Champagne yeast

[Chefw]

Hi guys, short time reader first time messenger.
So I've made "cider" a few times and now trying something a little different.
Ive just mixed half a bag of turbo 48 with 13 lts of water and 4.25 kg of sugar...
The reading was literally off the chart as in the measuring floaty thing when so high it was under all the numbers!!! I was going to leave it for 5 days to generate as high a ABV as I can...
Then I heard it said I can add champagne yeast to go from 20%ish to 30%ish.... is that true or will I just waste the yeast? Also how do I accurately measure the ABV???
Thanks guys... chef w

 

[bucketnative]

You can measure alcohol by change in the specific gravity of your wash, as measured with a hydrometer.

(Original Gravity - Final Gravity) x 131.25 = % ABV... roughly

Champagne yeast won't get you beyond about 18 %.

 

[Chefw]

Hey "Bucket" thanks for the reply.
So no point in adding the champagne yeast? As to floaty (hydrometer) even if it floated so high the liquid level was beneath all the numbers I can still calculate the ABV???
I'm trying to make sambuca si will be adding more sugar at the end if not sweet enough, should I put in a fridge ti stop it fermenting once extra sugar has been added???

 

[bucketnative]

You already know your original gravity (OG)... just determine it from how much sugar you added to the wash.

Sugar = 0.046 points per pound per gallon (ppg).

Assuming that you added 9.35 lbs of sugar to 13 L (3.43 gal), your volume would increase to 15.6 L (4.12 gal).

So... 9.35 lb * 0.046 ppg / 4.12 gal = OG = 1.104

Just use the Hillbilly Sugar Wash calculator.

As alcohol is produced, the gravity will decrease. The yeast will ferment to it's maximum tolerance. I think for Turbo yeast, that's around 20 % ABV. So, you can add all the sugar you want, but the yeast won't ferment beyond that.

 

[Chefw]

Man u know you brews... thank you..
Ill have a drink to you when its done..
Thanks