What is degrees Plato?

Degrees Plato (°P or °Plato) measures the weight percentage of dissolved sugars in wort. A 12 °P wort contains 12 grams of sugar per 100 grams of solution. It is the preferred scale in commercial and European brewing.

How does Plato differ from Brix?

For practical brewing purposes, Plato and Brix are essentially identical at low concentrations. Both measure sucrose equivalents by weight percent. Minor differences appear above 10° due to calibration standards; most homebrewers treat them as interchangeable.

Which formula does this tool use?

The Plato→SG formula is: SG = 1 + (P / (258.6 − (P / 258.2 × 227.1))). The SG→Plato reverse uses the quadratic approximation: P = (−463.37) + (668.72 × SG) − (205.35 × SG²). Both match standard brewing tables to within ±0.001 SG across typical ranges.

What are gravity points?

Gravity points are the digits after the decimal in an SG reading, multiplied by 1000. SG 1.052 = 52 points. Points are useful for scaling recipes: multiply points by volume to get point-gallons, then redistribute across a new batch size.

Can I use this for wine or mead?

Yes. The formulas work across the full winemaking range (SG 1.000–1.130 / 0–30 °P). Just be aware that potential ABV estimates assume complete fermentation to 1.000 SG, which rarely happens in practice.

Why do some sources give slightly different SG values?

Several polynomial approximations exist with slightly different coefficients. This tool uses the most common homebrew standard (from "How to Brew" by Palmer), accurate to ±0.001 SG for the 0–30 °P brewing range.

Plato to Gravity Converter

Enter degrees Plato or specific gravity to instantly convert between the two brewing scales.

Convert Brewing Gravity

Degrees Plato (°P)

Typical beer range: 6–20 °P; mead/wine up to 30 °P

Quick Presets

Results

Enter a value and click Convert.

Common °Plato / SG Reference Table

°Plato	SG	Gravity Points	Potential ABV	Typical Style

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Summary

Degrees Plato (°P) and specific gravity (SG) both measure dissolved sugar in wort, but different brewing traditions favor each scale. Commercial breweries typically use Plato; homebrewers and American recipes often use SG. This converter translates between the two instantly using the standard polynomial formula, and also shows gravity points for quick recipe scaling.

How it works

Select the conversion direction: Plato → SG or SG → Plato.
Enter your value — °Plato is typically 0–30 for beer; SG ranges from 1.000 to 1.130.
The tool applies the standard formula: SG = 1 + (Plato / (258.6 − (Plato / 258.2 × 227.1))).
The reverse (SG → Plato) uses: Plato = (−463.37) + (668.72 × SG) − (205.35 × SG²).
Results show the converted value, gravity points, and potential ABV.
Use quick presets for common beer styles to explore typical ranges.

Use cases

Convert a commercial recipe written in Plato to SG for a homebrew hydrometer.
Enter an SG reading and get the Plato equivalent for a brewery management system.
Scale a recipe by checking gravity points when adjusting batch size.
Compare original and final gravity readings expressed in different scales.
Verify a wort gravity target when brewing from an international recipe.
Cross-reference Plato values on imported malt spec sheets with SG targets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-15 · Reviewed by Nham Vu