Vinomer is an indispensable assistant of the distiller. Rules for using a saccharometer and wine meter Measuring sugar in wine with a hydrometer

22.07.2020

In order to avoid errors in the process of measuring the desired indicators, it is necessary to observe certain rules using a winemaker.

Basic Rules

In order for the measurements with the wine meter to be successful, you need to take a few simple but necessary steps.

Fill the container (measuring cylinder, glass) with the analyzed liquid. The temperature of the experiment should be 20º C. At elevated or low temperatures, the instrument readings are corrected using special conversion tables. It is necessary to stir the solution slightly to remove carbon dioxide bubbles that adhere to the hydrometer and reduce the accuracy of the data.
Wipe the vinometer dry before diving.
Carefully place the device into the liquid with the weight down. Make sure that it does not hit the walls and bottom of the container.
Wait for the vinometer to stabilize in a stationary position. The data is read on the scale at the place of its contact with the surface of the solution. Write down the results.
Remove the device, rinse with water, wipe dry and store in a special case.

How to measure the strength of a drink

The strength of the drink is determined by measuring its density, the amount of sugars and alcohol.

The lower the density of the must (the greater the degree of immersion of the vinomer), the lower the concentration of sugar.

This indicates that the fermentation is proceeding normally or has already been completed.

Thus, density measurements of samples are made at the beginning, during and at the end of fermentation.

At the beginning of the process, the percentage of sugar in the sample is recorded on the “% sugar” scale.

How much sugar is present in the wort can be determined quite accurately only at the initial moment, when alcohol has not yet accumulated.

In the presence of alcohol, sugar content can only be determined in this way using calculations.

In the process and at the end of fermentation, the percentage of accumulated alcohol is measured on a scale of "% vol".

To determine the strength of the drink, according to special tables, the values \u200b\u200bof the alcohol content are found, corresponding to the initial and final density of the solutions, then the smaller number is subtracted from the larger number.

Experienced winemakers know that there is a direct correlation between the amount of sugary substances in the initial must and the percentage of alcohol at the end of fermentation.

For the preparation of beer, the initial amount of sugars in the beer wort should be about 5-18%, the optimal content in the wine wort before fermentation is 18-30%.

For sustainable storage of wine, the alcohol content in it is brought to a minimum of 10%.

Wine yeast typically ferments the must to 12% final strength, and the remaining unprocessed sugar determines whether the wine is dry, semi-sweet, or sweet.

If the measurement data remain stable for 1-2 days and correspond to the actual or calculated sugar content of 2-2.5%, then the fermentation can be considered complete.

According to these data, with repeated preparation of a drink according to the same recipe, useful conclusions can be drawn even without special recalculations.

A sugar meter for mash is a special device that helps determine the strength of a drink. It is used in various cases: it helps to control the fermentation process, influence the final strength of home brew and, accordingly, moonshine, beer or wine. This device has another name - a hydrometer.

Saccharometer for the production of moonshine

The device is necessary in order to determine the readiness of the mash, to state the fact of the end of fermentation. The fact is that in most cases, the indicator of readiness is not assessed in accordance with certain factors, they start to drive moonshine, following the recipe, which is not always correct. So, in order not to be mistaken and not to start preparing a strong drink from a liquid that has not yet fermented, it is worth resorting to the help of a saccharometer.

How to determine the readiness of a drink if there is no special experience in moonshine brewing? It is easy to understand this issue. There are certain indicators that are considered the standard: for example, the shortest maturation period for mash varies from 3 to 5 days. Such a short ripening period is due to the fact that the drink is prepared on the basis of starch, grain or beans are used as the main raw material.

But if the mash is prepared on the basis of sugar or solutions that contain this sugar, then its ripening period is longer - it varies from 5 to 14 days. To prepare the wine, it will take a little more time - the raw materials will be ready in 21-28 days.

