Amateur winemakers very often, after they get the finished drink, think about how to determine the strength of the wine. The article will discuss how to do this at home. A variety of methods are presented, both modern and ancient. What devices and methods are most effective, and which ones are of little use and it is better to refuse them?
First, let's get acquainted with the general concepts of winemaking in order to have an idea of what is at stake. First of all, it is worth saying that it is impossible to determine the absolute accuracy of the fortress. For example, on industrial labels, manufacturers designate this indicator as 12-13% or 15-18%. The scatter in dry wines is especially noticeable. This example indicates the fact that even in production, a fortress is not calculated for sure. Currently, there are many methods and devices that can determine the strength.
Wine fortress
Any host, treating guests with wine, wants to show that he is perfectly versed in the issues of winemaking, varieties and strength of the drink. All this is not just because of idle curiosity. The strength of wine at home indicates exactly what sort of wine it belongs to. The alcohol content is measured as a percentage (of the total amount of liquid). Each grade has its own indicator.
- Semi-dry and dry wines have a level of 9-12%.
- Dessert and fortified - 15-18%.
- Sherry has a strength of up to 24%.
- Semisweet wines - 18-22%.
The fortress, which is popularly called degrees, depends directly on the sugar content. The higher it is, the greater the degree and sweeter the wine.
Well, when all this is already written on the label. But what if we treat our guests with home-made wine? Various wine meters come to the rescue.
Interesting Facts
Wine is considered an alcoholic drink that is obtained by fermentation. You can make it from different fruits, but grapes (wine technical varieties) are most suitable for this. The strength of the wine in any case depends on the amount of sugar.
The wine variety is different from the table: it is sweeter, smaller, always has a bone. Grape clusters ripen all year around the world, and people harvest: in the Northern Hemisphere from August to October, and in the Southern Hemisphere from mid-winter (February) to April.
Harvesting (year) corresponds to vintage. Non-vintage wines are obtained by mixing several crops.
Varietal wines are made directly from one variety.
Blending is a mixture of several varieties.
In warmer regions, wines with a calmer taste are made, drinks in the northern regions have more acidic shades.
The main characteristics of the wine
Assessing the taste of wine, each connoisseur considers five signs:
- acidity;
- sweetness;
- wine fortress;
- telnost;
- tannins content.
Acidity. A key element is acid, which determines the sharpness, taste, and acidity of a drink. Grapes contain useful acids such as tartaric, citric and malic. The better the grapes ripen, the lower its acidity will be. For this reason, in the northern regions, where the vines may not always ripen to the end, wine is often sour.
Sweetness. This indicator is affected by residual sugar. One that is not converted by fermentation to alcohol. If converted to quantity, dry wine (a glass) contains about half a teaspoon of sugar. It is interesting that if two drinks have the same sweetness level, then lower acidity gives the wine a sweeter taste than high acidity.
Fortress . During the fermentation process, alcohol appears: yeast turns sugar into ethanol. In some cases, the fermentation process is interrupted by adding the finished alcohol, so the wine is fixed. All aromas and smells of the drink are delivered to our nose by alcohol. It is also necessary for body and viscosity. We feel the strength by the temperature effect, the heat that occurs first in the mouth, then in the throat. How to determine the strength of the wine, we will describe below.
Telnost . This term is often used by experts in order to determine the nature of the wine. “Full-bodied”, “light-bodied” wine has its own level of acidity, sweetness, and strength. The overall rating can range from mild to saturated.
The content of tannins. Natural polyphenol (tannin) is found in plants. It is present in the seeds of berries, in the skin, and it is in a wooden barrel. Grape tannins contain a large amount of antioxidants. New aging barrels give away more tannins than old ones that have already been used. Tannins affect the astringency of the drink. In red wine there are more of them, because in the production the peel from the grapes is not removed. This wine becomes astringent, astringent, leaves a sour taste and dry mouth. Most often it is recommended to eat with food (meat dishes, cheeses, pasta).
The ancient method of determining the fortress
Mankind began to engage in winemaking long before the exact sciences were published. Not immediately appeared measuring instruments that determine the degrees.
Ready wine was given to sample the chosen one. If a person liked the taste, and at the same time he got drunk, then the drink was considered ready. The strength of dry wine was more difficult to determine, it should be pleasant, light and at the same time "not intoxicating."
Not everyone was trusted to determine a crucial moment: so that the wine does not ferment, but also should not be removed ahead of time “from production”.
To date, this method, of course, is outdated, it is ineffective. Experienced tasters will be able to determine the quality with one sip. Well, if there is no professional in the environment, special devices and different methods will help.
Refractometric method
This method makes it possible to calculate the strength of the wine. We already mentioned that it depends on the presence of sugar in the recipe. This direct relationship can be expressed by mathematical expression. Knowing how much sugar is contained, it will be possible to calculate the fortress.
The degrees obtained by fermentation are correlated with the sugar content of the original wort in a ratio of 1/6. So, 1% sugar will ultimately give us 0.6% (or degrees) of alcohol. It follows that in order to obtain dry drinks it is necessary that the wort had a sugar content of 24%.
But the level of sugar content can only be accurately determined using the refractometric method. This requires a refractometer and a qualified chemist.
It has long been invented a more affordable and simpler method that is applicable in home use.
Definition of a wine meter
How to measure the strength of wine without resorting to sophisticated methods? An accurate device, which is called a wine gauge, will help. Measured divisions are applied on it, a funnel is placed below, where you need to pour a little wine. There are several requirements for an accurate definition:
- The wine must be poured carefully to avoid the appearance of foam and bubbles.
- Fill the capillary through a funnel; a few drops should pour from the opposite side.
- Manipulate quickly, but clearly. The appliance must not be heated by the heat of the hands.
- Place the filled wine meter on a flat surface with the funnel down. A small amount may leak out of the vessel.
- The figure where the lower liquid level stopped and shows the alcohol degree of wine.
Determination by hydrometer
Alcoholometer is one of the varieties of the hydrometer. Degree is determined by density indicators. The measurement process with such an instrument is quite simple.
- At least 200 ml of the drink must be poured into the measuring cylinder.
- The lower meniscus is located at the level of your eyes.
- The appliance is carefully lowered into the liquid. To stabilize the oscillations, you need to wait 30 seconds.
If the device does not produce a result, then perhaps it is not designed for such a fortress. For this reason, some people buy several hydrometers with different measuring ranges.
There is another kind - these are digital hydrometers. They measure the alcohol content more accurately, but it is necessary to strictly observe the temperature regime. The drink should not be colder than 20 degrees Celsius. The biggest drawback of the device is its impressive price.
How to determine the strength of homemade wine. Analytical method
There are times when there are no devices at hand, but you need to calculate the strength. In this case, a way will come to the rescue, where the calculations are done manually.
If you want to know in advance the strength of the wine in degrees, which you are just going to cook, make the calculations at the beginning of preparation.
So, if in one liter of wort there will be 22 grams of sugar, then in the end you will provide a strength of 1%. Knowing the sugar content of the grape variety, as well as the amount of sugar that will be added to the wort, you can plan the strength of the future drink in advance. In this way, you can adjust the degree of the drink, you can make it dry or fortified. The more sugar, the greater the degree will be the final result.
Conclusion
We examined the most popular methods on how to check the strength of wine at home. There are some other ways to determine the degree. But many of them cause a variety of disputes among winemakers. Optimal methods are generally considered to be optimal, tasting and using instruments. Each winemaker seeks to perfect the production of his drink, uses various recipes for making wine, selects the best results. Moreover, to determine the strength, he also tries to find the most accurate methods, even if you have to act by trial and error.