Wine Analysis

Alcohol Determination by Ebulliometry -

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Introduction

• The method of ebulliometry, takes advantage of the depression of the boiling point of water directly related to the concentration of alcohol present in solution.
  
  
• The alcohol concentration level is determined by measuring the difference between the boiling point of pure water at the prevailing atmospheric pressure and the wine's boiling point, under the same conditions.
  
  
• We are only talking small differences in temperature of the order of 2-4 ^oC.
  
  per 1% v/v alcohol, depending on the alcohol concentration.
  
  
• We therefore need an accurate means of measuring the boiling point of a liquid to within accuracy of 0.02^oC.
  
  This is what an ebulliometer was designed to do.
  
  
• It is a simple and fairly accurate method of determining alcohol concentrations, however, the equipment is expensive compared to the distillation method.
  
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