But in order to determine whether the mash is ready for distillation or not, it is worth relying not only on generally accepted indicators and those recommendations that are indicated in the recipe. It is worth paying attention to other signs that will help recognize the finished product:

The first step is to pay attention to the appearance of the mash: if it has become transparent, and flakes and waste products of bacteria have settled to the bottom, then it makes sense to think that the product is ready or almost ready for processing.

The second sign of readiness is taste. If you taste the mash, then it should be bitter-sour, there should not be sweetness in taste. If sugar is felt, it means that the product is not yet ready, the yeast has not fermented and could not process the sugar. It is not worth making moonshine from such raw materials.

The sugar content in the product affects the fermentation process: if there is little sugar, then there is nothing for yeast microorganisms to eat, the fermentation process may go slowly or not start at all. But also too a large number of sugar in mash can spoil the drink - the fact is that sugar is a preservative, it simply does not allow the fermentation process to begin. The ideal proportion is 200 gr. granulated sugar for 1 liter of water.

If you do not consider the fermentation processes and go to the finished distillate, then a saccharometer will help determine the strength of the product.

How to use the device?

Measuring the strength of the mash with a hydrometer will help determine the readiness of the product for distillation and even identify the estimated strength of alcohol.

The definition will help without assessing the quality and appearance mash to reveal its readiness. At the same time, the device itself works on the basis of the law of Archimedes.

So, what can you use a sugar meter for:

this device helps to determine the amount of dry sugar-containing yeast in the wort;
it takes into account the density of the mash, which allows you to judge its readiness;
measures the final gravity of the wort.

The alcohol content of the mash is directly dependent on the density. This indicator affects the quality of the product and its strength. If you want to determine the end of the fermentation process, then you should lower the device into the drink. If the hydrometer indicator is 2–2.5%, then we can talk about the completion of the fermentation process. But for more accurate information, it is recommended to repeat the procedure several times.

What does density depend on? This indicator is affected not only by the sugar content in the mash, but also by the quality and characteristics of the yeast:

If wine or regular yeast for baking, the density of the liquid should not be more than 22%.
If the drink is made using special, alcohol-resistant yeast, then its density will vary from 20 to 30%.

If you monitor the density, you can use it to adjust the strength of the product: the higher the density, the stronger the drink will be.

The principle of operation of the saccharometer

It is easy to measure the strength of future alcohol using a hydrometer. To do this, it is necessary to immerse the device in a container to a certain depth and wait until its position stabilizes and density indicators appear on its scale.

How to find the initial gravity of the wort:

the hydrometer is immersed in liquid;
then you should wait for the sugar meter to stop;
indications are recorded;
To obtain an accurate result, the procedure is repeated several times.

The whole process of density measurement will take no more than 5 minutes. It is desirable that the temperature of the liquid does not exceed 20 degrees. The indicators are recorded, they will need to be added up, and then divided by 3. This will help determine the strength of alcohol. The initial gravity is measured before the yeast has been added to the liquid.

A hydrometer/sugarmeter will also help determine the density of the final wort. To carry out the procedure, it is worth selecting 200-250 milliliters of mash, then filtering it, passing it several times through a dense fabric. With the resulting liquid proceed as follows:

It is shaken in order to remove the remaining carbon dioxide.
Then warm to room temperature.
The liquid is poured into a transparent glass container.
Then the device is lowered into it and the indicators are measured.

If the density indicator is stable at around 1.5-2.5%, then you can start distilling moonshine, the mash is ready. Naturally, the most accurate indicators can be obtained by measuring the density in the wort 2-3 times.

What determines the strength of the drink?

There are several factors that can affect the strength of the drink and change its density. If this indicator for one reason or another has become higher or lower, then an assessment of those same factors will help to return it to normal.

So, what affects the strength of alcohol and the fermentation process:

sugar content;
type of yeast;
temperature.

Sugar has already been mentioned above: to make the mash strong, it is worth adding to it for initial stage a little more sugar. The proportion can be changed by adding about 300 grams of sugar to 1 liter of water.

If we talk about the yeast that is used to make alcohol, then alcohol-resistant microorganisms will help increase the strength of the drink.

