Beer Priming Sugar Calculator
Calculate the exact amount of priming sugar for homebrewed beer.
Accounts for residual CO₂, beer temperature, volume, and sugar type.
How Priming Sugar Works
After primary fermentation is complete, beer is flat — all the CO₂ has escaped. Adding a small, precise amount of sugar before bottling gives the remaining yeast just enough food to produce carbonation inside the sealed bottle.
Residual CO₂
Beer always contains some dissolved CO₂ from fermentation. The amount depends on the highest temperature the beer reached during fermentation.
Residual CO₂ (volumes) = 3.0378 − (0.050062 × T°F) + (0.00026555 × T°F²)
CO₂ Volumes by Style
| Beer Style | Target CO₂ (volumes) |
|---|---|
| British ales (cask) | 1.5 – 2.0 |
| American ales | 2.2 – 2.7 |
| European lagers | 2.4 – 2.6 |
| Belgian ales | 2.8 – 3.5 |
| Wheat beers (Hefeweizen) | 3.3 – 4.5 |
| Champagne/Méthode | 5.0 – 6.0 |
Sugar Types
- Table sugar (sucrose): 100% fermentable, most common. Use 4.0 oz per gallon per volume CO₂.
- Corn sugar (dextrose): slightly less sweet, easy to dissolve. Requires ~11% more by weight than table sugar.
- Dry Malt Extract (DME): adds a slight malt flavor. Requires ~60% more than table sugar.
- Honey: natural choice for meads and specialty beers. Variable fermentability (~75%).
Pro Tips
- Dissolve priming sugar in ~1 cup of boiling water, then cool before adding to beer.
- Mix gently after adding — stirring too hard can oxidize the beer.
- Condition bottles at room temperature for 2–3 weeks before chilling.
- Store a “tester” bottle to check carbonation progress.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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