Sugar Wash Calculator
Three modes — choose what you already know
Three Ways to Use This Calculator
Sugar → ABV: Enter your wash volume and the amount of sugar you plan to use. The calculator tells you the potential ABV you can expect after full fermentation, along with the starting gravity (OG) and estimated final gravity (FG).
ABV → Sugar: Know your target wash strength? Enter the volume and target ABV and the calculator works backwards to tell you exactly how much sugar to add.
SG / Brix: Already have a hydrometer or refractometer reading? Enter your SG (e.g. 1.080) or Brix (e.g. 20.5°Bx) directly. The calculator converts using the ICUMSA polynomial for accurate Brix-to-SG conversion and the Balling formula for potential ABV — more precise than simple gravity estimates used by most tools.
SG, Brix and the Precision Formulas
Specific Gravity and Brix are related but not linearly. The ICUMSA polynomial gives an accurate conversion:
For potential ABV, the simplified formula (OG − 1) × 131.25 works well at lower gravities. For high-gravity washes above OG 1.080, the Balling formula is more accurate:
At OG 1.080, the difference between simple and Balling is about 0.3% ABV. At OG 1.120 it exceeds 0.8% — significant for a high-gravity wash destined for the still.
Yeast Efficiency Guide
75% — Cold temperature, no nutrients, stressed yeast, or wash above 20% potential ABV.
85% — Typical home distilling with basic yeast nutrients. Safe default for most washes.
90% — Good conditions: proper nutrients (DAP + Fermaid), 25–30°C, healthy pitch rate.
95% — Optimised turbo or dedicated distilling yeast with full nutrient protocol.