Ask the Collective

What equipment options are available for in-house ABV testing on spirits with obscured ABV (sugar or compound-added), without distillation?

There are two premium lab instruments available, though neither is a low-cost shortcut. **High-precision options:** - **Anton Paar** — approximately £10k; sales reps will loan units for up to a month to trial before purchase - **Endress & Hauser** — approximately £20k; also offers trial periods via their sales team **Key caveat:** Members confirmed there is "no magic device" for instant complex ABV analysis at budget prices. If precision equipment investment isn't viable, distillation remains the standard fallback method. The trial-loan approach from both suppliers is recommended to validate whether the time savings justify the capital outlay for your specific production volumes.