ABV stands for alcohol by volume. It shows what percentage of a drink's total volume is pure alcohol—for example, a beer labeled 5% ABV contains about 5 mL of alcohol in every 100 mL of beer.
ABV Calculator
Calculate Alcohol by Volume from Original and Final Gravity — Instant, Free, no Sign-up.
Calculation unit
Alcohol by volume5.25%
ABW4.10%
Apparent attenuation80.0%
Calories / 12 fl oz160 kcal
What is ABV Calculator
ABV, or alcohol by volume, tells you how much alcohol is in your beer. The ABV Calculator turns your OG and FG readings into a clear estimate for beer, wine, mead, or cider—no spreadsheet or guesswork needed.
- Calculate ABV from OG and FGEnter OG and FG to estimate the alcohol by volume of your beer, wine, mead, or cider.
- Supports SG, °Plato & BrixWork with specific gravity, degrees Plato, or Brix readings and let the calculator automatically convert between units.
- More than Alcohol by VolumeReview apparent attenuation and estimated calories alongside your alcohol percentage for a more useful snapshot of the batch.
How to use the ABV Calculator
The ABV Calculator gives you an alcohol estimate from your gravity readings in a few simple steps.
1
Choose your input unit
Select specific gravity, degrees Plato, or Brix, depending on the readings from your hydrometer or refractometer.
2
Enter your OG
Add the starting reading measured before fermentation began.
3
Enter your FG
Add the final reading once fermentation has finished or reached your target.
4
Review your results
The calculator estimates ABV, apparent attenuation, and calories so you can quickly understand your batch.
What Is ABV (Alcohol by Volume)?
Knowing the ABV helps you compare drinks, plan a recipe, and serve your batch with a clearer sense of its strength. For homebrewers, it is also a useful check on how fermentation progressed from the first gravity reading to the last.
Most light beers sit around 3% to 4% ABV, while many ales and lagers fall between 4% and 6%. Stronger styles, wines, meads, and ciders can go well beyond that, so the number is always worth checking rather than assuming.
How Is ABV Calculated?
Standard Equation — Commonly Used Quick Estimates
ABV = (OG − FG) × 131.25This is the everyday homebrewing formula. The 131.25 figure is an empirical coefficient that turns the drop in gravity into a practical ABV estimate.
Alternate Equation — The More Precise Formula
ABV = (76.08 × (OG − FG) ÷ (1.775 − OG)) × (FG ÷ 0.794)This longer formula accounts for the changing relationship between gravity and alcohol. It is generally more accurate for stronger, higher-alcohol batches.
Standard vs Alternate — Which One Should You Use?
For most beers, the standard equation is quick and close enough. Use the alternate equation when you need a little more precision, especially for high-gravity beers, strong meads, or wines where the gap becomes more noticeable.
Worked Example
For a batch that starts at 1.050 and finishes at 1.010, here is how both equations work out.
Standard equation
- ABV = (OG − FG) × 131.25
- ABV = (1.050 − 1.010) × 131.25
- ABV = 0.040 × 131.25
ABV = 5.25%
Alternate equation
- ABV = (76.08 × (OG − FG) ÷ (1.775 − OG)) × (FG ÷ 0.794)
- ABV = (76.08 × (1.050 − 1.010) ÷ (1.775 − 1.050)) × (1.010 ÷ 0.794)
- ABV = (3.0432 ÷ 0.725) × 1.272
- ABV = 4.198 × 1.272
ABV ≈ 5.34%
The two results differ by about 0.09 percentage points. The standard equation applies one fixed 131.25 coefficient to the gravity drop, while the alternate equation also accounts for both gravity readings and alcohol's lower density. That makes the alternate result a little higher here, and the difference usually grows as alcohol strength increases.
Understanding OG and FG
What Is Original Gravity (OG)?
OG is the density of the wort before fermentation begins. It tells you how much dissolved sugar is available for the yeast to turn into alcohol, and it provides the starting point for an ABV calculation.
What Is Final Gravity (FG)?
