Taking hydrometer readings on my first batch

redser7

Hi,
Just started my first ever brew last night, rhubarb wine. I've added the fruit, sugar, water, campden tablet and pectolase and it will sit for 24 hours before adding the yeast and nutrient.
I've tried reading up about taking hydrometer readings but I'm confused. Would anyone mind to spell it out for me? When should I take the first reading and what should I be looking for? I guess I should take another reading after secondary fermenting is finished. What reading should I hope for?

Here's a photo of my hydrometer. It's actually called a Sacrometer but the leaflet with it has correpsonding scales for sweetness and also alcohol content. I inherited the kit from a lady whose husband died so I have nobody to ask about it.

Appreciate your help!

Khannie

Is that a trial jar in the second photo? If it is, just stick in about 60-70 ml of the rhubarb wine into it and pop the sacrometer into the trial jar. It will float and the level where the meter meets the liquid is your reading.

I'd suggest it's easier to just do it and you'll see immediately what I'm talking about. When the fermentation is complete do it again and you'll have a different reading (close to the 0-5 mark on the sacrometer).

Do not add the liquid back into your brew vessel.

Alternatively if you sanitise the sacrometer you can drop it into the brew vessel directly. I prefer to avoid doing this myself.

redser7

Thanks a lot Khannie. So would I do this before I put the yeast in tonight? So that will give me an indication of how strong it 'should' end up, right? And yes that is a trial jar.
One more question if you dont mind, if I find the level has gone down a good bit after I take out the rhubarb, can i top it up with just ordinary warm water? I'm making a one gallon demijohn and used 6 pints of water, 3 lb fruit, 3 lb sugar.
Cheers!

Khannie

redser7 wrote: »

Thanks a lot Khannie. So would I do this before I put the yeast in tonight? So that will give me an indication of how strong it 'should' end up, right? And yes that is a trial jar.
One more question if you dont mind, if I find the level has gone down a good bit after I take out the rhubarb, can i top it up with just ordinary warm water? I'm making a one gallon demijohn and used 6 pints of water, 3 lb fruit, 3 lb sugar.
Cheers!

Yes, it would give you an indication of what alcohol level you can expect at the end. For example, from that scale that you posted the picture of, if it floats around the 40 mark on the sacrometer, your wine will end up around the 10.8% alcohol volume mark.

You can top it up with water alright (cold is fine. If you're using warm, make sure the temperature has dropped before you add in your yeast. Yeast doesn't like too much heat but cold doesn't harm it.) but it will dilute both the alcohol level and the flavour from the rhubarb if you use water. If you do this, you should take a reading after you have added the water. You could add a water and sugar solution if you wanted to keep the alcohol levels the same.

I would only top it up with water if the recipe calls for more water than you initially used or if the sacrometer reading is too high for your liking.

Good luck!

redser7

Fantastic, thanks a lot Khannie. Very clear in my mind now.

Khannie

Glad to help. If you want to test your sacrometer reading skills before you take a sample from your wine you can stick some water in the trial jar and put the sacrometer in. It should read 5 (more or less exactly).

redser7

Amazing, just tried and it is more or less exactly 5 A nice medium dry. Got the concept now. Cheers

redser7

Sorry me again. I just took a reading and it actually went off the bottom of the scale. I reckon it was about 55 which would give potential alcohol of 14.8! Dont particularly want it that strong, although it could be fun Would that tally with other country wines people have made? Maybe i should add some more water after taking the fruit out afterall?
Thanks

Khannie

That's probably a bit high alright. Not sure the yeast would fully ferment that out (others may know). If it doesn't you'll be left with some residual sweetness. What type of yeast are you using? In your situation I would try to add a bit more rhubarb and water. If it's off the end of your scale you can't really be sure how accurate your measurement is.

From a quick, rough, nasty calculation you have about 3.3L of water and 1.3KG of sugar, give or take. I'm guessing that gives you a bit over 4.3L of volume when you remove the fruit. That would give (estimate, yada yada) around 280g of sugar per litre of liquid which more or less lines up with what you've measured.

But anyway, yeah, more water at a minimum IMO.

edit: I have found this conversion document useful about 1 billion times, give or take.

redser7

Thanks a million, glad I asked. I'm learning fast. She does say in the book I'm using that her wines are on the sweet side and have seen recipies using between 2.5 and 3 lbs. So I guess it might be ok as I do have a sweet tooth. First time around the track and all that so prepared to learn a lesson. But I'll add a little water.
The is the yeast I'm using ...
http://www.homebrewwest.ie/super-wine-yeast-compound-60grm-1087-p.asp

And the nutrient ...
http://www.homebrewwest.ie/yeast-nutrient-100grm-55-p.asp

Thanks

redser7

Sorry, would a little more yeast not ferment the extra sugar out or does it not work like that? Would it just push up the alcohol content?