Super Duper Proofing Calculator

[kickert]

In the FAQ area the bourbon proof calculator is now a dead link...any chance that will get fixed? It's a great tool and I use in on a regular basis!

Bob had mentioned not having access to the bourbon proof calculator, so I thought I would upload a version I designed when I worked at the distillery.

It is just an excel file that has has every possible conversion you could want. It tells you how much water to add to a high proof spirit to bring it down to a specific proof. It tells you how much high proof spirit to add to a low proof spirit to bring it up to a certain amount (wanna raise WT80 to 101 by adding rare breed??). It even tells you how much of a high proof spirit you will need to reach a specific amount of a lower proof spirit. (You can turn 630ml of Weller Antique into 750ml of Weller Special Reserve with 120ml of water).

If you are super nerdy and work with bulk spirits and a hydrometer, it tells you how to gauge your starting proof and/or starting amount by the change in proof when adding water. Then, there are a few general conversions and some distillery specific calculations (wine gallons into proof gallons and finding volume based on weight of gns). There is also a simple sheet that allows you track historic changes (useful when trying to get a large batch down to a specific proof).

Thought it might be of use you all. You can find it here:

http://kickert.info/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Proofing-Calculator.xls

-bk

Edited July 5, 2012 by kickert

[Bourbon Boiler]

For those just casually watching, proofing is more complicated than it may seem. The difficutly is that if you have 1 gallon of alcohol, and 1 gallon of water, mixing them in their entirities results in a solution that is noticably less than 2 gallons. Picture mixing a crate of basketball and a crate of golf balls. The mixture does not need two full crates because the golf balls sit inside the spaces created by the basketballs. The temperatures of the solutions can also play a big role in how the total volume adds.

Proofing by mass is much more accurate, but not always practical in the kitchen. If you are not using the calculator, I believe 60 degrees F and starting with alcohol and adding H20 to a fill line is the correct method. (IE, don't add 1/4 the amount of H20 to alcohol to dilute, add enough water to get the total volume to 125% of the starting volume.

[kickert]

You are exactly right. If you want some insight into how complex the "proofing" process is, check out this link to the TTB standards:

http://www.ttb.gov/foia/gauging_manual_toc.shtml

When you take into account temperature variations in apparent proof (10 degrees difference can make your hydro display off by up to proof points), and issues with obscuriation (other "stuff" in the liquid) it can get incredibly detail driven.

Weight is the best way to do adjustments, but for our setting (at most a bottle at time), volume will get you close enough for government work. After all, who here even has a hydrometer to check their proofs?

[dridge11]

I was tinkering around with it, but I can't really figure out how the "amount" is configured...but I'm also not a very smart person.

What is the ratio to make OWA and W12 nearly exactly 100pf? That's what I was trying to figure out.

[kickert]

I was tinkering around with it, but I can't really figure out how the "amount" is configured...but I'm also not a very smart person.

What is the ratio to make OWA and W12 nearly exactly 100pf? That's what I was trying to figure out.

I am glad you asked because I just realized I uploaded the wrong version. I downloaded it from my google docs account and I must have grabbed the wrong version. UGHH... just a sec... let me break out my algebra skills.

[kickert]

UGHH... just a sec... let me break out my algebra skills.

Okay, got it figured out and the updated version uploaded. The link above should be the new version and everything should work now.

So, to get the spreadsheet to calculate raising proof, you list the starting proof as the lower proof whiskey and then the amount is how much low proof stuff you want to start with. The spirit proof is the proof of the higher whiskey. The desired proof is of course where you are trying to get.

To answer your question, you would add 71.43ml of Weller Antique to 50ml of Weller 12 to get 100 proof.

[HP12]

Great tool. Just what the doctor ordered! Thanks Ben!

[Bourbon Boiler]

You are exactly right. ...

I certainly don't hear that very often!!! Thanks for posting, it's a help for a lot of us.

[Trey Manthey]

Would anyone find it helpful if I developed this into a web app and hosted it on my server?

[JPBoston]

I certainly don't hear that very often!!! Thanks for posting, it's a help for a lot of us.

Edited July 8, 2012 by JPBoston

[birdman1099]

Very nice, Ben... thanks !!!

[jbutler]

Bob had mentioned not having access to the bourbon proof calculator

And now for the rumors behind the news ...

I completely reworked the FAQ page and proof calculator so that IE no longer has difficulty with it. The problem was not in the page itself, but rather IE's interpretation of it -- God how I despise that paranoid POS.

So the proof calculator is back kids, enjoy.