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Hydrometer Units of Density

Baum Scale
Balling Scale
Brix Scale
Specific Gravity Scale
Oeschl Scale
Temperature Corrections

Baum
o

Baum (oB), named after the French pharmacist, Antoine Baum,

who amongst other creations, developed the "Aerometer Baum" or
a hydrometer, using the density unit oBaum to make up a scale of
measurements.

o The oB (oBaum) scale was devised to correlate to the percentage

concentration (% w/w) of a brine solution (salt in water).
o Poor instructions by him led to a number of different scales being
used.
o Two scales evolved, both with zero for the density of pure water,
however, with one of the scales for solutions less then the density of
water, and the other for solutions greater then the density of water.
o The latter is used in the wine industry in both Australia and Europe,
including France, as the oB of settled grape juice closely correlates to
the potential alcohol, when the juice is fermented to dryness.
o Other scales for hydrometry also exist and these include Balling,
Brix, Oechl, Specific Gravity and Twaddle.

o The Balling scale, named after a Czechoslovakian chemist, was

devised to correlate to the number of grams of cane or beet sugar
(sucrose) in 100 grams of water @ 15.6 oC. (i.e % w/w sugar)
o Brix (pronounced "Bricks"), was created by an Austrian physicist and
mathematician, as an improvement to the Balling scale.
The Brix scale, along with improvements to the hydrometer, allowed
total dissolved solids to be measured in percentages (g/100g) to an
accuracy of 0.1 percent, within a range of 0-75 % w/w (o0 - o75 Brix).
In a pure sugar solutions, dissolved solids corresponds exactly to the
sugar concentration, and hence his scales were widely adopted in the
sugar industry.
As a fairly accurate approximation, near or at harvest Brix = Baum * 1.8
e.g. 22.0 oBrix/1.8 ~ 12.2oBaum
A even more simplified approximation, for an in the field
conversion of Brix to Baum is to half the Brix measurement
(Brix/2) and add one (1) i.e. ((Brix/2) + 1)
e.g (22.0 oBrix/2) +1 " 13.0oBaum.
The true value for 22.0 oBrix @ 20oC = 12.5oBaum
For most conversions see the conversion chart.
o Specific Gravity (oSG) is one of the base units of hydrometry,
indicating the relative density to water.
Hence, water is assigned a oSG (specific gravity) of one (1).
o Alcohol has a lower density then water (Ethanol - p = 0.789 kg/m3,
water - p = 1.000kg/m3) and hence will reduce the density of water,
giving dry wines a oSG (specific gravity) reading below 1.
o On the other hand sugar has a higher density than water and like most
dissolved solids will raise the water's density.
In cleared juice, devoid of alcohol, the juice's specific gravity can be
related to the juice's sugar content.

A hydrometer or a refractometer can be used to determine

the density and hence the sugar content and ripeness of grapes, and
the potential alcohol if the juice is fermented to dryness.
This is because sugar accounts for most of the dissolved solids in
grape juice (90%).
o

Oeschl, also named after its inventor, Swiss in this case, is directly
related to Specific Gravity (OSG) in a fairly straight forward way.
Oeschl = (oSG - 1) *1000

i.e An oSG of 1.099 = 99 oOeschl

Temperature Corrections
Note: that what ever units your hydrometer is calibrated in, the
solution to be measured for its density needs to be at the
temperature the hydrometer was calibrated or standardized at,
adjustments or corrections for different solution temperatures
will need to be made.
These can be read of a chart or calculated as below If hydrometers are calibrated or standardized @ 20 oC
o

Baum

1 oC > (greater than) 20oC add 0.03oBe

1 oC < (less than) 20oC subtract 0.03oBe
o

Brix

1 oC > 20oC add 0.05oBrix

1 oC < 20oC subtract 0.05oBrix
o

SG

1 oC > 20oC add 0.0002 units

1 oC < 20oC subtract 0.0002 units

Oeschl

1 oC > 20oC add 0.2oOe

1 oC < 20oC subtract 0.2oOe