Colour (SRM/EBC) Estimate Calculator

Work out colour (srm/ebc) estimate instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Colour (SRM/EBC) Estimate Calculator

Malt colour units are pounds of grain times Lovibond colour divided by gallons of wort. Because colour perception is non-linear, the Morey equation converts MCU to SRM as 1.4922 x MCU^0.6859. EBC is approximately 1.97 times SRM.

Formulas

Malt colour units

MCU = grain (lb) x colour (Lovibond) / volume (gallons)

Morey equation

SRM = 1.4922 x MCU^0.6859; EBC = SRM x 1.97

Worked example

With the default values below, Colour (SRM/EBC) Estimate Calculator returns Colour In SRM of 23.799. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Grain Weightminimum 0 kg: 5 kg
Average Grain Colourminimum 0 degrees Lovibond: 8 degrees Lovibond
Batch Volumeminimum 0 L: 20 L
Specialty Malt Colour Units Addedminimum 0 MCU: 40 MCU

Results

Colour In SRM: 23.799
Colour In EBC: 46.884
Malt Colour Units: 56.691
Visual Description: Brown

Step by step

1Values used
2Malt colour units
3Morey equation
4Colour In SRM= 23.799
5Colour In EBC= 46.884
6Malt Colour Units= 56.691
7Visual Description= Brown

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 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.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the relationship non-linear?

Light absorption saturates, so adding dark malt to an already dark beer changes perceived colour far less than adding it to a pale one. Linear MCU badly overestimates dark beer colour.

Does the boil affect colour?

Yes. Maillard reactions during a long or vigorous boil darken wort noticeably, and the Morey equation does not account for it. Measured colour usually exceeds the estimate.