be in order!
And if he still has cider a retest might be possible, but I have not tried FG tests in carb'ed liquids, anything special to do there? A drinking test would also help figure out the % alcohol
Haven't done the ciders, but sounds right from what I have read. I was mainly explaining reading the hydrometer for .985 vs .850 and not thinking of if the reading was possible or not. Does the addition of sugars affect it in your opinion?
In any case, a calibration check on the hydrometer would be in order!
And if he still has cider a retest might be possible, but I have not tried FG tests in carb'ed liquids, anything special to do there? A drinking test would also help figure out the % alcohol
For a carbed up liquid, it needs to be stirred well to de-carb it, but otherwise you can take an SG in any liquid.
Certainly not uncommon for high ABV beverages like wine to finish below 1.000, after all alcohol is less dense than water. This is also why you can purchase hydro's that are specifically made for more accurately calculating gravity changes for winemaking. However, in this case your SG was 1.05. No way you're getting sub 1.0 unless you've also managed to turned lead into gold. You haven't, have you?
Sounds like a bad hydro.
Sounds like a bad hydro.
I don't think I understand, if it was all simple sugars, why wouldn't it be able to dip below 1.000 with an OG of 1.050?
What is that gray stuff at the top? Is that duct tape? This would likely be the reason why you're measuring off on your OG and FG. That hydrometer is meant to weigh a certain amount, which helps it float according to the amount of sugars/other molecules vs. water molecules. So if you've messed with the weight of the hydrometer, it will no longer read accurately.
Seems like an updated hydrometer, along with an updated macbook, are in order (according to the photo).
If you were to put your hydrometer into a 100% ethanol you would actually get a reading of 0.785. Remember we're using a hydro-meter (water meter). Pure water is by default set to a density of 1.000. However, since Ethanol is much less dense than water, and will even float on it (try dropping an icecube into ethanol), your hydrometer is effectively "floating" - giving you a reading <1.000. It follows that if you made a solution with 50% ethanol (100 proof) and 50% water, you'd get a measurement 0.89; and 25%/75% would yield 0.9463.
So, how would this work with beer? It is nearly always the case that beer will finish with an FG higher than 1.000. This is because most beer contains lots of non-fermentable sugars (malti-goodness) in addition to proteins, fatty acids, etc. HOWEVER, if you were to create a very high gravity (>1.09) that consisted of mostly fermentable simple sugars (i.e. mash at 140 for two hours), and a attenuative yeast strain, the resulting beer would end up being high in alcohol, but also have a relatively low FG based on sugars, protein, and fatty acids. Add back that you've also created 10-12% ethanol and bang - your FG is below 1.00.
This is exactly what happens if you make a 12-14% wine that is particularly dry (i.e. low residual sugar). These wines should finish below 1.000.
All that said - your OG was like 1.05, so even if completely fermentable, you would have created a high enough concentration of alcohol to dip the hydrometer below 1.000.
Make sense?
Pete
gratus fermentatio
Well-Known Member
Is that duct tape wrapped around the top of your hydrometer?
If you were to put your hydrometer into a 100% ethanol you would actually get a reading of 0.785. Remember we're using a hydro-meter (water meter). Pure water is by default set to a density of 1.000. However, since Ethanol is much less dense than water, and will even float on it (try dropping an icecube into ethanol), your hydrometer is effectively "floating" - giving you a reading <1.000. It follows that if you made a solution with 50% ethanol (100 proof) and 50% water, you'd get a measurement 0.89; and 25%/75% would yield 0.9463.
So, how would this work with beer? It is nearly always the case that beer will finish with an FG higher than 1.000. This is because most beer contains lots of non-fermentable sugars (malti-goodness) in addition to proteins, fatty acids, etc. HOWEVER, if you were to create a very high gravity (>1.09) that consisted of mostly fermentable simple sugars (i.e. mash at 140 for two hours), and a attenuative yeast strain, the resulting beer would end up being high in alcohol, but also have a relatively low FG based on sugars, protein, and fatty acids. Add back that you've also created 10-12% ethanol and bang - your FG is below 1.00.
This is exactly what happens if you make a 12-14% wine that is particularly dry (i.e. low residual sugar). These wines should finish below 1.000.
All that said - your OG was like 1.05, so even if completely fermentable, you would have created a high enough concentration of alcohol to dip the hydrometer below 1.000.
Make sense?
Pete
No offense Pete, but it seems you need to up your reading skills a bit.
First, I'm not the OP, so it wasn't my OG that was around 1.050.
Second, this isn't beer that the guy is talking about. It's cider. So, just like wine, it can get below 1.000. Hence why I asked why it wouldn't be able to dip below that.
Right. Wines, meads, and ciders commonly ferment to .990. But because it's not possible to have more alcohol in the wine, it can't go to .985. It just can't.
The reading is wrong, for whatever reason. Some weight on the hydrometer, bubbles under the hydrometer, the hydrometer touching the side, the paper slipped down (likely), etc. The reading is wrong. The original reading is wrong as well, and it seems that both readings are too low.
The hydrometer should be floated in plain water, to see how far off it is.
You mean like that duct-tape looking material on the top of the hydrometer?
gratus fermentatio
Well-Known Member
If you have duct tape wrapped around your hydrometer, that is likely what is causing inaccurate readings.
Regards, GF.
Regards, GF.
Peruvian802
Well-Known Member
Drop your hydrometer into 68 degree water to verify it's reading 1.000. If not, adjust accordingly.
Unless is calibrated at 60F or another temperature. 59F is also used on occasions I believe. (-the grey stuff)
It should say on the hydrometer the temp you want to calibrate it to.
Is anybody else still curious if that's actually duct tape at the top?
No. It definitely is. And that would explain his low readings.
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