Free tool
How much honey does your mead actually need? Enter your batch size, the strength you are aiming for and how sweet you want it to finish, and get the honey in kilograms and jars, plus the starting gravity to expect.
Assumes a typical honey at roughly 80% fermentable sugars; exact figures vary a little by honey.
Honey adds roughly 292 gravity points per kilogram per litre (the metric version of the brewer's standard 35 points per pound per US gallon). The calculator works out the starting gravity your target ABV needs using the standard formula, ABV = (OG − FG) × 131.25, then converts that gravity into honey. A dry mead ferments to around 0.996; sweeter finishes leave sugar behind, so they need more honey for the same strength.
Once your must is mixed, check the real number with your hydrometer and log it. If the reading comes in warm, the temperature correction tool trues it up, and the ABV calculator tells you where you landed at the end. New to mead? The basics are the same as any ferment; our mead recipes are free to read and clone.
For a dry mead around 12% ABV, roughly 1.3 to 1.5 kg of honey per gallon (4.5 litres). A lighter session mead needs less, a sweet or strong mead more. The calculator gives the exact figure for your batch and target.
For flavour, enormously; for the maths, only a little. Most honeys are around 80% fermentable sugars, which is what the calculator assumes, and jar to jar variation is small enough not to worry about. Take a gravity reading once it is mixed and you will know exactly where you are.
Two honest routes: use enough honey that the yeast reaches its alcohol tolerance and stops before everything ferments out, or ferment dry, stabilise, and sweeten back with honey to taste. The second is far more controllable, especially for a first batch.
Honey water content varies a little, and honey that is not fully dissolved reads low. Stir until fully mixed before taking your reading, and treat the prediction as a close estimate rather than gospel.
For most meads a wine yeast does the job. Check its alcohol tolerance against your target ABV, especially for sweet or strong meads. Our yeast guide covers the common choices.
Demijohn Journal logs your honey, gravity readings and tasting notes, and works out the ABV as you go. Free, in your browser.
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