Can I determine ABV after beer is bottled?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by MikeP64, Feb 25, 2015.

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  1. MikeP64

    MikeP64 Zealot (661) Jan 24, 2015 South Carolina

    So can I somehow determine ABV AFTER I've bottled?? My OG/FG notes got messy and thrown away...
     
  2. FeDUBBELFIST

    FeDUBBELFIST Pooh-Bah (1,765) Oct 31, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    You would at least need to know the OG, then you could. Or you could send your beer to a lab if that is worth it to you.

    But if you just want to know so you can tell your friends, I say taste it, then tell them it is a full point or two higher than what it tastes like. Expect comments like "Wow, really clean fermentation man. Great job! The ABV is masterfully concealed."
     
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  3. scottakelly

    scottakelly Maven (1,487) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    Only if you know your OG
     
  4. billandsuz

    billandsuz Pooh-Bah (2,097) Sep 1, 2004 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    FG calculation is dependent on OG value. no way around that.

    you can estimate if you know the recipe. estimates can vary quite a bit if you are all grain because of variables. if this is an extract brew than you should be able to get fairly close. use an online recipe program like brewtoad (or brewfrog?)
    Cheers.
     
  5. dougofthefuture

    dougofthefuture Pundit (837) Oct 15, 2009 Minnesota

    If you have a refractometer and hydrometer, you can use them together to make some estimates for OG and ABV. This BYO article discusses it a bit: http://byo.com/stories/item/1313-refractometers

    I have used this method in the past to and it has worked well to confirm my OG numbers.
     
  6. hoptualBrew

    hoptualBrew Initiate (0) May 29, 2011 Florida

    Like others said, need to have OG to know abv.

    Make sure you degas your bottled sample though. Get a hydrometer worth of beer and let sit for about 30 minutes, then get two larger containers (beakers, pint glasses, etc) and pour the sample back and forth for a good minute or two, let sit another 10 mins or and then read.
     
  7. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,635) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    There are beer analyzers that can do that, but we can't afford those.
     
  8. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    White Labs will test your sample for ABV and IBUs (and maybe some other things) for < $40. If it's that important to you.
     
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