How to Test Liquids for Alcohol Percentage
The alcoholic content of a liquid may be tested with a special type of hydrometer. A hydrometer may be any device that measures the specific gravity of a liquid, also known as its relative density. Sugar is denser than water, so adding sugar to a solution containing water such as fruit juice (wine must) will increase its specific gravity. Adding sugar to your must will also determine the concentration of alcohol that your must can potentially produce. You can calculate the amount of alcohol in your wine by measuring the amount of sugar consumed during the fermentation of your must. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Pour a sample of your must into the sample container. Your hydrometer will typically come with a special container for this purpose but you can use any clear container that's tall enough to keep your hydrometer from hitting the bottom of the container. It should also be narrow so that you don't use more must than needed to perform the test.
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2
Place the hydrometer carefully into the container of must and spin it to dislodge any air bubbles. Ensure that there are no air bubbles on the side of the hydrometer, as this can significantly affect the specific gravity.
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3
Hold the sample container so that the surface of the must is at eye level. Measure the specific gravity by observing the value of the hydrometer's scale at the surface level of the must.
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4
Measure the temperature of the room and apply the proper correction value for your hydrometer. Most hydrometers are calibrated for a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), so you'll need to adjust the reading for any temperature difference. Record the corrected specific gravity measurement for future reference.
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5
Measure the specific gravity of your wine after it has finished fermenting. Measure the specific gravity again as you did in steps 1 through 4 and subtract this value from your first measurement. Divide this value by 0.75 to get the alcohol by volume (ABV) value of your wine.
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