How much sugar to carbonate a bottled batch
Bottle conditioning carbonates a drink by adding a little sugar just before bottling. The yeast still in suspension eats the sugar and makes carbon dioxide, which cannot escape from the capped bottle and dissolves into the liquid. A priming sugar calculator works out how much: too little leaves the drink flat, too much creates gushers and, in the worst case, burst glass.
Enter the batch volume, the highest temperature the beer reached after fermentation, the sugar you will use and the carbonation level you want in volumes of CO₂. The page subtracts the CO₂ the beer already holds and returns the sugar for the whole batch, for each bottle size and for four alternative sugars. It works for beer, cider and mead, in litres or US gallons.
How to use the Priming Sugar Calculator
- Enter the batch volume after racking and pick litres or US gallons.
- Enter the highest temperature the batch reached since fermentation finished: dissolved CO₂ is set by that temperature, not by today’s.
- Choose a carbonation level for the style, or type your own volumes of CO₂.
- Pick the sugar, weigh it, dissolve it in a small amount of boiled water, cool it, mix it gently into the batch and bottle.
Priming Sugar Calculator features
Residual CO₂ included
Dissolved CO₂ left over from fermentation is calculated from temperature and subtracted, so a warm batch gets more sugar than a cold one.
Four sugars
Table sugar, corn sugar, honey and dry malt extract, with the whole-batch and per-litre amount for each shown side by side.
Per-bottle table
Grams to put in each 330, 500, 660, 750 mL or 1 litre bottle when you prime bottle by bottle.
Style presets
Typical carbonation ranges for British ales, stout, pale ale, cider, mead and wheat beers fill the target for you.
The formula and where it comes from
Residual CO₂ in volumes is 3.0378 − 0.050062 × T + 0.00026555 × T², with T the temperature in °F, a regression published in John Palmer’s How to Brew (carbonation chapter). One volume of CO₂ is 1.977 g of gas per litre of liquid. The CO₂ to add is the target minus the residual, multiplied by 1.977 and by the litres.
The sugar needed is that mass of CO₂ divided by the CO₂ each gram of sugar yields: about 0.514 g for table sugar (sucrose) and 0.444 g for corn sugar (dextrose monohydrate), both worked out from the chemistry and assuming full fermentation. For 19 L at 20 °C and 2.4 volumes, that means about 112 g of table sugar or 130 g of corn sugar. Honey (about 0.39) and dry malt extract (about 0.33) are approximate because their fermentable share varies by brand; treat those amounts as a starting point. The formula was taken from the published reference and not re-checked against a standards body for this page.
Typical carbonation levels
- British ales, bitter and mild: about 1.5–2.0 volumes.
- Porter and stout: about 1.7–2.3 volumes.
- Pale ale, IPA and lagers: about 2.2–2.7 volumes.
- Sparkling cider and mead: about 2.0–3.5 volumes, depending on how lively you like it.
- Wheat beers and saison: about 3.0–4.0 volumes, needing sturdier bottles.
Safety
Over-carbonation is the main hazard. Make sure fermentation is truly finished (the same gravity reading over three days), use bottles designed for pressure, never re-use thin or damaged glass, and keep bottles in a box or cooler out of the way. Chill them before opening and open one first to test. Rules on home production of alcohol depend on where you live; check yours. See the ABV calculator for strength and the wine making sugar calculator for the sugar added before fermentation.
Priming Sugar Calculator FAQ
How much priming sugar for 19 litres of beer?
About 112 g of table sugar for 2.4 volumes of CO₂ if the beer reached 20 °C, or about 130 g of corn sugar. A cooler batch needs a little less.
Why does temperature matter?
Cold liquid holds more dissolved CO₂, so a batch that stayed cold needs less added sugar than one that fermented warm. Use the highest temperature after fermentation ended.
Can I use honey or malt extract?
Yes, with the approximate yields shown. They add flavour and are less predictable, so aim a little lower and test a bottle.
Is the priming rate the same for cider and mead?
The maths is identical. Choose a carbonation level that suits the drink; sparkling ciders and meads often sit near 2.5–3 volumes.
How long does bottle conditioning take?
Usually one to three weeks at room temperature, then a few days in the cold. Slow or cold-fermenting yeast may take longer.
What if my bottles are over-carbonated?
Chill them thoroughly and open them carefully over a sink. Next time use less sugar, wait for a stable gravity and consider stronger bottles.