How to read a hydrometer for wine making

How do you read the alcohol content of a hydrometer?

Quote from video: For example if your first reading was 5%. And your second reading is 1%. Take five minus one equals four percent that is the amount of alcohol you.

How do you read a hydrometer during fermentation?

Quote from video: If you shake them in the fermenter. They'll fill all the way. Up. And then like I said I like to put this into my mason jar because. It's easier than putting it into that narrow hydrometer jar.

How do you test the alcohol content of homemade wine?

The easiest way to know how much alcohol is in your wine is to take two readings with what’s known as a wine hydrometer: one reading is taken before the fermentation has started and the other reading is taken after the fermentation has finished.

What do the numbers on a hydrometer mean?

Understand the measurement.



The most common scale on hydrometers is “specific gravity.” This is the ratio of the liquid’s density to the density of water. Pure water should give a reading of 1.000. A higher reading means the liquid is denser (heavier) than water, and a lower reading means it is lighter.

How do you measure alcohol content after fermentation?

Formula for Calculating Alcohol in Beer

1. Subtract the Original Gravity from the Final Gravity.
2. Multiply this number by 131.25.
3. The resulting number is your alcohol percent, or ABV%

How much alcohol is in homemade wine?

10% to 12%

Homemade wine generally contains 10% to 12% alcohol and that’s when using awine kit. If via fermentation, homemade wine can reach a maximum of about 20% alcohol by volume (ABV), and that requires some level of difficulty.

What should hydrometer read after fermentation?

The more sugar in the liquid, the higher the reading. The more alcohol there is in the liquid the lower the reading (that is after fermentation as the sugar has now been converted into alcohol). For example, if the hydrometer is placed water at 20°C, it will read 1.000.

How do you read a hydrometer reading?

A hydrometer is a glass tube with a weight on one end. Its purpose is to measure the difference in gravity (density) between pure water and water with sugar dissolved in it. The hydrometer takes this reading by floating in the liquid. It is best to use a hydrometer test jar to take your samples.