Distilling calculators
The everyday sums of distilling, done properly - from planning a wash to sizing a column, proofing a spirit and sweetening a liqueur. Drag a slider, tap the − and + buttons or type a number: the answers follow as you go, in metric or US units.
FermentingFrom sugar or fruit to a finished wash.
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Sugar wash calculator
Starting gravity and ABV from your sugar - or the sugar for a target strength.
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Fruit wash calculator
The gravity and alcohol of a fruit mash, from the fruit and anything you add.
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Hydrometer ABV calculator
Alcohol content from the original and final gravity, with temperature correction.
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Refractometer correction calculator
True gravity and ABV from refractometer readings taken during fermentation.
DistillingHeating, boiling, columns and charges.
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Heat-up time calculator
How long your boiler takes to reach the boil, and the energy it uses.
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Ethanol boiling point and vapour strength calculator
What a still temperature tells you about the liquid and the vapour above it.
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Reflux column calculator
Column diameter, power, packing height, output and cooling water.
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Spirit-run charge calculator
Low wines, feints and water, mixed to the strength you want in the boiler.
Finishing and bottlingStrength, sweetness, oak and serving.
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Proofing and dilution calculator
How much water to add to bring a spirit to bottling strength - or what fills your bottles.
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Alcoholmeter temperature correction calculator
The true strength of a spirit measured warm or cold.
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Liqueur sweetening calculator
Sugar or syrup and water for the strength and sweetness you want.
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Oak ageing calculator
How much oak your spirit sees - small barrels, chips, cubes and sticks.
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Standard drinks calculator
The alcohol in a bottle or a glass, in UK units and US standard drinks.
About these calculators
Each calculator is built on the physics rather than on rules of thumb. Volumes and strengths come from the international (OIML) tables for alcohol and water, so the shrinkage when they mix is allowed for; boiling points and vapour strengths come from the vapour pressures of ethanol and water, so they hold at any altitude. Every page explains how its calculator works, with worked examples you can check.
They all work in litres and kilograms or US gallons and pounds, in °C or °F, and remember your settings on this device. Every recipe has a calculator of its own too, which scales it to your batch; the reasons behind the numbers are in the guides.
All results are estimates for planning: check strengths with a hydrometer or alcoholmeter. Distil only where it is legal to do so, and never leave a running still unattended.