Anal Abv Measurers!

cheezydemon · Apr 4, 2008

Just wondered. I never really cared until SWMBO demanded to know.

EdWort · Apr 4, 2008

I like to know so I can warn folks since most of my beers end up 6%+ range.

PseudoChef · Apr 4, 2008

I know anyway since you should always measure your gravities just for reproducability as well as learning the attenuation and figuring out if the beer is done fermenting or not.

RoaringBrewer · Apr 4, 2008

God told me to use a hydrometer...

bradsul · Apr 4, 2008

I measure my OG and FG religiously because I want to know how my beer attenuated compared to previous batches or comparisons with different yeasts etc.

I like to know the ABV because everyone who has one of my beers always asks and it's nice to have an answer. For myself, the OG of the beer is sufficient so I know if it's session strength or not.

Warrior · Apr 4, 2008

cheezydemon said:
Just wondered. I never really cared until SWMBO demanded to know.

Take your O.G. - T.G. x 131.25

1.06-1.01=.05x131.25= 5.25% by volume.

BlindLemonLars · Apr 4, 2008

I measure, because Ralph Nader told me to.

Ed's got a point though, people accustomed to light beer need to be warned that they're not in Kansas anymore...

My girlfriend's parents were visiting from Japan last weekend, and I got her dad pretty trashed on three 10oz glasses. He was surprised, and a little embarrassed I believe, when he stood up from the table and almost fell down.

blacklab · Apr 4, 2008

I only monitor on my Ed Fitz clone.

cheezydemon · Apr 4, 2008

Thanks Warrior! (smart ass!!

)

I had always recorded the OG and then when the FG was about right and stable I bottled. Ididn't record it or care too much as long as the beer seemed good. I hear you though, it's almost lazy not to just go ahead and calculate.

This poll was prompted by a thread where the guy was adding more fermentables after primary and was at pains to know the ABV. At that point, I think an educated guess is OK.

ohiobrewtus · Apr 4, 2008

Why would you NOT calculate this? I take an OG reading to figure my efficiency, then I take a FG reading to make sure it's done - that's everything you need.

TexLaw · Apr 4, 2008

It works about the same way for me, too. I know the OG and the FG, so the rest just falls into place. It's good to warn friends, too (although it also can be fun not to).

TL

Evan! · Apr 4, 2008

I don't take anal ABV readings, I pretty much just stick to measuring my beer.

Beerthoven · Apr 4, 2008

My SWMBO is more interested in the ABV than I am. She likes beers with a lot of alcohol. When I told her the ABV on the No Short Measure Bitter was 3.2% her response was "Why would you even drink something like that? I want beer with a kick!". Ah, such is SMWBO.

zoebisch01 · Apr 4, 2008

I jest, God really didn't tell me that. But anyways, I just calculate it for kicks. I know if a beer is a session or a 'special' one and that's good enough for me.

Warrior · Apr 4, 2008

cheezydemon said:
Thanks Warrior! (smart ass!!)

I had always recorded the OG and then when the FG was about right and stable I bottled. Ididn't record it or care too much as long as the beer seemed good. I hear you though, it's almost lazy not to just go ahead and calculate.

This poll was prompted by a thread where the guy was adding more fermentables after primary and was at pains to know the ABV. At that point, I think an educated guess is OK.

Sorry misunderstood your question.

cheezydemon · Apr 4, 2008

Lol, the winking smiley means no harm done.

duneman101 · Apr 4, 2008

Beerthoven said:
ABV on the No Short Measure Bitter was 3.2% her response was "Why would you even drink something like that? I want beer with a kick!".

thats all you can even buy in good ole Utah unless you head tyo one of the micro brewerys... it actually says on the label of each utah beer -+2.8%-3.2%... thats why i am starting to brew my own goodies.

BigKahuna · Apr 4, 2008

I'm pretty obsessive, and I just couldn't take the risk of not knowing...I mean...if you don't get a good OG reading, I's gone forever. You can't get it back again...ever...no matter what you do. Then what? What if someone asks you? What if you wake up in the middle of the night and can not go back to sleep because YOU WERE TO DAMN LAZY to take a gravity reading? and then What if you add alcohol at bottling? I added rum to a Dunkelwizen...And that made it 7.75% Now what If I hadn't taken gravity readings??? THAT'S RIGHT!! I WOULDN'T KNOW THAT now Would I? Then where would you be? I'll tell you where! You'd be alone with your Bastard Beer that YOU didn't care enough about to take a simple gravity reading!

Dang it...Now You Guys Got Me All Riled Up.

Oh...Ya...and like Ed Says. With beer at almost 8% it's like giving a BMC drinker 3 each. It usually ends up pretty funny.

Got Trub? · Apr 4, 2008

I obsess about hitting my FG but never calculate the ABV. I know which beers are low alcohol session beers and which ones are going to pack a punch.

GT

Bernie Brewer · Apr 4, 2008

For Christmas SWMBO gave me a light-up dry erase board for above my kegerator:

So I write what beers are on tap, the OG, FG, and ABV. If I had any artistic ability whatsoever, not to mention better penmanship, it would be even cooler.

homebrewer_99 · Apr 4, 2008

I don't obsess about hitting the gravities as much as knowing what they are.

I made a chart with all the measurements (I could think of).

All I do is subtract the FG from the OG and find that number on the chart and it tells me what the ABW and ABV are. Too simple.

Anyone interested in a copy can email me ([email protected]), or if anyone has a place to post it so others can download it would be better. :mug:

menschmaschine · Apr 4, 2008

I want to know the OG, FG, and ABV to see if I'm close to the style I'm aiming for. Plus it helps me determine future mash temps (attenuation). I guess, too, I like to know how much alcohol I'm drinking. Plus it's nice to explain to non-brewers how I know how much alcohol is in it. I've had several comments from people who've tried homebrew in the past saying, "how do you control the alcohol content?"... and implying that homebrew has "more alcohol" than commercial beer. Then their eyes gloss over when I say "specific gravity" and they figure In know what I'm doing.:cross:

TexLaw · Apr 4, 2008

Evan! said:
I don't take anal ABV readings, I pretty much just stick to measuring my beer.

But the anal measurements are very important. See here.

Yep, that's my hometown paper. Color me proud.

TL

EvilTOJ · Apr 5, 2008

Note to self: when taking anal readings, use the plastic hydrometer, not the thin-walled glass one.

MikeFlynn74 · Apr 5, 2008

hey ABV is how I usually get anal....

Warrior · Apr 5, 2008

MikeFlynn74 said:
hey ABV is how I usually get anal....

That happens to me also sometimes.

david_42 · Apr 5, 2008

Although I care about mash efficiency, attenuation and track the gravity, I don't bother calculating ABV. Beers are Small, regular and Big.

Anal ABV can kill!

uglygoat · Apr 5, 2008

Evan! said:
I don't take anal ABV readings, I pretty much just stick to measuring my beer.

would that be like a beer enema? i read some dude died doing that...

AnOldUR · Apr 5, 2008

Mike wrote:
hey ABV is how I usually get anal....

Mental note: Don't get drunk around Mike's friends.:cross:

MikeFlynn74 · Apr 5, 2008

Ok I should have worded that better

Anal Abv Measurers!

Help Support Homebrew Talk:

Do you fanatically have to know the precise ABV because......

You want to carefully monitor your alcohol intake

You enter your beers in competition

You are just an alpha nerd (very meticulous)

SWMBO makes you

You are just curious

GOD told you to

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