Hi, I thought I had already posted this, but I hear no one else but me can see it so I post again.

I wonder if you can help me again?

I was talking SG / PA with the guy that turned me on to wine making and he had to correct me on what I thought I knew
about SG/PA.

Here is a shot of my hydrometer. I rotated it to show the markings for SG and PA and drew lines across as a visual
guide at each major graduation. Is my triple scale hydrometer wrong? It shows the 1.110 as being 'above 17%' etc as
you can see. How can a hydrometer be wrong? Or am I missing the point again...

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/9...rometer7qj.jpg

Jim

Yes, that's incorrect. If the sg scale is right, then the PA scale
overestimates by about 2-2.5% at this level, it should be 14.5-15% or
so. I'd get a better hydrometer because if one scale is wrong to such a
degree, the other ones might be as well.

The PA scales are more trouble than anything else, once you get the
hang of things, just go by the sg or Brix scales.

Pp


On Jan 23, 9:12 am, "jim" > wrote:
> Hi, I thought I had already posted this, but I hear no one else but me can see it so I post again.
>
> I wonder if you can help me again?
>
> I was talking SG / PA with the guy that turned me on to wine making and he had to correct me on what I thought I knew
> about SG/PA.
>
> Here is a shot of my hydrometer. I rotated it to show the markings for SG and PA and drew lines across as a visual
> guide at each major graduation. Is my triple scale hydrometer wrong? It shows the 1.110 as being 'above 17%' etc as
> you can see. How can a hydrometer be wrong? Or am I missing the point again...
>
> http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/9...rometer7qj.jpg
>
> Jim

Wow, according to the paper scale in both my hydrometers, 1.110 = ~14%PA =
~24Brix. At 17% the SG corresponds to 1.130 -- on my scale. The two
instruments were purchased from different sources, about two years apart.
Also, the PA and Brix should both be zero at 1.000SG. Is it on your scale?


"jim" > wrote in message
...
> Hi, I thought I had already posted this, but I hear no one else but me can
> see it so I post again.
>
> I wonder if you can help me again?
>
> I was talking SG / PA with the guy that turned me on to wine making and he
> had to correct me on what I thought I knew
> about SG/PA.
>
> Here is a shot of my hydrometer. I rotated it to show the markings for SG
> and PA and drew lines across as a visual guide at each major graduation.
> Is my triple scale hydrometer wrong? It shows the 1.110 as being 'above
> 17%' etc as you can see. How can a hydrometer be wrong? Or am I missing
> the point again...
>
> http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/9...rometer7qj.jpg
>
> Jim
>
>

That is a bit odd. I wonder if the PA scale on that is calibrated for
alcohol by weight instead of volume? It can't be for beer; (beer does
not consume all of the dissolved solids but they expect that actually
and just subtract final gravity from original gravity to calculate
gross ABV). Maybe the Scots report alcohol in a method other than V/V?


Th PA scale in general is more trouble than it's ever been worth either
way as I see it.

Joe

> >http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/9...rometer7qj.jpg

It's definitely VV, but I did find 5 different ways of calculating PA and some scales weren't too far off what the
hydrometer said. I told the retailer about the problem and their reply was that they didn't use PA and it was better to
use SG.

I mostly go by SG, but if you buy a triple scale hydrometer, my view is that all the scales should be correct! Oh well,
I'll print out some other charts to have for quick reference...

Thanks all for your replies, Jim


"Joe Sallustio" > wrote in message ups.com...
> That is a bit odd. I wonder if the PA scale on that is calibrated for
> alcohol by weight instead of volume? It can't be for beer; (beer does
> not consume all of the dissolved solids but they expect that actually
> and just subtract final gravity from original gravity to calculate
> gross ABV). Maybe the Scots report alcohol in a method other than V/V?
>
>
> Th PA scale in general is more trouble than it's ever been worth either
> way as I see it.
>
> Joe
>
>> >http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/9...rometer7qj.jpg
>

On Jan 25, 7:28 am, "jim" > wrote:
> (SNIP)... I told the retailer about the problem and their reply was that they didn't use PA and it was better to use SG.
>
> I mostly go by SG, but if you buy a triple scale hydrometer, my view is that all the scales should be correct! Oh well,
> I'll print out some other charts to have for quick reference...

My view is that if all the scales should be correct, you should insist
on having the retailer provide you with triple scale hydrometer with
all the scales correct!

Guy

I agree totally, but stupidly its a trip right across town to a place I don't really use anymore. I suppose I am going
to continue to use it for its SG readings (which are the same as my other hydrometer) and buy a new one when I am at the
store I go to now. It would cost me as much money to take it back and get it returned for free as to buy a new one
annoyingly. The store won't pay return postage as they are basically saying that to all intents and purposes, the PA
scale is arbitary at best and pointless at worst - many here would probably agree.

They won't fess up and accept it is wrong and the copyright notice is from 1983. It must be right by someone's
reckoning or they would surely have changed it years ago. I am sure that there are many here who'd agree. Though I'd
have to say that I don't have enough experience or memory yet to judge the starting SG of a must and say "Oh yes, with
an OG of x and so much sugar, this wine will be y% at finishing without refering to charts. Seems like the internet
wins over my recent real world chart!

Jim

"guy" > wrote in message ups.com...
>
>
> On Jan 25, 7:28 am, "jim" > wrote:
>> (SNIP)... I told the retailer about the problem and their reply was that they didn't use PA and it was better to use
>> SG.
>>
>> I mostly go by SG, but if you buy a triple scale hydrometer, my view is that all the scales should be correct! Oh
>> well,
>> I'll print out some other charts to have for quick reference...
>
> My view is that if all the scales should be correct, you should insist
> on having the retailer provide you with triple scale hydrometer with
> all the scales correct!
>
> Guy
>