Adding sugar To 50% ABV Rum gives false readings

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Bokke
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Adding sugar To 50% ABV Rum gives false readings

Post by Bokke »

Hi my name is Bokke from Scotland, I'm have distilled Rum to 50% ABV which I can read with my hydrometer no problem, but then I add Sugar Flavouring (non Alcohol) to the 50% ABV and this gives me false readings with my hydrometer, I'm looking for a final reading for my mixture of 30% ABV but my hydrometer cannot handle the sugar and gives false readings....Is there a Refractometer that can read a Sugar/Alcohol mix giving me a true reading and helping me hit that 30% ABV..


regards
Bokke
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Still Life
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Re: Adding sugar To 50% ABV Rum gives false readings

Post by Still Life »

If you're simply looking to dilute to 30%, try this calculator from the parent site: http://homedistiller.org/calcs/dilute
Hopefully I'm answering your question.
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still_stirrin
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Re: Adding sugar To 50% ABV Rum gives false readings

Post by still_stirrin »

Nope. You have to calculate it....by volumes.

If you know the volume of the rum (50%ABV) you can figure the volume of pure alcohol:
-> V rum x 50%ABV = V alcohol.

Then add your volume of syrup to get a total volume:
-> V syrup + V rum = V total.

Then, divide alcohol volume by the total volume:
-> V alcohol / V total = % ABV of your sugared rum.

The instruments we have don’t do it otherwise. Oh, if you have a lab available, you could use a spectrometer, but that’s an expensive tool for a hobbiest to own.
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Bokke
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Re: Adding sugar To 50% ABV Rum gives false readings

Post by Bokke »

I can reduce down to 30% but its the sugar flavouring adding that give a false reading and its the true reading I need with the Alcohol Rum and the sugar flavouring added....Hydrometer does not like the sugar
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Kareltje
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Re: Adding sugar To 50% ABV Rum gives false readings

Post by Kareltje »

As is said: you can not measure alcohol and sugar reliably.
I made a model once for calculations for ouze, based on the alcohol available, the wished %ABV alcohol and the wished %ABW sugar.
Looks like:
Ouzo-berekening.jpg
The formulas in the columns C up and until F are:
Ouzo-berekening2.jpg
I did not take into account the contraction of alcohol and water on diluting, but that is a minor difference.

The main formula is in cell C11 and reads: (C7/100)*(C9*((C6/100)*G2+1-(C6/100)))/(1-(C7/100)*(1-(1/G4)))

I used it by making a syrup of enough sugar, added water to the needed volume and add this to the available alcohol Mix thoroughly and wait a few days.
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Yummyrum
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Re: Adding sugar To 50% ABV Rum gives false readings

Post by Yummyrum »

Bokke , three blokes have just told you and I'll be the fourth that you can't measure ABV with any instrument once you add sugar .
You have to make a sugar syrup ( sugar dissolved in water) and calculate by the methods mentioned above how much syrup to add to achieve the final ABV you require .
There is no method available where you can just keep adding sugar and testing as you go ( other than taking a sample and removing the alcohol in a tiny reflux still and working out the ABV from that )
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