Estimate ABV from the juice gravity
Most apple-juice sugars are fermentable. This calculator assumes a dry finish of 0.999: juice at 1.045 then gives about 6% ABV by the standard formula, and 1.055 juice gives 7.3%. These are planning estimates; actual final gravity varies with the juice, yeast, and fermentation.
| Juice | Gravity | ABV dry, standard | Alternate formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Store juice, watered | 1.040 | 5.4% | 5.3% |
| Store juice, typical | 1.045 | 6% | 6% |
| Store juice, good | 1.050 | 6.7% | 6.7% |
| Fresh-pressed, typical | 1.055 | 7.3% | 7.4% |
| Fresh-pressed, late season | 1.065 | 8.7% | 8.9% |
Juice presets are examples. Measure your juice rather than assuming a carton or apple variety has one fixed sugar content.
How much sugar raises the estimated ABV?
The calculator finds a target OG from the assumed dry finish, then solves for the sugar addition including its approximate contribution to volume. For 5 US gallons of 1.045 juice:
| Target, dry | OG needed | Table sugar | Per gallon | Ignoring the sugar's volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6% | 1.045 | none — already there | — | — |
| 7% | 1.052 | 0.87 lb · 0.39 kg | 0.17 lb | 0.8 lb |
| 8% | 1.060 | 1.8 lb · 0.82 kg | 0.36 lb | 1.63 lb |
| 9% | 1.068 | 2.75 lb · 1.25 kg | 0.55 lb | 2.45 lb |
| 10% | 1.075 | 3.74 lb · 1.69 kg | 0.75 lb | 3.28 lb |
| 12% | 1.090 | 5.78 lb · 2.62 kg | 1.16 lb | 4.94 lb |
Assumes FG 0.999 at every target. This fixed endpoint is a simplification, especially for strong cider.
A pound of sugar per gallon raises this example to OG 1.085, with an estimated dry ABV of 11.2%. That is a large increase in strength. It does not add apple aroma, acid, or tannin in proportion, so consider how it changes the balance of the drink.
A gravity-based recipe estimate with a fixed FG is not a complete fermentation mass balance. Added sugar produces alcohol, which also changes the final density; real yeast diverts some material into cells and other products. Do not treat the calculator's implied grams per liter per percent ABV as a universal chemical conversion. Check the mixed OG and actual FG with the ABV calculator.
Which sugar and how much volume?
Sugar yield is expressed per gallon of final solution. Adding sugar to a measured amount of juice also increases the volume, so the calculator includes that dilution. Corn sugar is modeled as dextrose monohydrate; honey and concentrate have more variable composition.
| Sugar | Points per lb per gal | For +2 % on 5 gal | Adds to the must | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table sugar (sucrose) | 46 | 1.83 lb · 0.83 kg | 0.52 L | Pure sucrose; the reference. 2.6 g/L per gravity point. |
| Corn sugar (dextrose) | 41.8 | 2.04 lb · 0.93 kg | 0.57 L | Dextrose monohydrate — 9 % of the bag is water of crystallization. |
| Brown sugar | 43 | 1.98 lb · 0.9 kg | 0.56 L | Sucrose with a little moisture and molasses; adds flavor. |
| Honey | 35 | 2.55 lb · 1.16 kg | 0.81 L | ~80 % sugars; the mead page’s figure. Makes a cyser. |
| Frozen apple concentrate | 22 | 4.8 lb · 2.18 kg | 1.85 L | Roughly 1.190 syrup; adds apple, not just alcohol. Varies by brand. |
Illustration: a two-percentage-point increase from 1.045 in 5 US gallons under the fixed-FG model. Measure concentrate rather than relying on a generic preset.
Use a temperature-corrected hydrometer reading or an unfermented-juice Brix reading. Once alcohol is present, a raw refractometer reading needs alcohol correction. Stir added sugar or concentrate through the whole batch before sampling.
Yeast tolerance is an assumption, not a shutoff point
This table shows what would happen if fermentation stopped at the entered tolerance or the assumed dry finish. Yeast performance also depends on nutrients, temperature, pH, and initial sugar. For context, Lallemand's EC-1118 specification lists alcohol tolerance up to 18%; it does not promise an exact endpoint.
| Must OG | Ale yeast · 11 % | Cider yeast · 12 % | 71B · 14 % | EC-1118 · 18 % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.045 | 0.999 · 6% dry | 0.999 · 6% dry | 0.999 · 6% dry | 0.999 · 6% dry |
| 1.060 | 0.999 · 8% dry | 0.999 · 8% dry | 0.999 · 8% dry | 0.999 · 8% dry |
| 1.075 | 0.999 · 10% dry | 0.999 · 10% dry | 0.999 · 10% dry | 0.999 · 10% dry |
| 1.090 | 1.006 · 11% 19 g/L sugar equivalent | 0.999 · 11.9% dry | 0.999 · 11.9% dry | 0.999 · 11.9% dry |
| 1.100 | 1.016 · 11% 45 g/L sugar equivalent | 1.009 · 12% 25 g/L sugar equivalent | 0.999 · 13.3% dry | 0.999 · 13.3% dry |
Scenario FG = max(0.999, OG − tolerance ÷ 131.25). Sugar figures are rough gravity-based equivalents, not measured residual sugar. Generic ale and cider presets are illustrative; check your strain's current instructions.
Sweet cider and packaging
- Confirm stable readings and investigate an unexpectedly high finish. A stalled fermentation can restart even after several unchanged readings.
- Juice, honey, and concentrate added for sweetness can ferment again. For a still sweet cider, follow a validated stabilization process suitable for the measured cider before backsweetening and packaging.
- AWRI explains that sorbate inhibits yeast growth; it does not kill an active culture. Sulfite and sorbate are not an instant fermentation stop, and refrigeration alone is not stabilization.
- Bottle conditioning requires completed fermentation and a measured priming dose. Nonfermentable sweetness does not make an unresolved stall safe to bottle.
Heat treatment needs a validated process and suitable equipment; heating sealed, carbonated bottles is not a casual substitute for stabilization. If bottles may already be overpressurized, avoid unnecessary handling and keep people away. Cooling does not remove existing pressure.
Corrected October 10, 2026: revised tolerance scenarios, sugar-conversion assumptions, and sweet-cider packaging guidance.