Basics and units
Recommended carbonation by style
A stout at around 2 volumes, a German wheat beer above 3: the style dictates the bubbles. Pick yours and the tool gives the range.
Result
Fill in the values and run the calculation, or try the example.
This is the calculation Krausi uses. Create an account to save it in a recipe or a brew.
Create my accountWhy match carbonation to the style?
Carbonation changes a beer as much as hops do. Fine, sparse bubbles let the malt of a stout speak; lively carbonation makes a wheat beer refreshing and builds its head.
So before calculating the priming sugar or the keg pressure, you need to choose a target. This target is expressed in volumes of CO2: one volume is one litre of gas dissolved per litre of beer, about 1.96 g/L.
The table below gives the usual range for each style. Aim for the middle of the range for a first brew.
Where do the carbonation ranges come from?
The tool reads a reference table of 18 styles. Pick the style from the list and it returns the minimum and maximum of the range.
One volume of CO2 is about 1.96 g of gas per litre of beer. The right-hand column of the table gives the equivalent in grams per litre.
Recommended carbonation for 18 styles
| Style | Volumes of CO2 | In g/L |
|---|---|---|
| British ale | 1.5 to 2 | 2.9 to 3.9 |
| IPA | 1.5 to 2.3 | 2.9 to 4.5 |
| Strong/Old/Brown ale | 1.5 to 2.3 | 2.9 to 4.5 |
| Barley wine | 1.5 to 2.3 | 2.9 to 4.5 |
| Belgian dubbel | 1.5 to 2.3 | 2.9 to 4.5 |
| Stout and porter | 1.7 to 2.3 | 3.3 to 4.5 |
| Belgian ale | 1.9 to 2.4 | 3.7 to 4.7 |
| Belgian wheat beer | 2.1 to 2.6 | 4.1 to 5.1 |
| Altbier | 2.1 to 3.1 | 4.1 to 6.1 |
| European lager | 2.2 to 2.7 | 4.3 to 5.3 |
| APA | 2.3 to 2.8 | 4.5 to 5.5 |
| Lambic | 2.4 to 2.8 | 4.7 to 5.5 |
| Vienna lager | 2.4 to 2.6 | 4.7 to 5.1 |
| American ale and lager | 2.5 to 2.9 | 4.9 to 5.7 |
| Oktoberfest | 2.6 to 2.7 | 5.1 to 5.3 |
| Märzen | 2.8 to 2.8 | 5.5 to 5.5 |
| Gueuze | 3 to 4.3 | 5.9 to 8.4 |
| German wheat beer | 3.3 to 4.3 | 6.5 to 8.4 |
Worked example
Values entered
- Beer style: IPA
Result from the tool
- Style
- IPA
- Minimum volumes of CO2
- 1.5 min
- Maximum volumes of CO2
- 2.3
What the tool does not do
- The table has 18 styles: for a style that is missing, take the range of the closest one.
- These are serving habits, not rules: a modern IPA is often served livelier than the historical range.
- Ordinary bottles do not cope well with more than 3 volumes: above that, use thick bottles.
Frequently asked questions
How many volumes of CO2 for an IPA?
Between 1.5 and 2.3 volumes in the reference table. Many homebrewers aim for 2.2 to 2.4 volumes for an American IPA.
What is a volume of CO2?
It is one litre of carbon dioxide dissolved per litre of beer, measured at 0 °C and atmospheric pressure. One volume weighs about 1.96 g per litre.
What carbonation for a wheat beer?
A Belgian wheat beer sits between 2.1 and 2.6 volumes. German wheat beers go higher, above 3 volumes.
And with the assistant?
Ask Krausi the same question in plain language: he picks this tool, does the calculation and files the result in your project.
I want to bottle my stout, what carbonation should I aim for?
For a stout, aim for between 1.7 and 2.3 volumes of CO2. At 2 volumes and a beer at 20 °C, that is 4.5 g of sugar per litre. Would you like me to calculate the total quantity for your volume?