Alcoholmeter

Fittings, parrots, packing, tooling and so on.

Moderator: Site Moderator

User avatar
wpkluck
Swill Maker
Posts: 241
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 10:38 am
Location: The good ole' US of A

Re: Alcoholmeter

Post by wpkluck »

Has anyone ever experimented with a bobber-type SG indicator? I’m thinking about building one, that will sink automatically around 1.01 FG. If used with a clear plastic cover for the fermenter, it would provide an instant, and perhaps even gradual, indication of current SG.

Of course, the weight of such a bobber would depend on the size. I was just wondering if anyone had done it. I wasn’t able to find any in a search, either here or on the Internet. An experiment, to be sure!
- The Doubler (5 gal pot w/thumper)

Run it, X. Thump it, XX. If you get 1.5, well, I think you can do better!
It's EASY to make good liquor. It's even EASIER to make bad liquor!
User avatar
Expat
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 2245
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:58 pm

Re: Alcoholmeter

Post by Expat »

wpkluck wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:17 pm Has anyone ever experimented with a bobber-type SG indicator? I’m thinking about building one, that will sink automatically around 1.01 FG. If used with a clear plastic cover for the fermenter, it would provide an instant, and perhaps even gradual, indication of current SG.

Of course, the weight of such a bobber would depend on the size. I was just wondering if anyone had done it. I wasn’t able to find any in a search, either here or on the Internet. An experiment, to be sure!
A standard hydrometer will float in a wash no problem, no doing needed there. The problem is that with most washes/mashes bubbles and floating material will mess up the reading. So you end up having to pull the hydrometer and sample to get a clear reading.

Og course many will say, it's just not needed. Wait until it slows down then taste it, and feel if it's sticky on your fingers.
_____________________
EXPAT

Current boiler and pot head
Cross flow condenser
Modular 3" Boka - pics tbd
___________________
User avatar
wpkluck
Swill Maker
Posts: 241
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 10:38 am
Location: The good ole' US of A

Re: Alcoholmeter

Post by wpkluck »

Expat wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:38 pm A standard hydrometer will float in a wash no problem, no doing needed there. The problem is that with most washes/mashes bubbles and floating material will mess up the reading. So you end up having to pull the hydrometer and sample to get a clear reading.

Og course many will say, it's just not needed. Wait until it slows down then taste it, and feel if it's sticky on your fingers.
Thanks, Expat. I have a std hydrometer, and of course it works fine. But I have to take the top off my bucket to check. I’m trying to think of a way to have a visual indicator. Like a bobber on the lake, when it goes down, the mash is done.
- The Doubler (5 gal pot w/thumper)

Run it, X. Thump it, XX. If you get 1.5, well, I think you can do better!
It's EASY to make good liquor. It's even EASIER to make bad liquor!
bootlegger72
Novice
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2020 3:46 am

Re: Alcoholmeter

Post by bootlegger72 »

@danespirit probably a bit off-topic but in your original post you wrote:
This however is only a hypotetical value, as the homedistiller won't distill higher than azeotrope conditions, which would be around 96 % Vol. (depending on hight over sealevel).
PLease can you explain how height above sealevel affects ABV?

I have just built a 2" Boka with a packed column of 50" and after about 3 or 4 runs I am still unable to get the ABV above 91%. I'm located about 1750m above sealevel and was wondering if that had anything to do with it?
User avatar
still_stirrin
Master of Distillation
Posts: 10337
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:01 am
Location: where the buffalo roam, and the deer & antelope play

Re: Alcoholmeter

Post by still_stirrin »

bootlegger72 wrote: Fri Feb 26, 2021 3:35 am @danespirit probably a bit off-topic but in your original post you wrote:
This however is only a hypotetical value, as the homedistiller won't distill higher than azeotrope conditions, which would be around 96 % Vol. (depending on hight over sealevel).
PLease can you explain how height above sealevel affects ABV?

I have just built a 2" Boka with a packed column of 50" and after about 3 or 4 runs I am still unable to get the ABV above 91%. I'm located about 1750m above sealevel and was wondering if that had anything to do with it?
Well, altitude will affect the barometric pressure and that has a direct affect on the partial pressure of a fluid, that is, it will lower the boiling point of the mixture. This simply means that your wash will boil sooner, at a slightly lower temperature. But, the same laws of physics apply and the mixture will behave just like the same mixture boiled at sea level.

In other words, it is not the altitude that affects the purity of your distillate. Rather, it is the number of rectifying distillations the vapor is processed through. More distillation and condensation cycles (higher reflux ratio), the higher the purity will be....up to the azeotropic limit when alcohol and water molecules can no longer be separated...at least without the use of a chemical desiccant. That is the ONLY way to get alcohol purer than about 96.5%ABV.

So, as you see, altitude is not critical to determine the purity of the alcohol.
ss
My LM/VM & Potstill: My build thread
My Cadco hotplate modification thread: Hotplate Build
My stock pot gin still: stock pot potstill
My 5-grain Bourbon recipe: Special K
Post Reply