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Mead Calculator incorrect/misleading

Barrel Char Wood Products

Hambo

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 4, 2014
1
0
0
Hullo.

Just Dropping a line to note that I think the mead calculator, according to my recent experiments, appears to be a little misleading.

The 'target volume' field, which one would expect to be the total volume including the ingredients, is in fact the total volume of h20 you need to add to the ingredients to achieve a certain gravity.

I've determined this by observed evidence, (it took weeks to ferment my first batch because the yeast was probably close to its tolerance though I believed I had allowed a good few % under) and by cross reference to other calculators,
here: http://homedistiller.org/calcs/sugar_sg
and here: http://brew.stderr.net/mead_og_calc.html

No I don't use a hydrometer, couldn't be bothered, sorry.

Just thought I'd let you know. I would have posted in site suggestions, but that's not allowed for me right now.

Bye.
 

skunkboy

NewBee
Registered Member
May 30, 2005
2,003
8
0
Between Jackson and Detroit
This will be a silly question, but which boxes on the calculator did you have checked?

Target gravity and additional sugars #1
or
Additional Sugars #1 and Target volume ?
 

clone63

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 1, 2013
73
0
0
Belleville, ON
I have used it referring to recipes made past twice, and it was pretty spot on. If you don't use a hydrometer expect a dis-credible view from most.
I don't rely on it, so either way...
 

kudapucat

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 2, 2010
2,383
10
0
Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia
I can understand you having difficulty. I'm rather good at maths. I write software for a living. I do most of my calculations for gravity in my head. I find that calculator confusing at best. I don't use it.
That said, it's been around too long, and used too heavily for it to be faulty. So I assume you're like me and just can't get your head around how to use it quickly and efficiently.
 

Zem

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Sep 14, 2005
1,396
1
38
I actually had a really hard time gettin it to work for me at first as well and posted a post very much like yours.
It takes a little getting used to. I use Hightests mead calculator as well as the got mead calculator. Both have advantages - the GM calculator figures volume and sugar additions of a variety of fermentables and is easy to reverse engineer, Hightests calculator works offline and allows you to enter your own gravity values into some fields, useful if using a substance not listed in gotmead (like DME/LME)

Oh- and welcome to the forum!
 
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