alcohol content

[mercierarmory]

Hello, I have recently completed my first batch of mead and although I like it, everyone else thinks it has too much alcohol. (it was pretty funny when my mother in law tasted it and coughed like she was drinking jack daniels straight) Now I have been making wine for 6 years now, but when I did my mead I forgot to use my hydrometer prior to the fermenting. What I am wondering is how the heck can I test this?! From what I heard a vinometer is quite inaccurate when it comes to meads and white wines, so that is probably out of the question.
My only possible save is that my wife is a chemist, and although she hasnt ever done a test like this she is trying to find some way to test it for me. Any ideas?

[Derf]

A few questions:

How much honey did you use?
What was your total volume?
And what is you final gravity?

A fellow by the name of chuck posted the following formula a while back before the message board crashed:

------------------------
pounds of honey
X
45
=gravity points
divided by total amount of must that the honey is diluted to
divided by 1000
+1

For example 13 pounds of honey diluted to 5.25 gallons should yield an OG of 1.1114

13 pounds*45 points=585 gravity points
585gravity points/5.25 gallons = 111.42
111.42/1000= 0.111 +1 = 1.1114
---------------------

I saved it because it looked like the sort of thing that might come in handy. Of course, it will only be an aproximation--not all honey is precisely as sweet. Anyway, once you have your OG, compare to your FG as usual.