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Beer color calculator (SRM, Morey)

List each grain or extract with its weight and color in °Lovibond. The calculator works out malt color units, converts them to SRM with Morey's equation and fills the glass with an approximate color.

Five tulip taster glasses alternating amber and black beers on a board
Photo: Nehrams2020, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Units
Grain bill
Beer color—
MCU—
EBC (≈ SRM × 1.97)—
Runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.

How it’s calculated

  1. MCU = Σ (grain lb × °Lovibond) / gallons
  2. SRM = 1.4922 × MCU^0.6859 (Morey)
  3. EBC ≈ SRM × 1.97

Assumptions

  • Volume is the finished batch in the fermenter.
  • Morey is an estimate; very dark beers and extract colors vary.

Worked example: 10 lb of 2°L malt + 1 lb of 60°L crystal in 5 gal → MCU 16 → about 10 SRM (20 EBC).

Sources: Brewfather docs: recipe calculations (Morey); Brewer's Friend: SRM calculator

For guidance only: verify with your own readings, your equipment’s manual and the product labels.

Color ranges by style

Beer styles by the numbers (BJCP 2021 vital statistics)

StyleOGFGIBUColor (SRM)ABV
1B American Lager1.040–1.0501.004–1.0108–182–3.54.2–5.3%
5D German Pils1.044–1.0501.008–1.01322–402–44.4–5.2%
18B American Pale Ale1.045–1.0601.010–1.01530–505–104.5–6.2%
19A American Amber Ale1.045–1.0601.010–1.01525–4010–174.5–6.2%
20A American Porter1.050–1.0701.012–1.01825–5022–404.8–6.5%
15B Irish Stout1.036–1.0441.007–1.01125–4525–403.8–5.0%

Source: BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines. Ranges are for judging; your recipe can sit anywhere inside them. Color swatches are an on-screen approximation.

Questions

What is the difference between SRM and EBC?
Both measure color; EBC is roughly SRM × 1.97.
Why does my beer look darker than the estimate?
Extract darkens during long boils, and the glass, light and depth change how color looks. Morey is an estimate.

Sources

  1. Brewfather docs: calculations