# EBC / SRM calculations for grains into beers



## Bribie G (12/2/15)

I've been trying to work this out but my head hurts.

As we know, EBC / SRM for different beer styles is well established.
This sort of thing that we are all familiar with. No problems.





Then there's the EBC of various grains, which AG brewers are also familiar with.




When doing a brew with, in my case, BrewMate, it does the calculations for me. So if I use five kilos of a base malt and 300g of a crystal for a 23L brew then it calculates using the EBCs listed in the Brewmate table (that can be edited), and quantity of the grains, then tells me I should end up with a beer of a certain EBC.

*Question is, what is actually meant by EBC of grains and how is it calculated into a final beer colour?*

Colour resulting from 100g mashed in one litre? a pound mashed in a US Gallon? A peck of grain mashed in a cubic rood of water at dawn?

I'd like to include some kits in my BrewMate fermentables table when using for example a Coopers Stout kit in a stout partial.

I have a list of EBC and SRM for Coopers original series kits and wondering what values to write in.


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## Kumamoto_Ken (12/2/15)

A bit of info here Bribie, Beersmith

"A first iteration at estimating beer color involved simply calculating the Malt Color Units (MCUs) of a recipe.
MCU = (Weight of grain in lbs) * (Color of grain in degrees lovibond) / (volume in gallons)"

SRM = 1.4922 * MCU0.6859

EBC = 1.97 * SRM


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## Bribie G (12/2/15)

Thanks, I'll need to find my scientific calculator


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## elcarter (12/2/15)

Beersmith always ends up indicating lighter than the actual result. 

I now go to the higher of the ebc/srm range indicated by the grain malter and expect it to be a little darker on the first attempt. Then you can adjust to your result as you've said.

I wonder if your can may have the same issue?

All so worth noting I did a old extract can years back that was well past it's used by date. Pale ale can if I remember, the color was a dark molasses. this was 2 yrs out of date. Not sure if 6 months would make it turn enough to notice.


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## ianh (13/2/15)

Bribie G said:


> Thanks, I'll need to find my scientific calculator


Thought that was called a computer these days.

EBC = 1.97*(1.4922*((wt grain in gms*2.2*grain ebc/1.97)/Ferm vol Litres/3.79))^0.6859


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