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Author Topic: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?  (Read 5820 times)

Offline SiameseMoose

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Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« on: September 13, 2010, 02:00:03 pm »
Does anyone have an estimate of the potential gravity contribution for orange juice? I'm making a strong Belgian specialty, using the zest from Curacao oranges (bitter) in the boil, and I plan to add the juice to the secondary. How much I use depends on how it tastes.
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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2010, 02:55:06 pm »
According to this article:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1992.tb05499.x/abstract

"whereas the reduced acidity Sour orange juice  was 7.4 “Brix", that's about 1.030

But that's all google will show me.  I don't have access to the full article though, maybe someone else does.

I found another article that had an average over 10 years of 10.4 brix, so about 1.041 SG.
From "Evaluation of rootstocks for the Cyprus local lemon variety ‘Lapithkiotiki’ "

I think your best bet is to just measure it with a refractometer or hydrometer.  I'd be more worried about the bitterness than the sugar though, they are called bitter oranges too and I don't know how that will carry over into the finished beer :)  The bitterness might come from just the peel and the walls so maybe it won't be an issue depending on how you plan to juice them. 
Tom Schmidlin

Offline a10t2

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2010, 08:46:51 am »
Just polling the first few google results, it looks like OJ has about 21 g of sugars per 8 fl oz. That's 8.75 °Bx, or about 1.035 SG.
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Offline denny

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2010, 11:48:59 am »
Or you could just measure the juice...
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline bonjour

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2010, 12:14:28 pm »
Or you could just measure the juice...
I like Denny's response ;D
http://www.honeycreek.us/brix.php
6 to 20+ brix with an average of 11brix (US 11.8)(%sugar)
the potential in PPPG is 1.006,  that is add 1 pound of OJ to make 1 gal of fluid you get about 1.006

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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2010, 01:00:31 pm »
Or you could just measure the juice...
I like Denny's response ;D
Yeah, good idea Denny!  I can't believe no one else suggested that . . .  ;D
Tom Schmidlin

Offline denny

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2010, 01:09:16 pm »
Or you could just measure the juice...
I like Denny's response ;D
Yeah, good idea Denny!  I can't believe no one else suggested that . . .  ;D

Pragmatism, dude...it's the way to go!  :)
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #7 on: September 15, 2010, 01:10:29 pm »
 ::)

I think your best bet is to just measure it with a refractometer or hydrometer.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline SiameseMoose

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #8 on: September 15, 2010, 01:57:44 pm »
Thanks for the estimates!

And just to be clear, I do plan to measure the juice, I just don't have it yet. I was looking for a figure for planning purposes. For weird reasons (to be explained at a future date), I really want to hit my gravity exactly with this batch. I also plan to taste the juice before using it. That will determine how much or even whether I use it at all.
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Rob
I named my brewery after my cat, Moose. He's Siamese.

Offline denny

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #9 on: September 15, 2010, 02:23:19 pm »
::)

I think your best bet is to just measure it with a refractometer or hydrometer.

DOH!  Read too fast and missed that!  Good idea, Tom!  ;)
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #10 on: September 15, 2010, 02:27:11 pm »
::)

I think your best bet is to just measure it with a refractometer or hydrometer.

DOH!  Read too fast and missed that!  Good idea, Tom!  ;)
I think you've just been skipping over mine - too many posts to read all of the way through :)
Tom Schmidlin

Offline SiameseMoose

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2010, 02:11:44 pm »
For the record, the juice was 10.7 brix, which works out to 1.041. Three oranges gave me 14.4 ounces (weight) of juice, and 1.64 ounces of fresh zest.
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Rob
I named my brewery after my cat, Moose. He's Siamese.

Offline denny

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #12 on: September 22, 2010, 02:13:19 pm »
Thanks for the update, Rob.  Did you use it all?
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

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Offline SiameseMoose

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Re: Potential Gravity for Orange Juice?
« Reply #13 on: September 23, 2010, 04:38:59 am »
I used all of the zest in the boil. When I rack to the secondary I plan to taste what I've got, and make a decision then. If the orange character is already fairly strong I won't add any juice, but if it's weak I may add some or all. If it does get added, the juice is quite red, and that should give an interesting color to the beer.
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Rob
I named my brewery after my cat, Moose. He's Siamese.