ABV & Calorie Calculator
What Is ABV?
Let’s break it down. ABV tells you how much alcohol is in your drink, as a percentage of the total volume. So if your beer is 5% ABV, that means 5% of the liquid is pure alcohol.
Why Does This Matter?
Maybe you’re aiming for a lighter, easy-drinking beer and want to keep the alcohol level in check. Or perhaps you’re brewing something stronger and want to know just how much alcohol it ended up with. Either way, calculating ABV gives you a clear picture of your beer’s strength.
And that’s exactly what this tool does.
Try the ABV Calculator
Just plug in your Original Gravity (OG) and Final Gravity (FG), hit the button, and boom — you’ll get your ABV.
- OG: This is the gravity of your brew before fermentation starts, how sugary it is.
- FG: This is the gravity after fermentation finishes — tells you how much sugar is left.
[Calculator goes here – OG / FG inputs + Calculate Button]
Not sure what those numbers mean? Hang on — we’ll get to that below!
How to Use It (It’s Super Simple)
Okay, so here’s what you do:
- Take an OG reading before pitching your yeast. Most homebrewers use a hydrometer or a refractometer for this purpose. OG is usually around 1.040–1.080, depending on the style.
- Let your brew ferment until it’s done. Then take the FG reading — usually between 1.000 and 1.020 for most beers.
- Pop those numbers into the calculator and hit “Go.”
And just like that, you’ll get your ABV.
Want to Know the Math?
If you’re curious, the formula behind the calculator looks like this:
ABV = (OG – FG) × 131.25
Sounds fancy, but it’s just a way to estimate how much sugar turned into alcohol.
There are a few other methods (some more accurate for higher-alcohol drinks), but for most homebrews, this one does the job nicely.
What’s a “Good” ABV?
That depends on what you’re brewing! Here’s a rough guide:
| Beverage Type | Typical ABV Range |
| Light beer | 3–4% |
| Pale ales | 4.5–5.5% |
| IPAs | 6–7.5% |
| Strong ales | 7.5%+ |
| Wine | 11–14% |
| Cider | 4–6.5% |
| Mead | 8–15%+ |
So if your 5% pale ale suddenly hits 8%, something went off-script. Or… maybe you made a happy accident?
Beer Calorie Calculator
Along with ABV, this calculator also provides an estimate of the calories per 355ml (12oz) serving.
Calories in beer mainly come from two sources:
- Alcohol (which is energy-dense), and
- Residual sugars that remain after fermentation.
There are a couple of ways to estimate calories:
- If you only have the ABV, the calculator can provide a general calorie estimate based solely on the alcohol content.
- If you enter both the original gravity (OG) and final gravity (FG), you’ll get a more accurate result — one that also accounts for any leftover sugars in the finished beer.
This is useful if you’re keeping an eye on your nutrition or are curious about how much energy your beer might be providing.
Just keep in mind: like ABV, it’s an estimate — not a lab result — but it’s a solid guide for most homebrews.
ABV Calculator FAQs
What if I don’t have a hydrometer?
Well, you’re kinda flying blind. You can estimate the ABV based on the style and how it tastes, but it won’t be entirely accurate. A hydrometer’s cheap and super handy — just get one.
My OG was 1.065, and FG was 1.012 — what’s the ABV?
Plug it in: (1.065 – 1.012) × 131.25 = about 6.94%. Nice!
Can I use this for wine or cider?
Absolutely. It works for anything that ferments from sugar to alcohol — just make sure you’re taking OG and FG properly.
What’s attenuation?
Attenuation tells you how much sugar the yeast ate up. Our calculator might show that, too — it’s just a bonus stat for the nerds among us (guilty!).
Handy Brewing Tools You Might Like
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Final Thoughts
Now you’ve got a simple way to work out how much alcohol is in your beer. Once you become accustomed to taking OG and FG readings, calculating ABV becomes a routine part of the brewing process.
I still remember my first homebrew — I guessed the ABV without checking, and it turned out to be a fair bit stronger than I expected. Since then, I’ve always used a calculator like this one.
It’s a small step that can make a big difference, especially if you’re trying to brew consistently or stick to a particular style.
Feel free to bookmark this page for future brews — it’s a handy tool to have on hand.
Happy brewing!