🍺 Top-down Brew: Carbonation With Sugar From Liquid Weights

Purpose: This carbonation calculator determines the amount of sugar needed, with the volume being determined from weight and specific gravity.

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Notes

This calculator differs from most priming sugar calculators by using liquid weights to determine the beer volume. This approach is useful for bottling buckets or kegs that have no volume markings. The weight approach was inspired by an example from Lewis (2021 July-August, BYO Magazine, p. 38).

Basic carbonation reference (volumes of CO₂):

• Low: 2.0 to 2.4 - British beer styles
• Medium: 2.5 to 2.7 - Most beers
• High: 2.8 to 3.0 - American, wheat beers
• Over 3.0 - Some Belgian styles, wheat beers

Some common empty fermentation container weights:

• Pin lock keg, cornelius with lid and posts: 9.0 lb or 4.082 kg
• Ball lock keg, cornelius with lid and posts: 8.8 lb or 3.992 kg
• Northern Brewer 6.5 gallon fermentation bucket with lid and airlock: 2.8 lb or 1.270 kg
• BSG 6.5 gallon fermentation bucket with lid and airlock: 3.3 lb or 1.497 kg
• Glass carboy, 6.5 gallon with bung and airlock: 14.2 lb or 6.441 kg
• Glass carboy, 5.0 gallon with bung and airlock: 11.5 lb or 5.216 kg
• Northern Brewer 6.5 gallon PET carboy with bung and airlock: 3.0 lb or 1.361 kg
• Bottling bucket, 6.5 gallon with lid and spigot: 2.9 lb or 1.315 kg
• Bottling bucket, 5.0 gallon with lid and spigot: 2.5 lb or 1.134 kg

The documentation and an explanation of how it works is available at this link.