5

Baumé [Bé]

Baumé & Brix are unit of measurement for the amount of sugar in grape juice and fermenting wine.

Chief Wine Hacker

« Back to Wine Words Index

Baumé, pronounced Boh-May, & Brix are units of measurement for the amount of sugar in grape juice and fermenting wine.

1°Bé = 1.8°Brix = 18 grams per litre sugar.

Depending on the efficiency of the yeast in converting sugar to alcohol 1°Bé will produce 1-1.1% alcohol. So fruit picked at 12°Bé will result in a wine with 12-13.5% Alcohol.

We measure Baumé & Brix using hydrometers that float in juice and wine.

On the left is a hydrometer and thermometer just about to measure the Baumé and temperature of the fermenting wine. On the right a hydrometer measuring the Baumé of a juice sample to check the sugar levels before picking. You can see it is at about 12.4°Bé. Enough sugar to make a wine with somewhere between 12.4-13.5% alcohol.

The Mega Technical Bit

The reading needs to be adjusted for the temperature of the liquid. We’re measuring the density of the liquid which will be more dense at lower temperatures and less dense at higher temperatures. As fermentation progresses alcohol production reduces the density of the liquid. By the end of fermentation, a hydrometer will need to read negative to indicate all the sugar has been consumed.

A hydrometer can not accurately measure very low levels of sugar. Other tests have to be used to determine precisely how many grams per litre of sugar remain in the wine.

 

Synonyms:
Brix
« Back to Wine Words Index

Feeling Thirsty?

E. Pira (Chiara Boschis) Barolo 'Mosconi' 2020
The E. Pira e Figli - Chiara Boschis 2020 Barolo Mosconi has some of the extra ripeness of the vintage with cherry cream syrup, grenadine, watermelon candy and a drop of Pastis. The wine ends on a powerful note with a balanced combination of fruit and fine oak tannins. The palate is very alive, and the fruit feels very vibrant at this young stage.Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate 96 Points AG 95 JD 98
$278
$263ea in any 3+
$248ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Valentini Montepuliciano d’Abruzzo 2012

Valentini Montepuliciano d’Abruzzo 2012

Montepuliciano | Italy, Abruzzo

This is the first vintage of this wine to be released since we saw the 2006 edition. It's been way too long, I'd say. Slightly held back or restrained on first nose, the Valentini 2012 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo opens slowly and contemplatively to sensations of dark fruit, smoke, tobacco and cured meat. Despite the rather heavy and sun-drenched nature of that first wave of aromas, it's impossible to miss the enormous intensity and textural richness packed tightly underneath. That full-bodied power
$1,025
$1005ea in any 3+
$985ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Ar.Pe.Pe Valtellina Superiore Sassella Stella Retica 2022
🇮🇹Bravo Isabella!👏🏻
As with the 2015, 2017 & 2019 I found myself not really wanting to write tasting notes simply wanting to devour the glass!Sassella typically produces the most elegant wines of the three communes with Inferno next and Grumello the boldest.Sassella has done it again! Perfume and intensity on the nose lovely flowers. Refined and more linear with an additional layer of tannins and textural intrigue. Super fine acid. It’ll be lovely to see this with a couple more years as it will relax
$109
$104ea in any 3+
$99ea in any 6+
Add to cart
More Info
Vincent Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru 'La Forest' 2017
"A brilliant rendition of Vincent Dauvissat's emblematic premier cru, the 2017 Chablis 1er Cru La Forest reveals a complex bouquet of oyster shell, crisp green apple and lemon oil mingled with notes of dried white flowers and freshly baked bread. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, satiny and complete, with a deep and concentrated core, striking energy and cut and a long, mineral finish. Amounting to some 4.5 hectares, La Forest accounts for a third of the domaine's surface area, s
$550
Add to cart
More Info