My Hydrometer Says No Alcohol!

Hello

My alcohol level is very low, what can I do? ........and what did I do wrong? It's a cab, I let it ferment and its clear but when I checked the alcohol level its low, what can I do?

Thanks Mike A.
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Hello Mike,

We get your question a lot: "My wine is done fermenting, but the gravity hydrometer says there is no alcohol. What happened?"

Well, I've got some great news. It is extremely likely that there is not a problem with the wine. It is more likely to be a problem with your understand of the gravity hydrometer and how to read it.

To determine the alcohol level of any wine you must take more than just one reading with the gravity hydrometer. You must take two readings and compare them -- one before fermentation begins and another one after. For example, a typical beginning reading on the gravity hydrometer's alcohol scale would be 13%. The typical ending reading might be 0%. If this were the case, the wine would have 13% alcohol.

It is the beginning reading minus the ending reading. Or, another way to look at it: it is the distance that the fermentation travels across the alcohol scale, not its current reading.

Another point is that the scale is actually not call an alcohol scale. It is called a Potential Alcohol scale. At any given time this scale can tell you how much alcohol can be made with the sugars that are currently available in the wine must. It cannot tell you how much alcohol is in the wine. In your case, the Potential Alcohol scale is reading close to zero because there are little to no sugars left to make more alcohol. They have all been consumed already by the fermentation.

If you would liked to read more about this the article, Hydrometer Scales And What They Mean, that is listed on our website will fill you in on the details of the gravity hydrometer and all it's different scales it might have.

Happy Wine Making,
Customer Service

Comments for My Hydrometer Says No Alcohol!

Friday, February 10, 2012 by Roger:: I have been making wines (kits & fruits) for 12 years now, but this article about the alcohol scale was very educational. Thank you very much.
Friday, February 10, 2012 by Oscar Laurene:: Alcohol readings. I use the hydrometer for potential alcohol before and after fermentation. After fermentation and before bottling, i get an alcohol reading on my vinometer. This sort of double checks the results of fermentation conversion of sugar to alcohol and the completness by the specific yeast I've used.