A hydrometer is an inexpensive and easy-to-use tool that measures alcohol content. It’s important to know how to use a hydrometer if you want to make homemade beer, wine or hard cider.
A hydrometer (affiliate link) measures the approximate alcohol levels of your fermented beverage by comparing the amount of sugars in the liquid before fermenting and after fermenting. The level of alcohol is assumed by the decrease in the sugar levels. Using a hydrometer can help you determine when your beverage is ready for bottling. It’s also nice to know if your beer is 4% or 9%.
Original Gravity Reading: Before Fermentation
You need to know the sugar levels in your beverage before you add the yeast. This will measure how much sugar there is before the yeast to converts the sugars to alcohol.
- Using your sterilized siphon, a wine thief
or a turkey baster, take a small sample of your beer/wine/cider right before you add the yeast. - Transfer the liquid to a testing cylinder (one usually comes with the hydrometer). There should be enough liquid to fully suspend the hydrometer. If the hydrometer isn’t floating then you need more liquid.
- Make sure that the hydrometer isn’t touching the sidewalls of the cylinder and take the measurement from the bottom of the meniscus.
- It’s important to record the Original Gravity reading to keep track. I have a fermentation diary that I use for all my complex ferments -beer, wine, cheese -. Some people write it directly on the carboy.
or a turkey baster
, take a small sample of your beer/wine/cider right before you add the yeast.
Final Gravity Reading: After Fermentation
Take a Final Gravity reading once fermentation is nearing the end. Using a sterilized siphon, draw a sample and record the reading as described above. This second reading is the Final Gravity.
With beer take a reading after 4 weeks in the carboy. I recommend testing wine after the primary fermentation is over and again before you bottle, as it can take a while for all of the sugars to be consumed in a dry wine. Cider is generally halted before all the sugars are used up (otherwise you would end up with wine!) So test before bottling for an approximate alcohol level.
Calculating Alcohol Levels
Calculating alcohol levels is done by converting the specific gravity reading to a potential alcohol level using a handy table. You probably got a copy of this table with your hydrometer, so don’t throw the paperwork out!
Regardless of the scale used the calculation is pretty simple.
- Take the Original Gravity reading and look at the table to figure out the POTENTIAL alcohol level.
- Take the Final Gravity reading and look at the table to figure out the REMAINING POTENTIAL alcohol level.
- Calculate the difference between the original potential alcohol level and the remaining potential alcohol level to find out the actual alcohol in your beer/wine/cider.
For Example:
- My Original Gravity reading is 1.060, which has a potential alcohol level of 7.8% before fermentation.
- My Final Gravity reading is 1.012, which has a potential alcohol level of 1.3%.
- The actual alcohol level is 6.5% (7.8 – 1.3 = 6.5).
If math really isn’t your thing, then you can just put your Original Gravity and Final Gravity readings into this handy calculator to figure out the alcohol level.
Thanks, I’m going to try this for the first time. I enjoy plume wine at my favorite sushi restaurant so I’ll try plume wine first. II will also try to make apple cider. I have two fruit producing trees in my backyard, a plume tree and a red apple tree both are ripe and falling off the limbs. Any guidance along the way would be greatly appreciated.
Hi, I have recipes for both apple cider and plum wine. My cider recipe starts with juice, so are you able to juice your apples? Regardless, the plum recipe involves whole fruit, so it’s perfect for your plums. My only advice is to avoid using any mouldy fruit. You need fresh, ripe fruit for the best flavour. Good luck!
I didn’t take a reading before I added the yeast. I will be putting the wine into carboys in a couple of days (waiting for a delivery). The plums have been in the fermenting bucket for about nine days; I added the sugar and yeast about 4 days ago. I took a reading today, (first reading). It was 1.066. Does that sound about right? I have about 12.5 lbs of plums in a 5 lb bucket, with 2.5 gallons of water, 7.5 lbs of sugar, 11 grams of ale yeast, and some lemon juice. It smells great!
That sounds about right! Your original gravity would have been a bit higher than that… (but I’m not enough of an expert to know how much higher!) So expect your wine to be a bit stronger than calculated at your final reading. Enjoy your plum wine!