Now let's move on to the temperature: it is desirable that in the room where the mash is located, it does not exceed 30 degrees, but does not fall below 18. At the same time, the indicator should be stable. Temperature fluctuations can slow down or stop the fermentation process.

You can monitor the process and determine the readiness of the mash for distillation using a hydrometer, but you should not rely only on the ability of the device. External evaluation of product quality also plays an important role. After all, if you miss the moment, then instead of good, strong alcohol receive an indistinct low quality product.

Measuring the sugar content of grape must and wine is the most important technique a winemaker must master. Yeast converts sugar into alcohol, so measuring it accurately in grapes and must will give you a good idea of the alcohol potential of the wine and what problems you might run into. Sometimes your wine will have too little alcohol, such as 7 to 10%. But even at this level of alcohol content, the low pH helps ensure the microbiological stability of the wine. Good sanitation during the vinification process will ensure a clean and fresh wine. On the other hand, if the expected potential alcohol is too high (>14%), your fermentation may wilt towards the end if the wrong yeast is used.

The first instrument often used by winemakers to measure sugar is the . It's pretty easy to use. A drop of juice is placed on a quartz glass surface at one end of the instrument, and you look through a sight glass at the other end. The sugar in the juice will cause the light to refract at a certain angle, depending on the amount of sugar. The refractometer measures this angle and has a corresponding scale to measure the amount of dissolved sugar in the mixture. The instrument is usually graduated in ° Brix (% sucrose by mass - that is, grams of sucrose / 100 g of solution). It is important to understand that a refractometer will only give you an accurate sugar measurement when used for juice. Once your wine begins to ferment, any measurement will be inaccurate due to the fact that alcohol has a higher refractive index than water. In the presence of alcohol, measurements with a refractometer will be artificially high.

As soon as fermentation begins, to measure the residual sugar, it is necessary to use, with which it is measured specific gravity guilt. Often hydrometers have more than one scale, of which one is Brix. Again, °Brix measures the percentage of sugar by weight in a solution. Since the weight of alcohol is less than that of water, measuring °Brix by specific gravity will give you incorrect measurements of the actual amount of residual sugar in the presence of alcohol in the solution. If you have a hydrometer with a Brix scale, it should only be used to measure the amount of sugar in grape must. You should not use it to track wine fermentation.

During fermentation, the specific gravity scale should be used. Tracking specific gravity will help you determine how quickly sugar turns into alcohol. All hydrometers are calibrated at 20°C, so you should also measure the temperature of your wine and adjust the specific gravity for temperature. Readings should be taken at the bottom or top of the meniscus, depending on the instrument manufacturer's recommendation. Another common measurement error is due to the fact that the fermenting must contains a large amount of grape particles. Their presence distorts your measurements. Carbon dioxide can also push up the hydrometer in your wort, so try to take measurements in fermenting wort quickly.

Once the specific gravity falls below 1.0, you know that the wine has less sugar than alcohol. However, it does not mean that your wine is currently dry or close to dry. This is another mistake. As a result, the “dry” wine starts to ferment again after a while. Remember that specific gravity is the specific gravity of a mixture of water, alcohol and sugar. If there is a lot of alcohol in the wine and there is residual sugar, then the specific gravity may be below one and it may continue to fall. In most cases, there is still 2% residual sugar - enough to cause re-fermentation at a later stage. Another serious problem is the onset of spontaneous malolactic fermentation with high residual sugar. The bacteria responsible for converting malic acid to lactic acid can attack the sugar, turning it into acetic acid and other unwanted by-products. Thus, if your wine is to undergo spontaneous MMB, then the wine must be dry.

When the specific gravity falls below 1.0, the estimation of residual sugar must be done in a different way. Many home winemakers use special tablets for this. This is a fairly simple test: a few drops of wine are placed in a test tube with a tablet that reacts with the wine to change color. The color is then compared to a standard band to determine the percentage of sugar in the wine. The disadvantage of this method is that it can be difficult to measure color change in red wine. Therefore, it is recommended to run the test several times to be sure of the results. Wine with a residual sugar of less than 0.5% can be considered dry. It is extremely rare for wines to have zero sugar at the end of fermentation.

