Alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as abv or ABV) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a percentage of total volume).[1][2][3] The ABV standard is used worldwide.[4]
In some countries, alcohol by volume is referred to as degrees Gay-Lussac (after the French chemist Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac).[5]
Calculating
In the brewing process, yeast is added to a sugary solution (usually fruit juice or malted barley) where over fermentation the yeast organisms consume the sugars and produce alcohol. The density of sugar in water is lower than the density of alcohol, therefore by using a hydrometer to measure the change in specific gravity (SG) of the solution (before and after fermentation) the volume of alcohol in the solution may be calculated. The simplest method has been described by C.J.J. Berry [6].
Typical ABV levels
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- Wine: 9%–18% (most often 12.5%–14.5%)[7]
- Sake (rice wine): 15% (or 18%–20% if not diluted prior to bottling)
- Fortified wine: 15.5%–20%[8] (in the European Union, 18%–22%)
Proof and ABV
Another way of specifying the amount of alcohol is alcoholic proof, which in the United States is twice the alcohol-by-volume number,[9][10] while in the United Kingdom it was 1.75 times the number (expressed as a percentage). For example, 40% ABV is 80 proof in the US and 70 proof in the UK. However, since 1980 alcoholic proof in the UK has been replaced as a measure by ABV.
Proof and alcohol by weight
In the United States, a few states regulate and tax alcoholic beverages according to alcohol by weight (ABW), expressed as a percentage of total mass.[11] Some brewers print the ABW (rather than the ABV) on beer containers, particularly on low-point versions of popular domestic beer brands.
At relatively low ABV, the alcohol percentage by weight is about 4/5 of the ABV (e.g., 3.2% ABW is equivalent to 4.0% ABV).[12] However, because of the miscibility of alcohol and water, the conversion factor is not constant but rather depends upon the concentration of alcohol. 100% ABW, of course, is equivalent to 100% ABV.
See also
References
Notes
- ^ "Lafayette Brewing Co. Beer Terms". www.lafayettebrewingco.com. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
- ^ "Glossary of whisky and distillation". www.celtic-whisky.com. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
- ^ "English Ales Brewery Monterey British Brewing Glossary". www.englishalesbrewery.com. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions - CAMRA". www.camra.org.uk. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
- ^ "Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac (1778–1850)". chemistry.about.com. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
- ^ C.J.J. Berry, 1987, First Steps in Winemaking, eighth edition, Special Interest Model Books Ltd, printed in UK
- ^ Robinson, Jancis. The Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd edition, (Oxford University Press: 2006). See alcoholic strength at p. 10.
- ^ Robinson, Jancis. The Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd edition, (Oxford University Press: 2006). See fortification at p. 279.
- ^ C.J.J. Berry, 1987, First Steps in Winemaking, eighth edition, Special Interest Model Books Ltd, printed in UK
- ^ Regan, Gary (2003). The Joy of Mixology. New York: Clarkson Potter. pp. 356–357. ISBN 0-609-60884-3.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "APIS - Alcohol Beverages Taxes: Flavored Alcoholic Beverages". www.alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
- ^ "Realbeer.com: Beer Break - Alcohol Content In Beer". www.realbeer.com. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
Bibliography
- Hehner, Otto (1880). Alcohol Tables: giving for all specific gravities, from 1.0000 to 0.7938, the percentages of absolute alcohol, by weight and volume. London: J & A Churchill, ASIN B0008B5HOU.