Mead calculator - courtesy of JamesP

Talon · #21 03-28-2005, 12:21 PM

I'll be there! *grins*
I may be tired from helping my mom move, but I'll be there, even I I have to drag myself up the stairs! *grins*

Pewter_of_Deodar · #22 03-28-2005, 03:43 PM

I use the calculator now with every batch just to do a rough check before I start.

Thanks again James!
Pewter

davarm · #23 04-01-2005, 06:46 AM

Pewter:

I noticed from some of your other posts that you use the Oregon Fruit Puree's in some of your meads. How do you utilize the calculator for these? I see they come in 49 oz. cans. Does the label tell you grams of sugar per serving, or some equivalent data where you could plug the amount and % sugar content into the calculator to determine SG?

Pewter_of_Deodar · #24 04-02-2005, 09:56 PM

Davarm,

I have been counting two cans as the equivalent of 1 gallon of juice up until now. With the blackberry, there was a grams of sugar per 125 grams of puree. When I plugged in the numbers to the calculator, the percentage ended up being roughly the same as the numbers on the can.

But to be more specific, I have just been considering the sugar content of the fruit as being residual at the end since I am shooting for semi-sweet to sweet meads. If my SG is around 14 percent ABV and the yeast goes to 13.5, then that little bit plus the fruit should leave it just about right.

toolboxdiver · #25 05-06-2005, 07:28 AM

any chance of adding Maple Syrup for the additional sugars I tried to use it for my Maple mead and didn't find a option for maple syrup. It is a very useful tool I will try it for my other cyser and meads

JamesP · #26 05-06-2005, 07:32 PM

It may be already included in version 0.2 (which is waiting for Vicky to have time in her busy schedule to upload onto the net).

Version 0.2 has the honey at about 89% not 100%, and lines up the sugar and honey calculations to the SG a little better (hope I got it right

)
I've added raisins and some other fruit also.
In fact I'm think there is Maple included, but not sure if it's syrup or what.

toolboxdiver · #27 05-06-2005, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesP

It may be already included in version 0.2 (which is waiting for Vicky to have time in her busy schedule to upload onto the net).

Version 0.2 has the honey at about 89% not 100%, and lines up the sugar and honey calculations to the SG a little better (hope I got it right

)
I've added raisins and some other fruit also.
In fact I'm think there is Maple included, but not sure if it's syrup or what.

Thanks JamesP, this is a great tool and I'm sure you put in alot of hard work .....Thank you

JamesP · #28 05-08-2005, 06:45 PM

Nope - I missed including Maple Syrup in the utility

So I have now updated to V0.3 and added Maple Syrup (66% sugars) and Maple Sap (2% sugars), and sent this to Vicky.

toolboxdiver · #29 05-08-2005, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesP

Nope - I missed including Maple Syrup in the utility

So I have now updated to V0.3 and added Maple Syrup (66% sugars) and Maple Sap (2% sugars), and sent this to Vicky.

Thats great thank you for your hard work

webmaster · #30 05-08-2005, 09:47 PM

And I have updated that to the website. The main menu for the site now also includes the Calculator, as does an article on the main page.

Vicky - currently attempting to apply the new menu layout to all 1200+ pages.....

JamesP · #31 05-08-2005, 10:49 PM

Thanks, Vicky.

We appreciate what you can do in between the real paying jobs.

PS - The news item link on the front page doesn't seem to go anywhere at the moment.

JamesP · #32 05-08-2005, 11:50 PM

This may be helpful for those who infrequently access the net when mazing:

The calculator is self-contained - it is javascript in a html file.

So if you need it while not connected to the net, you can save the page to your PC, then access it off-line via a browser (opening the html file you saved).

Pewter_of_Deodar · #33 06-16-2005, 09:11 AM

James,

I use this tool every few days and so I wanted to post a thank-you and ask a question.

I plan to make a wine...
10 lbs. of sugar
1 half gallon can of raspberry puree
a few raisins and the yeast

Allow it to ferment partway then add
1 half gallon can of raspberry puree
and however much sugar is required for some ABV level.

I will likely start with 5 1/2 gallons and add another 3 quarts to the volume when adding the additional items. I want to use the tool to figure out how much sugar. Let's say I have a 14% ABV yeast and want to end up with 1.02 SG after completion. Will the tool handle this? I know I can plug the numbers in and get an answer, but does the tool handle the subtleties associated with the changes in volume due to the changes in batch size and such?

Thanks again,
Pewter

JamesP · #34 06-16-2005, 07:30 PM

No, the tool doesn't specifically allow for volume changes, but . . .

