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Generated on: July 20, 2026 at 09:33 PM

Baumé, Brix & Specific Gravity Converter

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Baumé, Brix & Specific Gravity Converter

Convert between Brix, Baumé (heavy) and specific gravity for sugar solutions, wine must and brewing worts. Enter one scale and read the other two from the standard hydrometry relations.

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\begin{aligned} SG &= 1 + \frac{Bx}{258.6 - \frac{Bx}{258.2}\cdot 227.1} \\ &= 1 + \frac{20}{258.6 - \frac{20}{258.2}\cdot 227.1} \\ &= ? \end{aligned}
\begin{aligned} {}^\circ B\acute{e} &= 145 - \frac{145}{SG} = ? \end{aligned}

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Baumé, Brix and Specific Gravity

Brix, Baumé and specific gravity are three ways of reporting the same thing: how much dissolved solid — usually sugar — a liquid contains, measured through its density. A refractometer reads Brix, a hydrometer reads specific gravity or degrees Baumé, and winemakers, brewers, syrup makers and picklers each tend to favour one scale. This converter takes a reading on any one scale and returns the other two, using the standard sucrose hydrometry relations.

The three scales

Brix (°Bx) states sugar content by weight: 1 °Bx is 1 gram of sucrose per 100 grams of solution. A grape must at 22 °Bx is about 22 % sugar. It is the everyday scale in food and beverage work and is what a refractometer displays.

Specific gravity (SG) is the density of the liquid divided by the density of water at a reference temperature. Pure water is 1.000; dissolved sugar raises it. Brewers track fermentation with SG because the drop from original to final gravity tells them how much sugar the yeast consumed.

Baumé (°Bé) is an older hydrometer scale defined directly from specific gravity. For liquids denser than water — the heavy scale — degrees Baumé are:

∘Beˊ=145−145SG{}^\circ\text{Bé} = 145 - \frac{145}{\text{SG}}

Baumé remains standard in winemaking, where it roughly predicts potential alcohol, and in traditional brewing, confectionery and pickling recipes.

Converting between the scales

Specific gravity is the natural pivot. The empirical relation between Brix and specific gravity for a pure sucrose solution is:

SG=1+Bx258.6−Bx258.2×227.1\text{SG} = 1 + \frac{\text{Bx}}{258.6 - \dfrac{\text{Bx}}{258.2}\times 227.1}

Solving that expression for Brix gives the exact inverse, used when specific gravity or Baumé is the known scale:

Bx=258.6 (SG−1)1+227.1258.2 (SG−1)\text{Bx} = \frac{258.6\,(\text{SG} - 1)}{1 + \dfrac{227.1}{258.2}\,(\text{SG} - 1)}

The heavy Baumé relation inverts just as cleanly:

SG=145145−∘Beˊ\text{SG} = \frac{145}{145 - {}^\circ\text{Bé}}

So whichever scale you measure, the converter first finds specific gravity, then reads the remaining scales off it.

Reference values

BrixSpecific gravityBaumé (heavy)
0 °Bx1.0000.00 °Bé
10 °Bx1.0405.58 °Bé
20 °Bx1.08311.11 °Bé
25 °Bx1.10613.86 °Bé
30 °Bx1.12916.59 °Bé

A handy field rule for grape must is that Baumé is close to half the Brix figure, and the Baumé number is roughly the potential alcohol in percent by volume.

Worked example

A winemaker crushes grapes and reads 24 °Bx on a refractometer. Converting to specific gravity:

SG=1+24258.6−24258.2×227.1=1+24237.49≈1.1011\begin{aligned} \text{SG} &= 1 + \frac{24}{258.6 - \frac{24}{258.2}\times 227.1} \\ &= 1 + \frac{24}{237.49} \\ &\approx 1.1011 \end{aligned}

and to Baumé:

∘Beˊ=145−1451.1011≈13.31{}^\circ\text{Bé} = 145 - \frac{145}{1.1011} \approx 13.31

A Baumé near 13 signals a must that could ferment to roughly 13 % alcohol — a useful check before fermentation begins.

A note on accuracy

The Brix ↔ specific-gravity relation is an empirical fit for pure sucrose and is accurate to a few thousandths of a gravity point over the normal 0–40 °Bx range. Real juices, worts and musts also contain acids, salts and suspended solids, so a refractometer and a hydrometer will not agree perfectly on the same sample. The Baumé figures use the heavy modulus of 145; some tables use 144.3 or 145.88, shifting the reading by a few hundredths of a degree. Treat the three scales as consistent estimates rather than laboratory-grade values.

To convert density between kilograms per cubic metre, pounds per gallon and other units, use the Density Converter. For recipe volumes, see the Volume Converter and the Cooking Measurement Converter.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the difference between Brix and Baumé?

Brix (°Bx) states the sugar content directly: 1 °Bx is 1 gram of sucrose per 100 grams of solution, so a 22 °Bx grape must is about 22 % sugar by weight. Baumé (°Bé) is an older hydrometer scale built around specific gravity rather than sugar percentage; on the heavy scale, °Bé = 145 − 145 / SG.

Both are read with a floating hydrometer, and both track the same underlying density. As a rough field rule for grape must, Baumé is close to half the Brix value and roughly predicts the potential alcohol in percent. Brix is the common scale in table-sugar, soft-drink and food work, while Baumé remains standard in winemaking and in traditional brewing and pickling.

How accurate are these conversions?

The Brix ↔ specific-gravity relation used here, SG = 1 + Bx / (258.6 − (Bx / 258.2) × 227.1), is an empirical fit for pure sucrose solutions. It is accurate to a few thousandths of a gravity point across the normal 0–40 °Bx range, which is more than enough for winemaking, brewing and syrup work.

Real juices, worts and musts contain acids, salts and non-sugar solids, so a refractometer (Brix) and a hydrometer (specific gravity) will not agree perfectly on the same sample. The Baumé figures use the heavy modulus of 145; some references use 144.3 or 145.88, which shifts the reading by a few hundredths of a degree. Treat all three scales as consistent estimates rather than laboratory-exact values.

Which scale should I use?

Use specific gravity when you are tracking fermentation with a hydrometer — original and final gravity give you the attenuation and the alcohol produced. Use Brix when you care about sugar content directly, for example checking fruit ripeness, syrup strength or soft-drink concentration, usually with a refractometer.

Baumé is convenient at the crush pad and in traditional recipes: a winemaker aiming for a given potential alcohol can target a Baumé number, and many pickling and confectionery recipes are written in degrees Baumé. Because all three describe the same solution, you can measure on whichever instrument you own and convert to the scale your recipe expects.

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