How do I determine the alcohol content of my wine?
- Simple subtraction. Take a hydrometer reading right before you pitch the yeast into your must (see “How do I take a hydrometer reading?” in FAQs).
- Make a note of this reading, which should be in the range between 1.060 and 1.120, depending on the recipe and style you are making.
- After the fermentation is complete, take another hydrometer reading right before you bottle. This reading will usually fall between 0.090 and 1.010, again depending on the style of wine made.
- Then you simply subtract the second reading from the first, and multiply by 131 and this will give you a very close approximation of your alcohol by volume. For example- your starting gravity reading is 1.095 and your final gravity reading is 0.995 the math would look like this;
(1.095 - 0.995) X 131= 13.1, your alcohol by volume would be approximately 13.1%.