Calculate it as if you added it all at once, to get the total volume, but then the additions can be made part way through, and the volume can change until you reach the full volume you calculated.

Fortuna_Wolf · #35 06-26-2005, 09:14 PM

I have been using the calculator. Good work, I love it.
I have noticed some quirks.
A bit of research on honey (http://www.fao.org/docrep/w0076e/w0076e04.htm) and it seems to be closer to 11.8#s per US Gallon.
Also, I noticed that the assumption of 12#s per gallon applied to maple syrup. Maple syrup with a specific gravity of 1.37 will be closer to 11.41#s per US Gallon.
something that has been confusing me is that if you choose say, Honey and set it to 1 gallon of honey, then select litres instead of a direct conversion it comes to 7.258 liters. 1 US Gal being of course, 3.785 L.
It doesn't seem to be a direct doubling of the correct value (it would be 7.570 L).

I actually notice that the assumption that 12#s = 1 gallon is consistent for all materials. For fermentables which you don't have a quoted value for, I would use a table of specific gravities to convert weight (say #s to kilos) to volume (liters to gallons). So, say, I ask for 7#s of blueberries and then ask it to convert to gallon. It would take the 7#s, convert to 3.17 kg, then look up the sugar content of blueberries. It can be as high as 15% when ripe. So we'll go with 15% sugar. The specific gravity of sugar water with 15% sugar is say... 1.07. 3.17 kg / 1.07 = 2.96 liters.
This is 0.78 gallons.

btw, the reason I just posted all that dribble is because I'm calculating some stuff for my blueberry mead...

So anyhow, I would suggest fixing at least the gallons to liters conversion (and any other conversions that are screwy... like 1 us gallon to 245.436 fl oz).

The calculator is great otherwise though.

JamesP · #36 06-27-2005, 09:57 PM

Thanks for the feedback.

It is based around the 12# to a gallon of honey, as you said.

I'll have to have another look at it. Don't hold your breath waiting, tho

Pewter_of_Deodar · #37 07-31-2005, 11:31 PM

James,

Just another thanks. I use this thing every few days. It is a big help.

Thanks again,
Pewter

Evander · #38 08-01-2005, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pewter_of_Deodar

I will likely start with 5 1/2 gallons and add another 3 quarts to the volume when adding the additional items. I want to use the tool to figure out how much sugar. Let's say I have a 14% ABV yeast and want to end up with 1.02 SG after completion. Will the tool handle this? I know I can plug the numbers in and get an answer, but does the tool handle the subtleties associated with the changes in volume due to the changes in batch size and such?

Thanks again,
Pewter

Pewter,

I had this same dilema and realized that the calculator wasn't taking this volume change into consideration. No offense to the calculator, its a pretty good tool. But I made an excel spread sheet that you can just plug some numbers into and it will calculate what the final %abv should be. What I have found that is interesting and now seems completely obvious is that if you add more liquid with a lower starting gravity than your original must, than the final %abv will be a little lower than if you didn't add anything at all. So what you want to do really is to match the S.G. of the new liquid to the original must. If you want the excel sheet just email me and I'll send it to you.

Good luck,

Evan
freiburge@gmail.com

Fortuna_Wolf · #39 08-01-2005, 12:39 PM

Evan
I sort of like the way it doesn't take volume changes into consideration.
Although a check box to toggle it would be nice.

Don't mean to bug ya JamesP
But, grade A honey with solids of 81.4% (minimum) has a specific gravity of 1.4171.
Meaning 11.336#/US Gallon.
And honey with 85% solids has a SG of 1.4350, or 11.48#/USG
Maple Syrup has 66% solids and an SG of 1.32,
or 10.56#/USG

And, this is odd. The target volume box correctly turns 3.79L into 1USG.
But the additional sugars boxen are still doing the 1USG to 7.258L

JamesP · #40 08-01-2005, 05:55 PM

Keep the feedback coming, thanks.

I'm trying to get my brain around how to make the measurements match each ingredient. The problem is there is a mix of volume and weight in the options that the tool must be able to convert between. And the current method I use is wrong, because it is based on honey, which is different to water, which is different to .....

Most weight/volume conversions are for water. But how do you convert for fruit with seeds (except you remove the seeds, puree and convert between volume or weight of the puree, which is close to juice) ?

Evander,

the blending utility will help in determining the outcome of mixing two volumes of differing SG - but like you say, it isn't integrated into the calculations. I'll add that to the list of possible improvements.