The quality of the mash and the "exhaust" of alcohol depends on the strength of the given liquid, that is, the percentage of alcohol in the liquid. With the help of a simple alcohol meter, it will not work to measure the fortress, since the presence of impurities will introduce a serious error. To accurately determine this indicator, we need an AC-3 sugar meter. Below we will tell you how to use it correctly.

The AS-3 sugar meter (price is about 300 rubles) is a more complex device than an alcoholometer. It looks about the same, but to calculate the alcohol content, we need a special table, on the basis of which you will draw conclusions. Get ready right away that you will take measurements twice - before fermentation and after it.

A sugar meter is not an alcohol meter. They count different numbers.

It is important not to confuse the various terms, so I will try to explain them all here.

alcoholmeter- a device for measuring the strength in drinks containing only alcohol and water. Braga has a lot of extra impurities, so it will not suit us.
sugar meter- a device for measuring the density of a liquid (in other words, the amount of sugar). Based on the density, we can calculate the strength of our fermenting wort.
Fortress, alcoholism- the amount of alcohol in the liquid. A normal indicator for mash is 12%. Some types of yeast can increase this figure to a maximum of 14-16%.
Density, sugar content- the amount of sugar in the liquid. The density of the must before fermentation and after is very different. The difference between these values is the basis for calculating the alcohol in the liquid.

How to use the AC-3 sugar meter and calculate the strength of the mash

The whole process will be divided into three stages:

Determine the density of the mash before adding yeast.
Determine the density after fermentation.
Using the table, we calculate difference and determine the alcohol content of the finished mash.

I propose to immediately give a good example, after which everything will become much clearer to you.

An example of calculating the strength of mash using a sugar meter

We prepared the wort, mixed water with sugar and lowered the sugar meter into this mixture. On the scale, you determined that the gravity is 18.5%, which corresponds to 9.25% degrees of alcohol.
After fermentation, you once again lower the sugar meter into the wash and see that the density is already 2.5%, and the amount of alcohol is 1%.
Now you need to subtract 1% from 9.25%, in the end you get mash strength 8.25%.

In fact, we call the fortress the difference between the initial and final density, translated using the table into alcohol. Before fermentation, there is a lot of sugar and little alcohol in the mash, that is, the density is high.

At the end of fermentation, there is practically no sugar left, but the amount of alcohol is already high. We consider the difference between alcohol units and draw a conclusion.

Optimal strength and density values

A few useful numbers that you should focus on when making calculations.

The minimum error will be at a liquid temperature of 20% Celsius

For initial mash typical density is about 20–22%.
Optimum Density ripe mash from 1.5% to 2.5%.
Classic Braga Fortress is 12%. Some strains of yeast increase the alcohol content to 14–16%.
Maximum strength of mash is 20% (on good yeast and with the addition of "tails" from the old distillation). Anything above this indicator will be very difficult to turn into high-quality moonshine. It is better to do a little less, otherwise the concentration of "fussy" will be prohibitive.

Instructions for working with the AC-3 sugar meter

I liked the video the most MirBir'a, in which the author told in detail what to do with this device.

In general, it all comes down to reducing the error by maintaining optimum temperature 20 degrees Celsius and no carbonation (strong emission of carbon dioxide).

Keep the hydrometer dry by wiping it with a rag. Otherwise, an extra layer will stick to it, which will introduce an error into its work and you will no longer be able to accurately calculate the density.

How to increase the strength of the mash

If for some reason you are unhappy with the alcohol content of your mature wort, there are a few steps you can take to increase it.

Add "tails" from the last distillation. This is moonshine with a low alcohol content (up to 30 degrees), with which you can partially increase the strength. The quality of the final product is reduced, as the tails contain a lot of "fuel".
If the density is still high, the yeast needs to be revived. I talked about this in more detail in an article about.
Initially, it was possible to add better and more expensive yeast, for example, alcohol or turbo. With their help, you can disperse the alcohol content to 14-16%.

