hist-brewing: Re: Brix definition.

[Dan McFeeley]

At 04:59 PM 2/17/00 -0600, Jerry Harder wrote:

>> At 04:00 AM 2/16/00 -0800, bjm10 at cornell.edu wrote:
>> >
>> >So it all comes down to "Honey is 78% sugar."--am I right?
>>
>> Almost.  "Honey is 78% sugar" says that 78% of everything, water included,
>> is sugar, which doesn't describe the sugar content of honey as Brix well.
>
>Not true.  "Saccharometers using Brix or balling (which are identical )
>are calibrated to read concentration of sucrose in g per 100 g of solution."
>- Wine testing and Production, Dr Bruce W Zoecklein
>
> Thus brix is % by weight. not "a measure of the percent solid material
>to the water content, usually in grams solid matter per 100 ml water." 
>as you say.


Good point, grams solid per grams water is handier since the units cancel
out and make the figuring easier.  One ml of water weighs one gram within
a specific range of temperature, however, so the definition is sound.


bjm10 at cornell.edu wrote:

>So, as a homebrewer, who is limited to measuring cups and spring scales, 
>Brix doesn't do me as much good as would an actual percentage range to 
>total weight.  What would that be?
>
>I think I'll go consult a honeymakers' industrial group and find out.

You're right, this is getting way too abstract!  Best to stick with
a hydrometer and seat of the pants figuring!


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Dan McFeeley
mcfeeley at keynet.net



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