Bottle conditioning
Priming Sugar Calculator
How much priming sugar to add at bottling to reach your target carbonation — for corn sugar, table sugar, or DME.
How much priming sugar?
Your beer already holds some CO₂ — how much depends on its temperature. The priming sugar supplies the rest to reach your target carbonation. About 4 grams of corn sugar per litre raises carbonation by one volume of CO₂. Enter your batch below for the exact amount.
Most ales 2.0–2.6; wheat & Belgians higher.
Priming sugar to add
118.5 g
4.18 oz
- Residual CO₂ in beer
- 0.83 volumes
- Target carbonation
- 2.4 volumes
Target carbonation by style
Typical carbonation levels (volumes of CO₂) to aim for.
| Style | Volumes CO₂ |
|---|---|
| British ales, stouts | 1.5–2.2 |
| American ales, porters | 2.2–2.7 |
| Belgian ales | 2.5–3.5 |
| Wheat beers (hefeweizen) | 3.3–4.5 |
| Fruit beers, lambics | 3.0–4.5 |
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate ABV?+
The standard formula is ABV = (OG − FG) × 131.25, where OG is your original gravity (before fermentation) and FG is your final gravity (after). For example, an OG of 1.050 and FG of 1.010 gives (1.050 − 1.010) × 131.25 = 5.25% ABV. Enter your two gravity readings above and the calculator does it instantly, plus ABW, attenuation, and calories.
What's the difference between the standard and alternate ABV formula?+
The standard formula (× 131.25) is simple and accurate up to about 6–7% ABV. Above that it slightly under-reads, so the alternate formula — ABV = (76.08 × (OG − FG) / (1.775 − OG)) × (FG / 0.794) — is more accurate for strong beers and wines. Both are offered here; use the alternate for high-gravity brews.
What is apparent attenuation?+
Apparent attenuation is the percentage of sugars the yeast fermented, measured with a hydrometer: (OG − FG) ÷ (OG − 1) × 100. A typical ale finishes around 75%; a highly attenuative yeast or a simple-sugar recipe can exceed 80%. It's 'apparent' because alcohol is lighter than water, so the hydrometer reads a bit low.
What is ABW and how does it relate to ABV?+
ABW is alcohol by weight, versus ABV which is by volume. Because alcohol is less dense than water, ABW is about 0.79 × ABV — so a 5% ABV beer is roughly 4% ABW. US brewers label ABV; a few older or international measures use ABW.
How do I use the IBU and priming sugar calculators?+
The IBU calculator estimates bitterness from your hop additions (alpha acid %, weight, and boil time) using the Tinseth model. The priming sugar calculator tells you how much sugar to add at bottling to hit a target carbonation, based on your beer's temperature and volume. Both are linked from this page as part of the homebrew suite.
Are these brewing calculators accurate?+
They use the standard, widely-accepted homebrewing formulas (ABV, Tinseth IBU, temperature-based priming), so they're reliable planning tools. Real-world results vary with hydrometer calibration, temperature, yeast health, and hop freshness — always take a final hydrometer reading, and treat carbonation figures as a target to dial in.
Back to the ABV calculator or dial in bitterness with the IBU calculator.
Use the warmest temperature your beer reached after fermentation for the residual-CO₂ estimate. Over-priming risks over-carbonation — measure carefully.