FG is the density of the finished beer after fermentation has slowed or stopped. Comparing it with OG shows how much sugar was fermented and gives you the gravity drop used to estimate ABV.
How to Measure Gravity — Hydrometer vs Refractometer
A hydrometer measures gravity by floating in a sample and is the usual choice for a finished-batch reading. A refractometer needs only a few drops, which makes it handy before fermentation, but alcohol affects its reading after fermentation and a correction is needed.
ABV Reference Table — Common Alcoholic Drinks
Use these typical ranges as a quick sense check for your result. They are ordered from lower to higher ABV; recipes, fermentation, and regional styles can still vary.
| Style or drink | Typical ABV |
|---|---|
| Low-alcohol beer | 2–3.5% |
| Light lager | 3–4.5% |
| Lager | 4–5% |
| Hard seltzer | 4–6% |
| Wheat beer | 4–5.5% |
| Pale ale | 4.5–6% |
| Sour beer | 4–6% |
| Porter | 4.5–6.5% |
| Cider | 4–8% |
| Stout | 5–8% |
| IPA | 6–7.5% |
| Malt liquor | 6–8% |
| Belgian-style ale | 6–10% |
| Double IPA | 7.5–10% |
| Mead | 8–18% |
| Sparkling wine | 10–12% |
| Wine | 11–14% |
| Sake | 15–20% |
| Liqueur | 15–30% |
| Fortified wine | 17–20% |
| Spirits | 35–45% |
Key Features
The ABV Calculator brings together everything you need for a quick gravity-based alcohol calculation.
ABV from OG and FG
Estimate alcohol by volume from your OG and FG readings.
SG, Plato, and Brix support
Use specific gravity, degrees Plato, or Brix without converting values by hand.
Apparent attenuation
See how much of the fermentable extract was converted during fermentation.
Estimated calories
Get an estimated calorie value based on the gravity and alcohol readings you provide.
Made for many beverages
Calculate results for beer, wine, mead, and cider in the same easy workflow.
Free to use
Use the calculator in your browser without registration or a paid subscription.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about the ABV Calculator, gravity readings, and common brewing questions.
1
How do I calculate ABV without original gravity?
You cannot get a reliable gravity-based ABV result without an OG reading taken before fermentation. If it is missing, you can only make a rough estimate from the recipe, the amount of fermentable sugar used, or a measured alcohol analysis.
2
What's a typical ABV for beer, wine, and spirits?
Many everyday beers fall around 4–6% ABV, wine is often 11–14%, and most spirits are 35–45%. Styles vary widely, though, so use the reference table below as a quick comparison rather than a hard rule.
3
How do I convert between Specific Gravity and Plato (°P)?
The calculator accepts either unit, so manual conversion is usually unnecessary. For a quick estimate, °P ≈ 259 − (259 ÷ SG), which means an SG of 1.040 is about 10°P. Use a brewing calculator or conversion chart when you need more precision.
4
Does temperature affect my gravity reading?
Yes. A hydrometer is calibrated for a specific temperature, commonly 20°C / 68°F, and a sample measured warmer or cooler can read differently. Cool the sample close to that temperature or apply a correction based on your hydrometer's stated calibration point.
5
How are calories in beer calculated from ABV?
Alcohol contributes about 7 calories per gram, but ABV alone does not tell the whole story. Remaining carbohydrates also add calories, so the estimate combines the alcohol result with the gravity readings rather than treating every beer with the same ABV as identical.
6
ABV vs ABW: what's the difference?
ABV measures alcohol as a percentage of a drink's volume, while ABW measures it as a percentage of its weight. Because alcohol is less dense than water, ABW is usually lower for the same drink; ABV is the form most commonly shown on labels.
7
Are the calorie results exact?
No. Calories are estimates based on the information you enter. Actual calories can vary with ingredients, residual extract, serving size, and the measurement method.
8
Is the ABV Calculator free to use?
Yes. ABV Calculator is free to use in your browser and does not require registration.
Find Out Your Batch's ABV
The ABV Calculator uses your OG and FG readings to show estimated ABV, apparent attenuation, and calories.