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Gday all, Just a quick question from a newbie. I have been reading over the old forums and explains how to get the reading for alcahol %. But i didnt take a SG reading when i first mixed up, Is there any other way i can still find out the alcahol%.

not cheaply and easily. could try the brewcraft calculator for a rough idea.

http://www.brewcraft.com.au/wa.asp?idWe ... etails=172

Best guess is the only real option for calculating alcohol now.

What were your ingredients?

KEG wrote:not cheaply and easily. could try the brewcraft calculator for a rough idea.

http://www.brewcraft.com.au/wa.asp?idWe ... etails=172

Thats all I use now - don't bother with SG readings any more. I let ales ferment for two weeks in brew fridge - lagers three, so no bottle bombs ever.

Who cares whether it is actually 5.2% rather a possible 5.1% ???

scblack wrote:

KEG wrote:not cheaply and easily. could try the brewcraft calculator for a rough idea.

http://www.brewcraft.com.au/wa.asp?idWe ... etails=172

Thats all I use now - don't bother with SG readings any more. I let ales ferment for two weeks in brew fridge - lagers three, so no bottle bombs ever.

Who cares whether it is actually 5.2% rather a possible 5.1% ???

I'm with scblack. My hydrometer broke sometime ago, and my new cheapie version only reads up to 1040. I only use it to test the final gravity, to make sure it is down to somewhere it is predicted it should be.
Ditto with fermenting, 2 weeks ales then bottle, 3 weeks lagers then rack for lagering. No bottle bombs, even though I like my beers reasonably highly carbonated.
Don't fret these small details. The beer should turn out just fine.

Thanks for the replies guys, I used a coopers mexican Kit, added coopers brew enhancer 2 and 500gms of Dextrose.

Mexican Cerveza kit: 1.7kg kit
Brew Enhancer 2: 250g LDME, 250g maltodextrin, 500g dextrose
500g dextrose
0.2% for priming sugar
= 5.8% according to the calculator

I agree,

If you've been brewing for a while, you know what amount of ingredients is going to produce the alcohol content you desire. I do recommend using the hydrometer when you first start brewing to get a second opinion on how you are going, but once you know the tell tale signs of a fermentation in progess, and you dont have a habit of rushing the process (try to bottle after 5 days), and leave the beer for longer than what is required (like warra48 and scblack), there is no real reason to need to use it.

I occasionally test the final gravity of the brew mainly so i can have a taste of the final product at the same time

Thanks guys this is a great site, im already learning a thing or 2.

Yeah, doesn't matter too much about the % - you're gonna drink it either way. So test it the fun way and see how many stubbies it takes to get your friend rosy cheeked.

Danis wrote:Yeah, doesn't matter too much about the % - you're gonna drink it either way. So test it the fun way and see how many stubbies it takes to get your friend rosy cheeked.

I gave my mate 3 x 8% Belgian ones I made and 3 Real Coopers Vintage 7.5% I think. Needless to say, we were both spinning.

I keep forgetting to use mine but the majority all come out about 4.5-5.5%.

I plan on making a Cracker of a % but I have to download Beersmith first to try and Balance it. Don't want it too sweet or Bitter now, do we.

Cheers

Boonie