Testing for ABV

[Aa_Aa_Ron]

Are there alternative ways to test the ABV of your finished beer without having your O.G. reading and without expensive equipment? My hydrometer broke just before I took my O.G. reading, ugh. I'm entering this brew into my first home brew competition and I am required to put the ABV on my entry form.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

you can guess off the recipe but the hydrometer is the cheapest way, a home brew shop might help with a Refractometer for the finishing or even a hydrometer and go off the recipe for the starting gravity but no other way I know of

 

[Aa_Aa_Ron]

That's what I was thinking, take it up to my home brew store for some help. If not I'll just use the recipe ABV. Thanks!

 

[nzbrew]

Was it extract or grain? If it was an extract; and you followed the instructions then the recipe OG will be fine.

If it was grain then your efficiency will throw a huge unknown into the equation.

 

[The Brew Mentor]

Do you have the recipe and the FG? That would help.
Brian

 

[LevanteJim]

A refractometer can't be used to measure final gravity. Once alcohol is introduced, only a hydrometer can be used. Use a refractometer from pre-boil and OG gravity measurements.

 

[Hogarthe]

A refractometer can't be used to measure final gravity. Once alcohol is introduced, only a hydrometer can be used. Use a refractometer from pre-boil and OG gravity measurements.

there are spreadsheets and things to correct the final gravity reading done with a refractometer, but it isn't always accurate. and different people have come up with different formulas for figuring the correction, so who knows which one is right. so you can use a refractometer for fg, but it isn't the best way.

 

[Norwaystout]

If you ever break a hydrometer on a brew day you can always take a sample out and measure it the next day, or bring it into your LHBS. It happened to me before.

 

[sbaclimber]

If you ever break a hydrometer on a brew day you can always take a sample out and measure it the next day, or bring it into your LHBS. It happened to me before.

After breaking my 2nd hydrometer (only one was on brew day) I ordered 2, so I always have a spare.

 

[Arbe0]

I have learned my lesson. Always have 2 hydrometers and thermometers, they are cheap and if one breaks I always have one.