Brewing · Brix Converter
Turn a refractometer Brix reading into specific gravity, °Plato, and potential ABV — or convert the other way — instantly as you type.
Worked example
12° Bx → 1.048
Potential ABV = (SG − 1.000) × 131.25. Convert either direction below.
Live converter · updates as you type
Brix and °Plato are effectively equal in this range. Potential ABV assumes the sugar ferments fully to roughly 1.000 final gravity — real ABV depends on yeast, attenuation, and any residual sweetness.
Converted values
Brix · SG · Plato · potential ABV reference
Brix conversion guide
Refractometers read Brix, recipes and calculators want specific gravity, and brewers think in Plato. This guide shows how the scales relate and when a conversion is safe to trust.
Roughly the gravity points — 12 Brix ≈ 1.048.
Brix and Plato are interchangeable for home use.
Ethanol distorts a raw refractometer reading.
Dissolved sugar raises density, so Brix and specific gravity move together. Convert the original reading to gravity, then estimate potential ABV as (SG − 1.000) × 131.25.
Pick a direction — Brix to specific gravity, or specific gravity to Brix. Enter your reading and the converter returns the matching value plus °Plato, an approximate dissolved-sugar figure, and the potential ABV if that sugar ferments fully.
Use it before fermentation to translate a refractometer reading into the gravity your recipe or calculator expects, or to check a hydrometer reading against a target Brix. Everything updates live as you type.
Brix measures dissolved sugar as grams of sucrose per 100 grams of solution. Specific gravity measures density relative to water. Because dissolved sugar raises density, the two track together and can be converted with a fixed relationship.
The exact conversion is SG = 1 + (Brix / (258.6 − ((Brix / 258.2) × 227.1))). A quick mental version is “gravity points ≈ Brix × 4”, which is close enough to sanity-check a reading but drifts at high sugar levels — the converter uses the full formula.
Brix and °Plato are nearly identical scales — both express sugar as a percentage by weight. The difference comes from slightly different reference tables and is far smaller than normal measurement error, so for home brewing and winemaking you can treat them as the same number.
By convention, winemakers and fruit growers read in Brix, while brewers often work in °Plato. If a recipe is written in one and your instrument reads the other, no conversion maths is needed — just read the value straight across.
Once you know the original gravity, potential ABV is simply how much alcohol you would get if the yeast fermented the sugar all the way out. The estimate is (OG − 1.000) × 131.25, which the converter reports for you.
It is a ceiling, not a guarantee. If the yeast stops early, or you deliberately leave residual sweetness, the finished ABV will be lower. Use potential ABV to plan a recipe, then confirm the real number with original and final gravity after fermentation.
This converter is built for readings taken before fermentation, when the only thing raising density is sugar. In that state Brix and specific gravity map cleanly onto each other.
After fermentation begins, alcohol distorts a refractometer reading, so a raw Brix value no longer converts straight to gravity. For a finished reading, use a hydrometer for final gravity, or an ABV calculator that applies a refractometer correction.
The reference table pairs common Brix values with their specific gravity, °Plato, and the potential ABV if fermented dry. Use it to eyeball a reading without typing, or to pick a starting Brix for a target strength.
For a target ABV, find the potential-ABV column first, then read the Brix and SG on that row. A 10–11% cider or wine starts near 20 Brix; a 5–6% beer starts near 12 Brix.
If the converted gravity looks off, check that your refractometer is zeroed on distilled water and that the sample is at room temperature — heat skews both refractometers and hydrometers. A single drop that has not settled can read high.
If Brix and hydrometer readings disagree by more than a point or two, recalibrate both. A hydrometer should read 1.000 in plain water at its reference temperature; if it does not, note the offset and apply it to every reading.
Common questions about Brix, Plato, specific gravity, and refractometer readings.
A close approximation is SG = 1 + (Brix / (258.6 − ((Brix / 258.2) × 227.1))). For most brewing and winemaking readings a simpler rule of thumb is SG points ≈ Brix × 4 (so 12 Brix ≈ 1.048). This converter applies the full formula so you get an accurate value instantly.
Practically, yes. Brix and °Plato both measure grams of sucrose per 100 grams of solution and differ only by tiny amounts from slightly different reference tables. Wine and fruit use Brix; brewing tends to use Plato. For homebrew and home winemaking you can treat them as interchangeable.
Convert your original Brix to specific gravity, then assume the sugar ferments out to roughly 1.000. Potential ABV ≈ (OG − 1.000) × 131.25. This converter shows that potential ABV automatically. Actual ABV depends on how far your yeast attenuates and any residual sweetness left behind.
Only with correction. Once alcohol is present, a raw Brix reading no longer maps cleanly to gravity, so a straight Brix-to-SG conversion will be wrong. This converter is for pre-fermentation (original) readings. For finished-gravity ABV from a refractometer, use an ABV calculator with refractometer correction instead.
Small differences are normal — instruments are calibrated to a reference temperature and can drift. Temperature, dissolved solids, and calibration all shift readings. Calibrate the refractometer with distilled water at 0 Brix and the hydrometer in water at 1.000 before trusting either.
Work backwards: pick your target ABV, divide by 131.25 to get the gravity drop, add 1.000 for the original gravity, then read the matching Brix in the reference table. For example, a 12% wine needs about OG 1.091, which is roughly 22 Brix.