Important: you can not increase the strength of the mash more than 20%. After this mark, distillation will go extremely badly, a huge amount of harmful things will be released, as a result of which your moonshine will turn out to be of extremely dubious quality.

Try to keep the golden figures for the alcohol content of fermentation products in the region of 12% and everything will be fine with you.

A vinometer (sugar meter, hydrometer) is an important piece of measuring and control equipment used by winemakers and brewers. The device, as a rule, is made of a sealed glass tube with a loaded and enlarged bottom and a long narrow rod. Used in conjunction with a tall, thin measuring cylinder filled with liquid. When immersed in wine, the design of the device allows it to float with the thickened end pointing down. The vinometer readings are taken at the point of contact of the scale deposited on the rod with the surface of the liquid.

What does a hydrometer actually do?

To find the specific gravity, i.e. the ratio of the density of the must or wine to, you should use a household wine meter (sugar meter). How to use the device? The device measures the amount of natural sugar. This allows you to evaluate and adjust the drink recipe depending on the readings received. The winemaker can also monitor the progress of the fermentation and, if necessary, make immediate adjustments.

Any person who makes wine knows that there is a direct correlation between the amount of sugar present in grapes (or other berries and fruits) and the percentage of alcohol at the end of fermentation.

Why do you need a hydrometer?

The purposes for which the vinometer is used are as follows:

liquid specific gravity measurement;
maintaining accurate calculations with an artificial increase in the percentage of alcohol;
measuring the amount of natural sugar present in wine or must;
determining the potential percentage of alcohol during the addition of sugar and yeast;
assessment of the progress of fermentation;
determining the percentage of alcohol conversion during fermentation using the "before" and "after" readings;
determining when the fermentation is completed or at what stage it should be stopped.

How to use a wine meter (buyer's manual)

When buying a hydrometer, you need to pay attention to the following:

The range of the scale (maximum and minimum) should be appropriate for the specific situation. The standard measuring range for home winemakers is between 0.990 and 1.120. For example, in order to achieve an alcohol content of 12% in wine, fermentation should begin with a specific gravity of 1.090.
What liquids is the vinometer suitable for? How to use the device is indicated in the attached instructions.
Some hydrometers can only measure specific gravity, but most also measure potential alcohol percentage and sugar content.
The temperature at which the vinometer is calibrated, how to use specific gravity conversion formulas based on the temperature of the sample (the most common calibration temperature is +15 °C), must be stated.
Does the size of the instrument match the dimensions of the graduated cylinder?
Is there a protective case (hydrometers are very fragile).

Sampling

How to use a wine meter-sugar meter correctly? A sample of the wort is poured into a graduated cylinder. The hydrometer is carefully lowered into the liquid with a slight twisting motion. The float will sink and rise a little until it stops at the density of the liquid.

The more the vinomer floats, the more sugar is in the sample. The more the device is immersed, the lower the density of the liquid. This may mean that the sugar this stage almost completely converted to alcohol or that there is very little of it in the sample.

When lowering the hydrometer into the measuring cylinder, be careful that the device does not hit the bottom and break.

How to use a wine meter-sugar meter? Instructions for taking measurements

The following few simple steps will allow you to take readings of the device:

sterilize the hydrometer, wine sampler and measuring cylinder with sodium metabisulphate or other similar sterilizer;
place the measuring cup on a flat surface;
take a sample of must or wine that does not contain sediment or solid particles with a sampler, as this will affect the readings of the device;
fill with enough liquid to allow the winemaker to float (usually 80%);
carefully lower the hydrometer into the graduated cylinder (during the dive, it must be rotated so that the bubbles do not stick to the bottom of the float, which may affect its reading);
after making sure that the device does not touch the walls of the measuring cylinder and floats freely, take readings along the lower part of the meniscus.

The meniscus is the curve formed by the upper surface of a liquid in contact with another object due to force. Readings should be taken in full, writing down the number from one to thousandths, and not limited to the last digits, as this can cause confusion later.

