Mead Calculator: Honey, Gravity and Mead ABV

Mead is only as strong and as sweet as the honey you put in the bucket. Type in your batch size and how much honey you plan to use, and this mead calculator returns the original gravity, the potential alcohol and a sweetness label. Switch to the other mode to start from the ABV you want and get the honey you need to buy.

Once the mead is fermenting, take a real reading. The numbers below come from a rule of thumb, and honey varies.

Mead calculator

What do you want to work out? Batch size Honey Honey points per lb per gallon

Rule of thumb, honey varies. A hydrometer reading beats this number.

Expected final gravity

1.105original gravity to expect

13.8%potential ABV at this final gravity

3.00 lbhoney per gallon

Dryat this final gravity (common rule of thumb)

How the Mead Calculator Works

Honey to original gravity

Gravity points are the digits after the decimal point of a hydrometer reading, so 1.105 is 105 points. A common rule among mead makers is that one pound of honey in one gallon of must adds about 35 points. Dan McFeeley, a regular on the Got Mead forum, wrote in a thread on how much honey to add that he likes to work with 35 gravity points per pound of honey in a one gallon must, and that some brewers get better results guessing 38 or even 42. That is why the calculator lets you change the figure from 33 to 40.

OG = 1 + (points per lb per gal × pounds of honey ÷ gallons) ÷ 1000

For example, 3 lb (1.36 kg) of honey in 1 gallon (3.8 L) gives 35 × 3 ÷ 1 = 105 points, or an OG of 1.105.

Original gravity to potential ABV

The alcohol figure uses the same simple equation as our wine ABV calculator. Brewer’s Friend introduces it in its ABV calculator write-up as the basic formula most brewing sites use, and notes that some versions use 131 instead of 131.25 with a pretty minor difference:

ABV = (OG − FG) × 131.25

With the 1.105 must above and a dry finish at 1.000, that is 0.105 × 131.25 = 13.8%. If the mead stops at 1.015, the same must gives 11.8% and leaves sweetness in the glass.

Target ABV to pounds of honey

The other mode runs the equations backwards: pounds = ((ABV ÷ 131.25 + FG) − 1) × 1000 × gallons ÷ points per lb per gal. The batch size here is the finished volume of must, since honey takes up room in the bucket.

The sweetness label

The label follows a common rule of thumb, not a standard: a final gravity of 1.010 or below reads as dry, above 1.010 up to 1.020 as semi-sweet, and above 1.020 as sweet. Your own taste decides, and the same number can taste different depending on acidity and alcohol.

Worked Examples: Honey for 1 and 5 Gallons

These rows come from the calculator’s own formula at the default 35 points per pound per gallon. The ABV is what you reach if the yeast finishes at the listed final gravity. A dry finish needs a yeast that can ferment all the way, and a sweet one needs a yeast that stops or a mead you stabilize.

Style	Target ABV	Final gravity	Original gravity	Honey for 1 gal	Honey for 5 gal
Dry	12%	1.000	1.091	2.6 lb (1.18 kg)	13.1 lb (5.9 kg)
Dry	14%	1.000	1.107	3.0 lb (1.38 kg)	15.2 lb (6.9 kg)
Semi-sweet	11%	1.015	1.099	2.8 lb (1.28 kg)	14.1 lb (6.4 kg)
Semi-sweet	12%	1.015	1.106	3.0 lb (1.38 kg)	15.2 lb (6.9 kg)
Sweet	10%	1.025	1.101	2.9 lb (1.31 kg)	14.5 lb (6.6 kg)
Sweet	12%	1.030	1.121	3.5 lb (1.57 kg)	17.3 lb (7.9 kg)

Notice how little extra honey separates the dry and semi-sweet rows. The difference between them is mostly where the yeast stops, not how much honey you buy.

Scaling a recipe

Our how to make mead guide walks through a first batch, and the calculator is the quickest way to scale it to a different jug or bucket. If you are still deciding between the two drinks, mead vs wine explains how honey changes the process.

Honey Varies: Take a Reading

Why the estimate can be off

The 35 is an average. A poster in a Got Mead thread on mead batch calculators pointed out that 1 lb of one honey may get you more gravity points per gallon than 1 lb of a different honey. Water content, the honey type and how you measure the volume all move the result by a few points.

What to do about it

Mix the must, stir until the honey is fully dissolved, and read it with a hydrometer before you pitch the yeast. If the reading is lower than the calculator predicted, you can add more honey. If it is higher, you can top up with water. Our guide on how to use a hydrometer covers the test jar, temperature and how to read the meniscus. Whatever the hydrometer says is your real OG, and it is the number to use for the final ABV.

Mead ABV from Two Readings

Use the readings, not the estimate

This page is built for the planning stage, from honey to gravity. After fermentation, the accurate way to find your mead ABV is to take the original gravity before the yeast went in and a final gravity once the reading stops moving, then subtract and multiply by 131.25.

Where to run it

Put both readings into the wine ABV calculator, which also shows an alternate formula for strong batches. Mead that starts above about 1.100 is exactly where the two formulas begin to differ, so look at both before you write a number on the label. For help with the readings themselves, see the hydrometer calculator.

What you need for your first mead

A hydrometer to confirm the gravity, a yeast that handles honey, and a starter kit if you have no gear yet. For more complete options, see our guide to the best mead making kits.

1Hydrometer and test jar

Brewer's Elite Triple Scale Hydrometer and Plastic Test Jar

Reads specific gravity, potential alcohol and Brix on one stem, with a 250 ml test jar, hard case and cloth in the box, per the listing.

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2One-gallon starter kit

FastRack Shepherd Made Mead Making Kit

A 1-gallon glass jug, airlocks, stopper, yeast and nutrient. Bring your own siphon.

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3Yeast

Lalvin 71B Wine Yeast, 10 Packs

Lallemand rates 71B to 14% alcohol on its product page, and Craftabrew lists a 5 g packet as treating 1 to 6 gallons.

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How much yeast do I need for 5 gallons of mead?

One 5 g packet of dry wine yeast is normally enough. Craftabrew lists a 5 g packet of Lalvin 71B as treating 1 to 6 gallons, and Lallemand rates the strain to 14% alcohol. A high gravity must, above about 1.110, may need a second packet or a yeast with more tolerance. Check the label of the strain you buy.

How much honey for 5 gallons of mead?

At the default 35 points per pound per gallon, about 13 lb gives a dry mead near 12% ABV and about 15 lb gets close to 14%. For a semi-sweet mead finishing at 1.015, plan on 14 to 15 lb. The table above lists each case. Honey varies, so take a hydrometer reading before you pitch.

Mead ABV calculator

To find the alcohol in a finished mead, subtract the final gravity from the original gravity and multiply by 131.25. A mead that went from 1.105 to 1.000 is about 13.8%. This page estimates the ABV from honey, and the wine ABV calculator takes two real readings and shows an alternate formula for strong batches.

How much honey for 1 gallon of mead?

About 2.6 lb (1.2 kg) for a dry mead near 12% ABV and about 3 lb (1.4 kg) for 14% or a sweeter 12%, using the default 35 points. A user on Got Mead wrote that he typically uses 3 lb per gallon to end near 14% and totally dry. Measure the gravity to confirm.

Wine ABV calculator for ABV from two real hydrometer readings.
Hydrometer calculator for help with your readings.
How to make mead, the full step-by-step guide.
Mead vs wine, the main differences explained.
Best mead making kits if you need gear.
All MyHomeWine tools.

You must be of legal drinking age to make and drink mead. Enjoy it responsibly.