Hello! Iv'e just finished a strawberry wine, made with a recipe by cuoredicioccolato on Youtube. I'm very new to wine making, so it's very possible I screwed something up along the way. So here is my problem: Initial gravity reading was around 70 on the scale on the hydrometer in the picture. I used champagne yeast. After fermentation and degassing, the hydrometer seems to read less than zero? I have no clue what this could mean, Google was mostly just more confusing than helpful. Note:there is definitely alcohol in it by the taste and smell, which are both really pleasant. All sweetness is gone, very dry. Any ideas, tips or help would be greatly appriciated!
Weird hydrometer reading, help!
- Thread starter Efios
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totally normal for a wine i'd think...gravity of ethanol is like 0.7xx, water 1.000...and you're just fermenting pretty much simple sugars and water....
i'm not a wine maker myself, but do ciders a bit, and they can finish at 0.992 sometimes.....
edit: the only reason beer doesn't finish below 1.000, is because it has more complex sugars in it....yeast can't metabolize them....
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Tough to see for sure, but that scale is probably 1.0xx. Your '70' being 1.070.
Ah, yes for sure! I had 1070 written down from the first reading, so I was gonna do 1070-fg÷7,5=alc% but with this reading I'm totally lost haha
here's what beersmith gives me for what it looks like you have...
Thank you! I just realized I'm a complete idiot, I read the 10 on the hydrometer as 1.000.. When it's 1.010. So I thought the result was negative
Sorry for wasting your time guys!
Thank you! I just realized I'm a complete idiot, I read the 10 on the hydrometer as 1.000.. When it's 1.010. So I thought the result was negative
well it IS NEGATIVE
just not .990....from what i can see a couple points below the zero mark.... and don't worry! i love 'wasting' time here! 
Yeah, that's not a standard hydrometer scale. 1.000 is the base for 100% distilled water, without any sugar or alcohol content.
Do you have any instructions with it?
Homebrew Harry
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I concur with Bracconiere that you are in negative territory when it sinks into the black part of the scale. Without using an online tool you can subtract the fg (0.997) from the og (1.070) and multiply the result by 131.25.
1.070-0.997= 0.073×131.25=9.58125%
Don't quote me on it tho because I am often wrong !
1.070-0.997= 0.073×131.25=9.58125%
Don't quote me on it tho because I am often wrong !
damn, beersmith only gives me 1 decimal point!!!! SOOOO wrong
(now i need to remember 1:31 & a 1/4 as my usual nap time, so i can calculate ABV to the max!)
do you know if that's a mol ratio or something?
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Homebrew Harry
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I have no idea. The instructions that came with my hydrometer said to divide the result of OG -FG by 0.776
which comes out close, but I was advised the other formula works out better.
well damn it....now i'm drinking and want to know so ethanol has a mol weight of 46g's a mol, water 14gs....but ethanol aparently take up less space with a density of 0.79 instead of 1.000 a ml....so i need to figure out how many molecules are in suspension!!!
(and yes @Efios i'm just trying to give you a laugh because you said google confused you! and that's akways the best joke, and educational aid...
AND Welcome! even if just passing by for a bit!
)
and if you think i'm joking about having fun thinking about this....i'm dense but think i'm getting closer to understanding...
and that's about what the difference between ABV and ABW is.....
edit: which now makes sense that to convert ABV from and to ABW you divide or multiply by .8!!! it all is so clear now!
but think i'm getting closer to understanding...
and that's about what the difference between ABV and ABW is.....
edit: which now makes sense that to convert ABV from and to ABW you divide or multiply by .8!!! it all is so clear now!
