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Sugar Wash Recipe Calculator (Sugar, Water, SG & Expected ABV)

Build a sugar wash for a target volume and alcohol: kilograms of sugar, water, starting specific gravity and Brix, yeast and nutrient amounts, fermentation time by temperature, expected final ABV and litres of pure alcohol — plus the volume of 40% spirit it would make after distillation and the cost per litre.

Wash volume (total, after mixing)

Target wash ABV

Sugar

Yeast

Fermentation temperature

Sugar price per kg

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How it works

ethanol L = volume × ABV · sugar kg ≈ ethanol L × 0.789 ÷ 0.48 (practical yield ≈ 0.48 g ethanol per g sucrose; theoretical 0.538) ÷ fermentability · °Bx = sugar ÷ (sugar + water) × 100 · SG ≈ 1 + 0.0040 °Bx + 0.000012 °Bx² · 40% spirit ≈ ethanol × 0.85 ÷ 0.40

A sugar wash is the simplest fermentation there is: sugar, water, yeast and the nutrients sugar lacks, fermented dry and then distilled into a neutral spirit or a rum-style one if molasses supplies the flavour. The arithmetic runs backwards from the alcohol wanted — each kilogram of sucrose yields a little under half its weight in ethanol in practice, because yeast spends some sugar on growth and glycerol — and the same sugar sets the starting gravity a hydrometer will read. The ceiling is the yeast's alcohol tolerance: pushing a wash past it leaves unfermented sugar, a stuck ferment and off-flavours, while hot ferments make a harsher spirit than the patient, cool kind.

Worked example

A 25 L wash at 12% ABV needs about 4.93 kg of white sugar in 21.9 L of water, reading roughly 1.078 SG (18.4 °Bx) — well within a distillers yeast's range, with about 20 g of yeast and 25 g of nutrient. At 24 °C it ferments dry in about 6 days, holding 3.0 L of pure ethanol — around 6.4 L of 40% spirit after a pot-still run, for under $6 of sugar.

Frequently asked questions

Why not just add more sugar for more alcohol?

Above the yeast's tolerance the ferment stalls and the leftover sugar is wasted (and can scorch in the boiler). High-gravity washes also stress yeast into producing fusels. 12–14% is the sweet spot for flavour; turbo yeasts reach 18–20% at a quality cost.

Do I need yeast nutrient?

For plain sugar, yes — sugar has no nitrogen, and without it the ferment is slow, sulphury and prone to stalling. DAP at about 1 g/L, or a proprietary nutrient, or tomato paste in the old recipes; molasses and fruit washes bring some of their own.

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Educational figures for fermentation, distillation and maturation. Distilling spirits without a licence is illegal in many countries (including the United States for beverage alcohol) and involves flammable vapour — check your local law, and never run a still indoors without ventilation or unattended. Yields vary with equipment, yeast and technique.