🎨 Beer Color Calculator
Calculate SRM/EBC color from your grain bill
Use this calculator to predict your beer's color based on the grains in your recipe. Uses the Morey equation for accurate color estimation across the full range of beer styles.
Final volume into fermenter
Grain Bill
📚 Understanding Beer Color
Beer color is measured using the Standard Reference Method (SRM) in the US or European Brewery Convention (EBC) scale internationally. The Morey equation provides accurate color predictions: SRM = 1.4922 × (MCU^0.6859)
Color Scale Reference:
2-4 SRM Pale Straw - Light lagers, wheat beers, pilsners
5-8 SRM Straw to Gold - Pale ales, blonde ales, kölsch
9-12 SRM Gold to Amber - Amber ales, Oktoberfest, bock
13-18 SRM Deep Amber to Copper - ESB, brown ales, doppelbock
19-24 SRM Copper to Brown - Brown ales, robust porters
25-35 SRM Brown to Dark Brown - Porters, stouts
36+ SRM Very Dark Brown to Black - Imperial stouts, schwarzbier
Common Grain Lovibond Values:
Base Malts (1-4°L):
- Pilsner Malt: 1.5-2°L
- Pale Ale Malt: 2.5-3.5°L
- Vienna Malt: 3-4°L
- Munich Malt: 8-10°L
Crystal/Caramel Malts (10-120°L):
- Carapils/Dextrine: 1.5-3°L
- Crystal 20: 17-23°L
- Crystal 60: 55-65°L
- Crystal 120: 115-125°L
Roasted Malts (200-500°L):
- Chocolate Malt: 300-400°L
- Roasted Barley: 300-500°L
- Black Patent: 500-600°L
- Carafa Special: 300-600°L
Tips for Color Prediction:
- The Morey equation is most accurate for beers between 2-50 SRM
- Very dark grains (>300°L) contribute less color than predicted due to saturation
- Boil intensity and time can darken wort slightly
- Water chemistry (pH) affects color extraction from grain
- Long, vigorous boils may add 1-2 SRM to final color
- Use EBC = SRM × 1.97 for conversion (approximate)
MCU Calculation:
Malt Color Units (MCU) is the intermediate calculation:
MCU = (Grain Weight × Lovibond) ÷ Batch Volume
The Morey equation then converts MCU to SRM for better accuracy across the color spectrum.