Brewing · Extract OG Calculator
Extract Brewing Calculator
Enter your dry and liquid malt extract, steeping grains, and batch volume to estimate original gravity and potential ABV before you brew.
3 lb DME + 3 lb LME · 5 gal
OG ≈ 1.050
OG points = (DME×44 + LME×36) ÷ gallons. Set your own numbers below.
Live calculator · updates as you type
Your extract batch
Steeping grains are counted at reduced efficiency because they are steeped, not mashed. Attenuation sets the estimated final gravity, and therefore the potential ABV.
Estimated gravity
Extract OG by beer strength
OG points ≈ (DME × 44 + LME × 36 + steeping grains × 34 × 0.35) ÷ batch gallons. Potential ABV assumes your yeast attenuates to the estimated final gravity.
Extract brewing guide
From malt extract to original gravity
Extract brewing skips the mash: the sugars are already in your DME or LME, so predicting original gravity is just adding up gravity points and dividing by your batch size. This is an extract OG calculator, so it works forward from ingredients to gravity, unlike an ABV calculator that works backward from measured readings.
Dry malt extract is concentrated, so it gives the most gravity per pound.
Liquid malt extract still holds water, so it is a little lighter per pound.
Steeped, not mashed, so they add mostly colour and flavour, little gravity.
Once fermentation is done, plug your measured original and final gravity into the ABV calculator for the real strength, or move up to the full beer recipe calculator when you want colour and a complete grain bill too.
Extract brewing questions
Estimating original gravity and ABV from malt extract and steeping grains.
Add up the gravity points each fermentable contributes, then divide by the batch volume in gallons. Dry malt extract (DME) gives about 44 points per pound per gallon, liquid malt extract (LME) about 36, and steeping specialty grains roughly 34 at a low steeping efficiency. So OG points equal (DME x 44 + LME x 36 + grains x 34 x 0.35) divided by gallons, and OG is 1 plus those points over 1000.
Dry malt extract is more concentrated because the water has been removed, so it contributes more gravity per pound: about 44 points versus 36 for liquid malt extract. Roughly, 1 pound of DME is equivalent to about 1.2 pounds of LME. The calculator applies the correct points for each so you can mix them freely.
For a standard 5-gallon ale around OG 1.050, plan on roughly 6 to 7 pounds of DME, or about 8 to 9 pounds of LME, before any steeping grains. Enter your target amounts in the calculator to see the resulting OG, then adjust up or down to hit the strength you want.
Not a lot. Steeping specialty grains such as crystal or chocolate malt are steeped rather than mashed, so they release only a fraction of their potential sugar, which is why the calculator applies a reduced steeping efficiency. They mainly contribute colour and flavour; the bulk of your gravity comes from the malt extract.
Estimate the final gravity from your yeast attenuation, then use (OG minus FG) times 131.25. This calculator does both steps: set the expected attenuation and it reports the estimated final gravity and potential ABV. After fermentation, confirm the real ABV with the ABV calculator using your measured OG and FG.