2006-09-30 08:49:03 · 5 answers · asked by James D. R 2 in Food & Drink ➔ Beer, Wine & Spirits
You have to check the levels of sugar in the grapes to see what potential levels of alcohol are there. In winemaking it's called Brix or Balling.
One of the easiest ways to do this is with a refractometer...almost like a pocket telescope that you squeeze some juice on and hold it to the light. It tells you what kind of sugar levels you're dealing with. Accuvin also makes a handy test kit that's cheaper than buying your own scope. If you don't know before you start, then it's a total shot in the dark...especially if you are using grapes that are wild or homegrown.
When you make wine from grapes, you should really be testing sugar levels, acidity, and pH...all of which can be adjusted or compensated for if your levels are way off.
If you are buying wine grapes, the vendor should be able to tell you average levels for that crop...operative word being should.
In answer to your question, NO. Even poor grapes have enough sugar in them to make alcohol...but depending on the grapes and the level of sugar, you may not be happy with the outcome unless you test them and know for sure...or take some grapes to your local winemaking supply shop and ask them to test them for you.
Good luck.
2006-09-30 21:16:49 · answer #1 · answered by jkk109 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The grapes could desire to be as ripe as achievable whilst they're harvested, so their sugar content cloth is at its optimal. That organic sugar could desire to be adequate. you could try for sugar content cloth by skill of taking the particular gravity of the could desire to (the overwhelmed grape juice) and this assist you to grasp in case you could desire to function greater sugar. yet grapes fantastically much continuously have adequate organic sugar. Fruit wines, on the different hand, which includes rhubarb, apple, pear, and so on. generally don't have the extreme sugar content cloth of grapes and do require further sugar.
2016-12-12 18:02:11 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the more sugar(fructose, do not use table sugar) you add the higher the concentration of alcohol..
2006-09-30 08:58:02 · answer #3 · answered by lugar t axhandle 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://hbd.org/brewery/library/beeslees.html
2006-09-30 08:53:07 · answer #4 · answered by Irina C 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no unless u want it sweet
2006-09-30 08:53:43 · answer #5 · answered by iluvmypuppy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