Priming Sugar & Carbonation Calculator

Bottle-conditioning is where a good brew is made or ruined. Tell us your batch size, the beer's temperature and the fizz your style wants, and we'll give you the exact priming sugar to add — corn sugar and table sugar — with the CO₂ already in solution accounted for. Free, no sign-up.

1. Batch volume & beer temperature

Use the warmest the beer has reached since fermentation finished — that sets how much CO₂ is already dissolved.

2. Target carbonation (pick by style)

Priming & carbonation questions, answered

Why does beer temperature change the sugar amount?

Beer always holds some dissolved CO₂ left over from fermentation, and warmer beer holds less. So a warm beer needs more priming sugar to reach the same fizz, and a cold one needs less. This calculator estimates that residual CO₂ from your temperature and only adds the sugar needed to make up the difference to your target.

Corn sugar or table sugar — does it matter?

Both work and both finish clean. Table sugar (sucrose) produces slightly more CO₂ per gram than corn sugar (dextrose), so you need a little less of it — this tool gives you both figures. Corn sugar is the traditional choice and dissolves readily; ordinary white table sugar is perfectly fine and cheaper. Avoid guessing with honey or syrups unless you adjust for their fermentable content.

What's a "volume" of CO₂?

It's the standard brewing unit for carbonation: one volume means the beer holds an equal volume of dissolved CO₂ at standard conditions. Most British ales sit around 1.5–2.0 volumes, lagers and many IPAs around 2.4–2.6, and wheat and Belgian styles can run 3.0–4.0. Higher volumes need stronger bottles.

How long does bottle conditioning take?

Usually about two weeks at room temperature (around 18–21°C) for the yeast to consume the priming sugar and carbonate the beer, then a few days cold to let the CO₂ settle into solution. Cooler rooms take longer. Always use bottles rated for pressure, and never over-prime — too much sugar can over-pressurise and burst a bottle.