Weights and measures

[CaptAwol]

Not sure if I've got this in the correct subject and hopefully someone from Admin will sort it.

I've been asked by one of my auld bro's about checking ABV on a bottle of rum
Whilst trying to explain to him that we can only know beer ABV from knowing OG and FG, my thinking is its probably similar with spirits as additional anything sugar related will confuse any sort of measurement

But what has now pickled my head a bit is how did they do the 'weights and measures' when pubs would receive fines for watering down spirit's

My thinking would be that perhaps they'd compare the final density of the spirit supplied with tested

Please comment with any idea's as we're all still learning

 

[AJA]

Not sure if I've got this in the correct subject and hopefully someone from Admin will sort it.

I've been asked by one of my auld bro's about checking ABV on a bottle of rum
Whilst trying to explain to him that we can only know beer ABV from knowing OG and FG, my thinking is its probably similar with spirits as additional anything sugar related will confuse any sort of measurement

But what has now pickled my head a bit is how did they do the 'weights and measures' when pubs would receive fines for watering down spirit's

My thinking would be that perhaps they'd compare the final density of the spirit supplied with tested

Please comment with any idea's as we're all still learning

They don't necessarily measure ABV of beer by OG/FG. It's usually done in the lab. Where it is done by og/FG it must be audited frequently by a lab where if it is found that it is consistently understated, you'll be in trouble.
I imagine spirits are always done in the lab. All here under 12. Excise Notice 226: Beer Duty
I imagine pubs watering down spirits will be a job for trading standards/ fraud rather than HMRC, as duty already paid.

 

[CaptAwol]

They don't necessarily measure ABV of beer by OG/FG. It's usually done in the lab. Where it is done by og/FG it must be audited frequently by a lab where if it is found that it is consistently understated, you'll be in trouble.
I imagine spirits are always done in the lab. All here under 12. Excise Notice 226: Beer Duty
I imagine pubs watering down spirits will be a job for trading standards/ fraud rather than HMRC, as duty already paid.

Sorry I should clarify why this has come about.
Basically auld fart bro has a bottle of proper navy rum which I'd acquired and he's questioned the ABV 54%

Yep he pished me off, but he thinks that it's possible to measure the ABV as weights and measures would regularly hit our local pubs years ago and be dealt with fines for watering down of spirit's.

This has pickled my head a bit, as I think there are to many variables to measure the ABV of a finished product, but then how does a breathalyser or gob swab work, am pickled