Beer/Wine ABV Calculator
Calculate alcohol by volume and attenuation from specific gravity readings.
About Beer/Wine ABV Calculator
Fermentation converts sugar to alcohol, lowering density, so the gravity drop is proportional to alcohol produced. Attenuation shows how completely the yeast worked, with 70 to 80 per cent typical for beer. A stalled fermentation shows as low attenuation with a high final gravity, which this distinguishes from a deliberately sweet finish.
Formula
Beer/Wine ABV
ABV ≈ (original gravity − final gravity) × 131.25
- specific gravity
- Density relative to water, which falls as sugar becomes alcohol
- attenuation
- Share of available sugar the yeast consumed
Worked example
With the default values below, Beer/Wine ABV Calculator returns Alcohol by Volume of 5.644%. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Original gravityaccepts 1–1.2
- 1.055
- Final gravityaccepts 0.98–1.2
- 1.012
- Batch volumeminimum 0 L
- 20 L
Results
- Alcohol by Volume
- 5.644%
- Apparent Attenuation
- 78.18%
- Gravity Points Consumed
- 43.0
- Approximate Calories per 330 mL
- 185.2 kcal
- Total Alcohol in the Batch
- 1,128.8 mL
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Beer/Wine ABV
- 3Alcohol by Volume= 5.644
- 4Apparent Attenuation= 78.18
- 5Gravity Points Consumed= 43.0
- 6Approximate Calories per 330 mL= 185.2 kcal
- 7Total Alcohol in the Batch= 1,128.8 mL
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
- This calculation is for brewing and winemaking reference. Alcohol content should be verified independently before any labelling claim, and home production is subject to local law.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
This calculation is for brewing and winemaking reference. Alcohol content should be verified independently before any labelling claim, and home production is subject to local law.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Beer/Wine ABV calculated?
ABV ≈ (original gravity − final gravity) × 131.25 Fermentation converts sugar to alcohol, lowering density, so the gravity drop is proportional to alcohol produced. Attenuation shows how completely the yeast worked, with 70 to 80 per cent typical for beer.
Why does Beer/Wine ABV matter?
A stalled fermentation shows as low attenuation with a high final gravity, which this distinguishes from a deliberately sweet finish.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 3 inputs: Original gravity, Final gravity, Batch volume. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.