By Dan Smullen
Most beers never carry a calorie count on the label. This calculator estimates it for you from original gravity (OG) and final gravity (FG), the same two numbers you already track for ABV, then breaks the total down into alcohol and carbs for any serving size.
Calculate your beer’s calories
How to read your result
The main figure is total estimated calories for the serving size you entered. Underneath it, the alcohol and carb split shows where those calories come from: alcohol is fixed at roughly 6.9 kcal per gram, carbs (the unfermented residual extract) at about 4 kcal per gram, so the same beer at a bigger pour just scales up both numbers together.
This is a BJCP-style estimate built from your gravity readings, not a lab assay. It tracks closely with the figures breweries print on cans, but treat it as a strong estimate rather than an exact nutrition panel.
Why two beers at the same ABV can differ
ABV only tells half the calorie story. A beer that finishes at a higher final gravity carries more unfermented sugar, so it can have noticeably more calories than a bone-dry beer at the same alcohol strength. That is why this calculator needs both OG and FG rather than ABV alone.
If you are estimating a commercial beer rather than your own batch, plug in its published or typical OG and FG and set the serving size to match the can or bottle for the closest estimate.
Frequently asked questions
How are beer calories worked out without a nutrition label?
This calculator uses the standard BJCP-style formula, which derives calories from alcohol content and residual (unfermented) extract, both of which come straight out of your original gravity (OG) and final gravity (FG). It is the same maths brewers use to estimate calories on a can label before the beer is ever tested in a lab.
Why does a beer with the same ABV sometimes have more calories?
Alcohol accounts for part of the total, but the residual extract, the unfermented sugars and dextrins left in the beer, also carries calories. Two beers can share an ABV but finish at different final gravities, so the one with the higher FG (more residual extract) usually has more calories per serving.
How do I estimate calories for a beer I did not brew?
If you know a commercial beer's typical OG and FG (many breweries publish them, or you can estimate OG from style and FG from ABV), enter those figures and set the serving size to match the can or bottle. The result will be a close BJCP-style estimate, not the brewery's own lab figure.
What is the alcohol vs carbs split based on?
Alcohol calories are calculated at roughly 6.9 kcal per gram of alcohol by weight, and the remaining calories come from residual extract at about 4 kcal per gram, the same convention used for carbohydrates on a nutrition label. Both numbers scale with your OG, FG and chosen serving size.
More homebrewing calculators
This is one tool in the full homebrewing suite. Whatever stage of the brew you are at, there is a calculator for it.