Packaging
Priming by sugar type
For 20 L at 2.5 volumes: 128 g of table sugar, 141 g of dextrose or 171 g of honey. The tool gives the quantity to weigh for your sugar.
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 adapt the dose to the type of sugar?
Not all sugars produce the same amount of gas. Table sugar ferments completely. Dextrose contains a little water. Honey contains more, and malt extract brings sugars the yeast does not consume. Swapping one for another gram for gram gives a beer that is too fizzy or not fizzy enough.
This tool is the full version of the priming calculation: it starts from the target carbonation and the temperature, accounts for the CO2 already in the beer, then converts the dose for the sugar you use and for your volume.
How is the dose calculated for each sugar?
The sucrose dose is calculated as in the priming calculation, then divided by the fermentability of the chosen sugar:
dose (g/L) = sucrose dose / fermentability
total (g) = dose × volume (L)| Sugar | Fermentability |
|---|---|
| Sucrose (table sugar) | 1.00 |
| Dextrose | 0.91 |
| Honey | 0.75 |
| Dry malt extract | 0.68 |
The result also gives the sucrose equivalent, to compare with another recipe.
Worked example
Values entered
- Target carbonation in volumes of CO2: 2.5
- Highest temperature reached by the beer at the end of fermentation, in °C: 20
- Volume of beer to bottle in litres: 20
- Sugar used: Dextrose
Result from the tool
- Sugar used
- dextrose
- Dose in g/L
- 7.06 L
- Total quantity in g
- 141.16 g
- Sucrose equivalent in g/L
- 6.42 L
- Sucrose equivalent in total, in g
- 128.46 g
What the tool does not do
- The fermentability of honey and extract varies with the product: the values are averages.
- The volume to enter is the one actually bottled, without the sediment at the bottom of the fermenter.
- Honey and extract slightly change the taste; table sugar and dextrose are neutral.
Frequently asked questions
Dextrose or table sugar?
Both work and leave no taste. Dextrose dissolves more easily; table sugar is available everywhere. You need about 10% more dextrose for the same result.
Can I prime with honey?
Yes, by raising the dose by about a third: 171 g of honey replace 128 g of sugar for 20 L at 2.5 volumes. Dilute it in a little boiled water. Its aroma stays discreet at this dose.
Sugar in each bottle or in the bucket?
In the bucket: dissolve all the sugar in a little boiled water, pour it into a clean bucket and rack the beer onto it. The mix is even, whereas dosing bottle by bottle gives uneven carbonation.
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'm priming with dextrose: 20 L, beer at 20 °C, aiming for 2.5 volumes.
Weigh out 141 g of dextrose (7.1 g per litre). Dissolve it in 200 mL of boiled water before racking the beer onto it. I've noted the priming in the brew.