Sugar Wash Calculator

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Calculate Original Gravity (OG) and Potential Alcohol (ABV) for your fermentation wash.

Total Sugar (kg)

Water Volume (Liters)

Wash Specifications

Estimated Total Volume: 0 L

Original Gravity (OG): 0.000

Potential Alcohol (ABV): 0%

Brix Reading: 0°Bx

Understanding Sugar Wash Fermentation

A sugar wash is a simple combination of water, sugar, and yeast, often used as a base for distilling neutral spirits. Unlike grain-based mashes, a sugar wash is clear and provides a clean canvas for fermentation. However, because sugar lacks nutrients, yeast health is critical for a complete fermentation without off-flavors.

How the Calculation Works

This calculator uses the displacement principle. Sugar does not disappear when dissolved; it adds volume to the liquid. In general, 1 kg of granulated sugar occupies approximately 0.63 liters of space when dissolved in water.

Total Volume: Water Volume + (Sugar Weight × 0.63).
Original Gravity (OG): Measures the density of the wash relative to water. Pure sugar contributes specific "points" of gravity per liter.
Potential ABV: The estimated alcohol percentage if the yeast ferments the wash down to a Final Gravity (FG) of 1.000.

Typical Sugar Wash Ratios

For most standard distillers' yeasts (like Turbo Yeast), a common ratio is 6kg of sugar topped up to a total volume of 25 liters. This typically results in an ABV of approximately 14%. If you use 8kg of sugar in the same volume, the ABV potential rises to nearly 20%, though this requires specialized high-tolerance yeast and strict temperature control.

Example Calculation

If you add 5kg of sugar to 20 liters of water:

The sugar adds ~3.15 liters of volume (5 * 0.63).
Your total volume becomes 23.15 liters.
The resulting Original Gravity would be approximately 1.083.
The potential ABV would be roughly 10.9%.

Tips for a Better Wash

Temperature Control: Most yeast strains prefer a stable environment between 20°C and 25°C (68°F – 77°F). Excessive heat can lead to stressed yeast and fusel alcohols.

Nutrients: White sugar is pure sucrose. Yeast needs nitrogen, vitamins, and minerals to survive. Always add a dedicated yeast nutrient or use a "Turbo Yeast" which contains nutrients in the packet.

Aeration: Shake or stir your wash vigorously before pitching the yeast to ensure there is enough dissolved oxygen for the initial growth phase.

function calculateSugarWash() { var sugar = parseFloat(document.getElementById('sugarWeight').value); var water = parseFloat(document.getElementById('waterVolume').value); if (isNaN(sugar) || isNaN(water) || sugar <= 0 || water <= 0) { alert("Please enter valid positive numbers for sugar and water."); return; } // Constants // 1kg sugar dissolved occupies ~0.63 Liters var sugarDisplacement = 0.63; // Calculation var totalVolume = water + (sugar * sugarDisplacement); // Gravity calculation: 1kg of sugar in 1L of total volume gives approx 1.385 SG // Or: 1kg sugar in 1L total volume provides 384.7 gravity points var gravityPoints = (sugar * 384.7) / totalVolume; var og = 1 + (gravityPoints / 1000); // Potential ABV = (OG – FG) * 131.25. Assuming FG is 1.000 for sugar var potentialABV = (og – 1.000) * 131.25; // Brix calculation from SG: Brix = (((182.4601 * SG – 775.6821) * SG + 1262.7794) * SG – 669.5622) // Simplified Brix approx: (SG – 1) / 0.004 var brix = (og – 1) / 0.004; // Display Results document.getElementById('resTotalVolume').innerHTML = totalVolume.toFixed(2) + " Liters"; document.getElementById('resOG').innerHTML = og.toFixed(3); document.getElementById('resABV').innerHTML = potentialABV.toFixed(2) + "%"; document.getElementById('resBrix').innerHTML = brix.toFixed(1) + "°Bx"; document.getElementById('results').style.display = "block"; }