The hydrometer, graduated cylinder and any other containers used should always be thoroughly washed.

You should make it a habit to write down everything that the winemeter measures. How to use his testimony is described later in the article. In addition, in the future there will certainly be a need to refer to them.

Types of winemakers

There are many various types hydrometers: some have only one scale, others two and three. The three dimensions that a winemaker needs to obtain are:

specific gravity;
sugar content;
potential proportion of alcohol.

The density scale usually starts at 0.990 and ends at 1.120. For water, its value is one, so if the instrument is floating in water, its surface should be at the 1.000 mark. If you dissolve sugar in it, then the hydrometer will float higher.

Some remarks

User reviews recommend that measurements and calculations should always be double checked for accuracy. It may not be critical for home winemaking to get perfectly correct measurements, but it is a good habit to avoid too high or too low alcohol levels due to incorrect measurements.

For example, 125 grams of sugar dissolved in one liter of water will give a specific gravity of 1.046.

Factors affecting readings

Typically, bubbles of carbon dioxide produced by yeast rise and dissipate in the air. At the beginning of fermentation, when their release is noticeable, they attach to the float and cause the vinomer to float. How to use it in this case, so that its readings are correct? When immersed in liquid, user reviews recommend rotating the hydrometer. Once the active fermentation period is over, bubbles are usually no longer a problem.

There is one more question that a winemaker asks when using a household wine meter. How to use the instrument when the sample temperature differs from its calibration temperature? Usually it is 20 °C, but you should check the manufacturer's instructions to be sure. Higher temperatures cause lower readings. Therefore, the result obtained should be corrected.

The most important factor influencing how to use a sugar vinometer is the presence of alcohol. Its density is less than that of water, and the float sinks lower. For the hydrometer, this has the following consequences: as the sugar rises the float, the presence of these two components in the wine mutually influence each other. The sugar scale is only accurate until fermentation starts, when no alcohol is present in the liquid. Wine that has been fermented dry will have negative values this scale.

Fortunately, the effect of alcohol on the hydrometer is predictable and can be taken into account when deriving the mathematical formulas used to calculate the alcohol content and residual sugar percentage. This is where the advantage of using specific gravity is - for dry wine it will be below 0.999, which can be used in calculations.

Interpretation of measurements

Another problem that arises when a household wine meter-sugar meter is used is how to use the readings of the device? User feedback recommends keeping a log of all measurement results obtained for a particular wine. From the data, some conclusions can be drawn even without any calculations.

The first reading, taken before fermentation begins, will tell you if there is enough sugar to produce the required amount of alcohol. For wine stability, the alcohol content must be at least 10%, which means that the initial specific gravity must be at least 1.080 (Brix value must be at least 20). If the sugar level is too low, it must be adjusted and then another measurement taken. The new indicator will become the "first".

Any data obtained after the start of fermentation can be compared with previous ones and track the overall progress of fermentation. A decrease in density indicates a decrease in sugar levels and an increase in alcohol content. If the vinometer reading remains stable between the two measurements, then this is one of the signs that the fermentation is complete.

If the density of the wine is increasing, and this is not due to the addition of sugar or another element to it, it is probably the cause, especially if bubbles are visible. If this occurs towards the end of the fermentation period, then it is possible to get rid of the gas by vigorously stirring the wine after it has been decanted.

If the reading remains stable with a specific gravity greater than 0.996 (or a Brix of zero or less) and the desired amount of alcohol is present, the fermentation has completed with residual sugar present. But if the measurements do not change at a density that is well over 0.996 (or Brix above zero) and the alcohol level is well below the recommended minimum, then fermentation has most likely stopped and needs to be restarted.

After the specific gravity drops to about 0.996 or below (brix - a little below zero), then the wine is fermented to dryness.

To calculate the actual amount of alcohol or sugar, the current reading must be compared with the first reading taken before fermentation began. In this case, the percentage of alcohol content is found by multiplying the difference between the initial and final specific gravity by 132.