Charts
SRM and EBC Beer Colour Chart
A 5 gallon batch built from 9 lb of 3 degree Lovibond malt and 1 lb of 120 degree Lovibond malt works out to an MCU of 29.4, which the Morey equation converts to an SRM of about 15.2, roughly 29.9 EBC.
SRM and EBC measure the same color on two different scales, and EBC is simply SRM multiplied by 1.97.
The formula behind every beer colour number
Beer colour on the SRM scale is not read off a color wheel by eye, it is calculated from the grain bill using a standard two step formula. The first step finds MCU, malt colour units, by multiplying the weight in pounds of each grain by its colour rating in degrees Lovibond, summing across every grain in the bill, and dividing by the batch volume in gallons. The second step, known as the Morey equation, converts MCU into SRM using SRM equals 1.4922 multiplied by MCU raised to the power of 0.6859. This is a published, standard equation, not a house convention, and it is what sits behind the beer colour calculator on this site.
EBC, the scale used across most of Europe, is a straightforward conversion from SRM rather than a separate calculation: EBC equals SRM multiplied by 1.97. Because the conversion is linear, any SRM value has exactly one corresponding EBC value, and a table of one can always generate a table of the other without needing new data.
The Morey equation was fit to real, pale to moderately dark beers, and it starts to lose meaning at the very dark end of the scale, roughly above SRM 50. Past that point the equation keeps producing larger numbers, but the human eye cannot actually distinguish additional darkness, the beer simply reads as black. Treat any SRM figure above roughly 50 as a mathematical extrapolation rather than a meaningful description of appearance.
A worked example, step by step
Take a 5 gallon batch built from 9 lb of base malt rated at 3 degrees Lovibond and 1 lb of a specialty malt rated at 120 degrees Lovibond. The MCU calculation multiplies each grain weight by its Lovibond rating, adds the results, and divides by batch volume: 9 times 3 is 27, 1 times 120 is 120, the two sums to 147, and 147 divided by 5 gallons gives an MCU of 29.4.
Running that MCU of 29.4 through the Morey equation, SRM equals 1.4922 times 29.4 raised to the 0.6859 power, gives an SRM of approximately 15.2. Multiplying that SRM by the 1.97 EBC conversion factor gives an EBC of approximately 29.9. That single grain bill therefore lands the beer in the amber range on the SRM appearance scale described below, driven almost entirely by that one pound of dark specialty malt even though it is a small fraction of the total grain weight.
This example is a good illustration of why small amounts of very dark malt move colour more than large amounts of pale malt. The specialty pound contributed 120 MCU points to the total of 147, well over three quarters of the colour, despite being one tenth of the grain bill by weight. Recipe formulation for colour is dominated by the darkest ingredient in the bill, not by the largest one.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| MCU from base malt | 9 lb x 3L | 27 |
| MCU from specialty malt | 1 lb x 120L | 120 |
| Total MCU | (27 + 120) / 5 gal | 29.4 |
| SRM (Morey equation) | 1.4922 x 29.4^0.6859 | 15.2 |
| EBC | 15.2 x 1.97 | 29.9 |
MCU to SRM, calculated across a range
The table below runs a spread of round MCU values through the same Morey equation used above, so you can see how the curve behaves without doing the exponent by hand. Notice that SRM rises more slowly than MCU as the numbers get larger, which is the whole point of using a power law rather than a straight multiplication: colour perception itself does not scale linearly with pigment concentration, and the Morey equation was fit to match how a beer actually looks rather than how much colourant is technically present.
| MCU | SRM (1.4922 x MCU^0.6859) |
|---|---|
| 5 | 4.5 |
| 10 | 7.2 |
| 20 | 11.6 |
| 29.4 | 15.2 |
| 40 | 18.8 |
| 60 | 24.8 |
| 80 | 30.1 |
| 100 | 35.1 |
| 150 | 46.4 |
SRM to EBC conversion
Because EBC is SRM multiplied by a fixed constant, the conversion table needs no separate formula, only the same 1.97 multiplier applied across a range of SRM values a home brewer is likely to encounter, from pale lagers through black stouts.
| SRM | EBC |
|---|---|
| 2 | 3.9 |
| 4 | 7.9 |
| 6 | 11.8 |
| 8 | 15.8 |
| 10 | 19.7 |
| 15 | 29.6 |
| 20 | 39.4 |
| 30 | 59.1 |
| 40 | 78.8 |
Building a grain bill around a target colour
The Morey equation can be worked in reverse to plan a grain bill, not just to check one after the fact. Since SRM equals 1.4922 times MCU to the 0.6859 power, solving for MCU given a target SRM means raising the ratio of target SRM to 1.4922 to the power of 1 divided by 0.6859. Once a target MCU is known, and the base malt weight and Lovibond rating are already fixed by the rest of the recipe, the remaining MCU needed from a specialty grain addition can be divided by that grain's own Lovibond rating to find the weight of specialty malt needed to hit the target. This is the same standard formula used throughout this page, simply solved for a different variable.
