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06/08/2016

AlcoholByVolumeCalculatorUpdated|Brewer'sFriend

AlcoholByVolumeCalculatorUpdated|Brewer'sFriend
Thursday,June16th,2011

TheBrewersFriendABVCalculatorwasjustupdatedtoincludenotone,butnowtwoformulasfor
calculatingABV.TherearetwopopularformulasoutthereforcalculatingABV.Youcanpicktheoneyou
preferforuseinyourbrewingnotes.Ifyoudontlikemath,ordontcarethatmuch,juststickwiththebasic
formula.Ifyouaresuperintomath,andwanttousetheadvancedformula(whichissupposedlymore
accurateforhighgravitybeers),thenthealternateequationisnowthereforyou.
StandardFormula:
Mostbrewingsitesusethisbasicformula:
ABV=(ogfg)*131.25
Thisequationwascreatedbeforethecomputerage.Itiseasytodobyhand,andovertimebecamethe
acceptedformulaforhomebrewers!
VariationsonthisequationwhichreportwithintenthsofeachothercomefromTheJoyofHomebrewing
MethodbyCharliePapazian,BeeLeesMethod,BeerAdvocateMethod.Somevariationsuse131insteadof
131.25.Theresultingdifferenceisprettyminor.
AlternateFormula:
Amorecomplexequationwhichattemptstoprovidegreateraccuracyathighergravitiesis:
ABV=(76.08*(ogfg)/(1.775og))*(fg/0.794)
ThealternateequationreportsahigherABVforhighergravitybeers.Thisequationisjustadifferenttakeon
it.Scientistsrarelyagreewhenitcomestoequations.TherewillprobablybeanotherequationforABVdown
theroad.
Thecomplexformula,andvariationsonitcomefromRitchieProductsLtd,(Zymurgy,Summer1995,vol.18,
no.2)MichaelL.HallsarticleBrewbytheNumbers:AddUpWhatsinYourBeer,andDesigningGreat
BeersbyDaniels.
Whydontcalculatorsallagree?
1.Therelationshipbetweenthechangeingravity,andthechangeinABVisnotlinear.Alltheseequations
areapproximations.
2.Somecalculatorsroundinternallyastheygo.TheBrewersFriendcalculatorroundsonlyattheveryend,
whichmeanssignificantdigitsarekeptalongtheway(makingitmoretruetotheequation).
3.OtheronlinecalculatorsshouldbeclosetooneofthetwoequationsreportedbytheBrewersFriendABV
Calculator.Ifnot,theyaredoingtheirownthingwhichwarrantsinquiry.
WhatequationshouldIuse?
Yourhomebrewingfriendsprobablyusethebasicequation.Ifyoudontlikemath,gowiththebasic
equation.
Ifyouareareallytechheavybrewer,andwanttobrewalotofhighgravitybeers,orpreferDanielsover
https://www.brewersfriend.com/2011/06/16/alcoholbyvolumecalculatorupdated/

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06/08/2016

AlcoholByVolumeCalculatorUpdated|Brewer'sFriend

Papazian,usetheadvancedequation.
Eitherway,theyarecloseforbeersbelow6%ABV.Thedifferencedoesgetlargerasthegravityincreases.
ForabrewwithOG1.092,andanFGof1.021,thestandardequationreportsanABVof9.32%,whilethe
alternateequationreports10.17%,thatsadifferenceof0.85%.Atthatalcohollevel,afterafewbeers,
maybeitdoesntmattersomuchhehe

Prost!LegalDisclaimer:TheBrewersFriendABVcalculatorisforentertainmentpurposesandshouldnot
beusedforprofessionalbrewing.Nowarrantyorguaranteeofaccuracyisprovidedontheinformation
providedbythiscalculator.
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