Priming Sugar Calculator — How Much Sugar to Add When Bottling Home Brew
Use this free priming sugar calculator to work out exactly how much sugar to add when bottling your home brew beer or cider. Enter your batch volume, beer temperature, and target CO₂ level — and the calculator gives you the precise amount of table sugar, dextrose (corn sugar), or DME to add.
| Still cider | 0.5–1.0 |
| Lightly sparkling cider | 1.5–2.0 |
| Sparkling cider | 2.0–2.7 |
| British ales | 1.5–2.2 |
| Belgian ales | 2.0–4.5 |
| American ales | 2.2–3.0 |
| European Lagers | 2.4–2.6 |
| American Lagers | 2.5–2.8 |
| German weizens | 2.8–5.1 |
How much priming sugar should I add to home brew beer?
For a standard 23-litre batch of British ale, use approximately 80–90g of brewing dextrose or 70–80g of table sugar dissolved in 300ml of boiling water, cooled, and added to the bottling bucket before filling. This produces around 2.0–2.2 volumes of CO₂ — the standard carbonation level for British ales and bitters.
How much priming sugar should I add to home brew cider?
For a sparkling cider, target 2.0–2.5 volumes of CO₂. For a standard 23-litre batch, this means approximately 90–110g of brewing sugar (dextrose) or 80–100g of table sugar. Use the calculator above — enter your cider volume, fermentation temperature, and target CO₂ volumes to get the exact figure. For a lightly sparkling cider, target 1.5–2.0 volumes; for a still cider, use 0.5–1.0 volumes (or skip priming altogether and simply seal the bottles).
Can I use carbonation drops for cider?
Yes — Coopers Carbonation Drops work just as well for cider as for beer. Use one drop per 500ml bottle for a standard sparkling cider carbonation level. They dissolve completely during conditioning and leave no flavour. This is the easiest method for beginners — no scales, no dissolving, no mess.
What temperature should I enter for the cider priming calculator?
Enter the lowest temperature your cider reached during or after fermentation — this is when it absorbed the most CO₂. If you fermented at 18°C and cold crashed to 4°C, enter 4°C. Entering a higher temperature than the actual cold crash temperature will result in the calculator overestimating the priming sugar needed.
Can I use carbonation drops instead of priming sugar for beer?
Yes — Coopers Carbonation Drops are a convenient alternative to weighing out priming sugar. Use one drop per 500ml bottle (or 1.5 drops per 740ml bottle). They're pre-measured to produce consistent carbonation every time, with no scales and no dissolving required — ideal for beginners.
What's the difference between table sugar and dextrose for priming?
Both work, but dextrose (brewing sugar) is preferred as it ferments more cleanly without producing any off-flavours. You need approximately 10% more dextrose by weight than table sugar to achieve the same carbonation level — the calculator above accounts for this automatically.
More Free Home Brew Calculators
- ABV Calculator — calculate alcohol content from gravity readings
- Keg Line Balancing Calculator — perfect draught at home
- Strike Temperature Calculator — hit your mash temperature first time
- Hydrometer Temperature Adjustment — correct readings at any temperature
Ready to bottle? Buy Brewing Sugar, Carbonation Drops, 500ml Glass Beer Bottles, and Crown Caps at BrewCo UK. For everything you need to know about bottling, see our complete bottling guide.