Ray
A good library will have Polarimetry, Saccarimetry and the Sugars by
Bates, NBS Circular C440. It's out of print, a 1942 publication.
NIST still uses it. It is a definitive text but it's pretty deep. If
your regular library does not have it, try a nearby college. (We have
several copies here in Pittsburgh, NIST recommended the book to me a
few years ago when I had similar questions and I had a hard time
finding it; once I found one copy a few other sources became obvious.)

I have a copy and can email you an excel spreadsheet with values taken
from the book, but the bottom line is outside influences make
prediction of alcohol content an approximation only. They used
standardzed sucrose solutions for the values, not juice. I corrected
the tables for the changes in our understanding of mass and volume;
they are miniscule, but I did it anyway.

Lum,
I have though about making my own ebulliometer since they are so
pricey. I have a good RTD somewhere, how hard was it to make the
boiling chamber? I was wondering if I could just use a boiling flask
and stopper. Could you share your setup and tables?
Regards,
Joe





"Lum" > wrote in message >...
> "Ray" > wrote in message
> m...
> > Thanks Lum but that is not what I am looking for. I know all that. I can
> > calculate the theoretical, maximum yield but I want the practical yield.
> > What I really am looking for is published raw data on beginning and ending
> > SG (or equivalent) and actual measured alcohol in the finished wine using
> a
> > laboratory determination rather than charts. I am embroiled in a dispute
> > with certain parties as a result of the article on determining alcohol
> that
> > I published in WineMaker. I have good references to accepted publications
> > that that state what the tables that are but I have not found raw data
> that
> > really verifies their tables and how they should be used. I have tried to
> > get this type of information from a number of laboratories that should
> have
> > it but have not been successful. (I am not willing to pay for it, that is
> > why I want published numbers.) If anyone can come up the this type of
> > information I would be really grateful.
> >
> > Ray
>
> Ray,
>
> I have not followed this discussion, so please pardon my ignorance.
>
> I hope the following data is of interest to you.
>
> Starting Finished
> Brix Brix Alc. 1 Alc. 2 Alc. 3
> 24.3 -1.6 13.0 13.2 12.6
> 24.1 -1.4 13.1 - 12.8
> 22.8 -1.7 12.4 - -
> 23.5 -1.5 12.4 12.7 -
> 25.1 -1.3 13.6 13.7 -
> 23.2 -1.5 12.3 12.4 12.2
>
> These data from a few wines made in my garage over the past few years. All
> are red fermentations done in !/2 ton fruit bins without temperature
> control. The time from starting Brix to finished Brix is 7 to 10 days,
> except for the 25.1 Brix fermentation. It was hot and fast and finished in
> 5 days.
>
> The first column is the starting Brix.
> The second column is finished Brix.
> The third column is the alcohol measured by my home made ebulliometer.
> The fourth column is the alcohol measured by a well calibrated commercial
> ebulliometer.
> The fifth column is the alcohol measured by a standard distillation method.
>
> Regards,
> Lum
> Del Mar, California, USA