Brix Calculator – Brix, Specific Gravity, Baumé and Oechsle
Enter a refractometer or hydrometer reading on any scale to see it on all the others, plus the sugar content per liter.
Calculated on your device
Works from 0.0 to 40.0 on this scale.
Your reading on every scale
- Brix (°Bx)
- 12.0
- Specific gravity (SG)
- 1.0484
- Plato (°P)
- 12.0
- Baumé (°Bé)
- 6.7
- Oechsle (°Oe)
- 48.4
- Sugar per liter (g/L)
- 126
Results are a guide. Check them against your procedures and product labels before you rely on them.
How to use the Brix calculator
- 1Choose the scale your instrument shows. Most refractometers show Brix; most hydrometers show specific gravity.
- 2Type your reading.
- 3Read the same value on every other scale, and the amount of sugar per liter.
What Brix measures
One degree Brix (°Bx) is 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution, so a juice at 12 °Bx is about 12% dissolved solids by weight. In fruit juices those solids are mostly sugars, but acids, minerals and other dissolved substances count too. That makes Brix a close estimate of the sugar content rather than an exact measurement.
Refractometers work out Brix from how much the liquid bends light. Hydrometers measure specific gravity, the liquid's density compared with water. Brewers use degrees Plato, which are practically the same as Brix, and winemakers in some countries use Baumé or Oechsle. This calculator uses the formula fitted to the official sucrose tables, with specific gravity at 20 °C, Baumé on the standard modulus-145 scale and Oechsle as (SG − 1) × 1000.
The formulas cover 0 to 40 °Bx, which includes fruit, juices, grape must and beer wort. Syrups, honey and jams are stronger than that. Liquids that contain alcohol, such as fermenting wine or beer, don't convert correctly, because alcohol changes both the density and the refractometer reading.
What you type stays private
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Frequently asked questions
How do I convert Brix to specific gravity?
There's no simple ratio, so it takes a formula like the one this calculator uses. For a rough estimate in your head, SG ≈ 1 + Brix ÷ 250, so 12 °Bx is about 1.048.
What's the difference between Brix and Plato?
Both measure sugar as a percentage by weight, based on slightly different measurements of sugar solutions. They differ by less than 0.001 degrees, so for all practical purposes 1 °Plato equals 1 °Brix.
How much sugar per liter is 12 °Bx?
About 126 grams. A liquid at 12 °Bx has 12 g of dissolved solids in every 100 g, and a liter of it weighs about 1,046 g.
Can I use it for wine or beer after fermentation starts?
Not directly. Alcohol changes the density and the refractometer reading, so readings taken during or after fermentation need a correction based on the starting gravity.
Is what I type sent anywhere?
No. The calculation happens in your web browser, on your own device. Nothing you enter is sent to us or anyone else.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no limit on how often you use it.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. It works in any modern browser on Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, Mac and Linux.