Wine and mead
Brix to potential alcohol calculator.
Enter a refractometer Brix or a hydrometer gravity to see the alcohol the must could make if it ferments out.
Inputs
Potential alcohol
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How it works
A refractometer or hydrometer reading tells you how much sugar the yeast has to work with. This tool converts Brix to specific gravity with SG = Brix ÷ (258.6 − (Brix ÷ 258.2) × 227.1) + 1 and gravity back to Brix with the polynomial that Brewer’s Friend takes from Wikipedia. Alcohol then follows from ABV = (OG − FG) × 131.25.
Worked example. Grape juice reads 22 Brix. That converts to a specific gravity of 1.092. Fermenting to 1.000 gives (1.092 − 1.000) × 131.25 = 12.07% ABV. Finishing at 0.996 instead gives 12.6%. As a cross-check, GotMead’s chart uses potential ABV = 0.6 × Brix − 1, which gives 12.2% for 22 Brix.
These are estimates of the potential alcohol of an unfermented must. A refractometer reading taken after fermentation has started is distorted by the alcohol, so use a hydrometer once the must is fermenting. For the ABV of a finished fermentation, see the beer ABV calculator, which uses the same formula with a measured final gravity.
Frequently asked questions
How do you convert Brix to potential alcohol?
Convert Brix to specific gravity, then multiply the drop to your final gravity by 131.25. For 22 Brix that is a gravity of 1.092 and 12.07% potential ABV.
Is Brix the same as specific gravity?
No. Brix measures dissolved sugar, where 1 degree Brix is 1 g of sucrose in 100 g of solution, while specific gravity compares density to water. 22 Brix is about 1.092 specific gravity.
Does a refractometer work during fermentation?
Alcohol changes how light bends, so a refractometer reading taken once fermentation has started needs a correction. Use a hydrometer for in-progress readings.
Does this work for mead?
Yes, because the formula depends on the sugar fermented. GotMead's chart lists 1.100 as 23.6 Brix and 13.2% potential ABV, and the tool gives 13.1% from 1.100 to 1.000.
Sources
Opened
- Brewer's Friend: Brix Converter: Brix to SG equation, and the SG to Brix polynomial taken from Wikipedia.
- Brewer's Friend: ABV Calculator: Standard formula ABV = (OG - FG) x 131.25.
- GotMead: Newbee Guide, Appendix 6, ABV/Brix/S.G. Charts: Chart of SG, Brix and potential ABV, where potential ABV = 0.6 x Brix - 1.
- Wikipedia: Brix: Degrees Brix measures dissolved sugar; 1 degree Brix is 1 g of sucrose in 100 g of solution.
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Scope
Estimates from a gravity or Brix reading, not a lab measurement. Home production of alcohol is regulated differently in each jurisdiction, so check your local rules. Not professional or legal advice.