Beer Priming & Carbonation Calculator
Calculate the exact amount of priming sugar needed to carbonate your bottled homebrew to your target CO2 volumes. This calculator accounts for the residual CO2 already dissolved in your beer at bottling temperature and supports five common priming sugars including corn sugar, table sugar, DME, honey, and brown sugar.
Results
Why does temperature matter for priming?
Warm beer holds less dissolved CO2 than cold beer. The "residual CO2" already in solution depends on the highest temperature your beer reached during fermentation — not the current temperature at bottling. If you ferment at 68°F and chill before bottling, you still use 68°F for the calculation because the CO2 escaped when it was warm.
Using a too-low temperature in this calculator will produce overcarbonated beer and gushers (or bottle bombs). When in doubt, err on the side of the higher temperature the beer experienced.
CO2 Volume Reference by Style
| Style | Target CO2 (volumes) |
|---|---|
| British / English Ales (cask) | 1.50 – 1.75 |
| Scottish Ales | 1.60 – 2.00 |
| American Ales (Pale, IPA) | 2.20 – 2.60 |
| American Lager | 2.50 – 2.80 |
| German Lager (Pilsner, Helles) | 2.40 – 2.70 |
| Hefeweizen / Wheat Beers | 3.30 – 4.50 |
| Belgian Ales (Trappist, Saison) | 2.50 – 3.50 |
| Belgian Lambic / Gueuze | 2.40 – 2.80 |
| Stout / Porter | 1.80 – 2.40 |
| Cider | 3.00 – 4.50 |