Brix to Potential ABV Calculator
Potential ABV Calculator
Custom Conversion Factor
ABV ≈ °Brix × conversion factor. White = 0.59. Red = 0.55. Assumes fermentation to dryness.
How do you estimate ABV from Brix?
Multiply the initial °Brix by a conversion factor. Common factors are about 0.59 for white wines and 0.55 for red wines. For example, a 24 °Brix white must fermented dry yields roughly 14.2% ABV.
Why is the conversion factor lower for red wine?
Reds typically ferment warmer, on skins, and often in open-top vessels with punchdowns or pumpovers. More ethanol is lost to evaporation and CO₂ stripping, and more sugar goes to yeast growth and byproducts like glycerol. The result: less alcohol in the finished wine per degree Brix.
How accurate is a Brix-based ABV estimate?
This is an estimate. Brix measures all soluble solids, not just fermentable sugar, and actual yield shifts with yeast strain, temperature, vessel, and whether the wine truly finishes dry. Confirm final alcohol with lab analysis.