In practice this reverse calculation is most useful for choosing between two or three candidate specialty grains rather than for chasing a single decimal point of SRM precision. Real grain bills are also shaped by flavour, not colour alone, and two malts with a similar Lovibond rating can taste completely different, one contributing a light toffee note and another contributing a sharp roast character. Colour planning should narrow the field of reasonable choices, and flavour judgment should make the final pick between them.
It is also worth remembering that the calculated SRM describes the grain bill's theoretical colour contribution, not a guaranteed final reading in the glass. Boil intensity, boil length, and any caramelization that happens during a long or vigorous boil can push a finished beer visibly darker than the grain bill math alone predicts, since browning reactions in the kettle add colour that the MCU calculation, which is based only on the malt going into the mash, does not account for. A recipe aimed at the pale end of an amber range should leave a little room for this kind of drift rather than targeting the very bottom of the band.
What an SRM number actually looks like in the glass
Turning a number into an expectation of appearance is useful, but it is descriptive rather than a hard boundary. Real beers cluster loosely around these bands rather than sitting on exact lines, and factors like haze, carbonation, and glassware all affect how a given SRM value reads to the eye. Use this as a rough translation, not a specification a beer must match.
| SRM range | Typical appearance | Example style territory |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 3 | Very pale straw | Light lager, pilsner |
| 4 to 6 | Gold | Blonde ale, pale lager |
| 7 to 9 | Deep gold to light amber | Pale ale, cream ale |
| 10 to 14 | Amber to light copper | Amber ale, IPA |
| 15 to 17 | Copper to light brown | Irish red, ESB |
| 18 to 24 | Brown | Brown ale, dunkel |
| 25 to 39 | Dark brown | Porter, dark bock |
| 40 and above | Very dark to black | Stout, black lager, beyond which Morey loses precision |
Everything else worth considering
Brewer's Best American Cream Ale Ingredient Kit
Complete malt, hop and yeast kit for a five gallon batch, with no recipe design required.
Brewer's Best Imperial Blonde Ale Ingredient Kit
Higher gravity blonde ale kit, which needs a larger yeast pitch than a standard strength beer.
Brewer's Best American Amber Ingredient Kit
Five gallon amber ale ingredient kit.
ABC Crafted Series Irish Red Ale Kit
Canned extract kit yielding roughly forty pints.
Northern Brewer Nut Brown All Grain Kit (5 gal)
All grain nut brown ale kit, a forgiving recipe for a first all grain batch.
Brewer's Best Mexican Cerveza Ingredient Kit
Five gallon light lager style ingredient kit.
Brewer's Elite Hydrometer and Test Jar
Triple scale hydrometer with a plastic test jar. Stable gravity on this instrument is the only real proof fermentation has finished.
Digital Pocket Scale 200 g x 0.01 g
Hundredth of a gram resolution, which is the precision hop additions and water salts actually need.
Related on BrewGearCalc
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between SRM and EBC?
- They measure the same underlying colour using two different scales that grew up in different brewing traditions, SRM mainly in the United States and EBC across most of Europe. They are directly related by a fixed conversion, EBC equals SRM multiplied by 1.97, so any SRM figure can be converted to EBC with simple multiplication. Neither scale is more accurate than the other, they are just different units describing the same measurement.
- Why did adding just one pound of dark malt change my beer colour so much?
- Colour contribution is the product of weight and Lovibond rating, not weight alone, so a small amount of very dark malt can contribute more MCU than a large amount of pale malt. In the worked example on this page, one pound of 120L malt contributed 120 MCU points while nine pounds of 3L base malt contributed only 27. Dark specialty grains are colour concentrated, which is exactly why they are added in small amounts.
- Can I use the Morey equation to predict the colour of a very dark stout?
- You can run the numbers, but treat the result with caution above roughly SRM 50. The Morey equation was fit against real beers across a range that does not extend meaningfully into the darkest stouts, and beyond that point additional MCU keeps producing larger SRM numbers on paper without the beer actually looking any darker to the eye, since it already reads as black.
- Does boil time or mash temperature change the SRM value calculated from my grain bill?
- The MCU and Morey equation calculation is based purely on grain weight and Lovibond rating, so it does not account for process variables like boil length, caramelization, or mash temperature, all of which can shift a finished beer slightly darker than the calculated figure. Treat the calculated SRM as a solid planning estimate for recipe design rather than a guaranteed lab measured result.
- Is a higher Lovibond rating always better for adding colour without changing flavour?
- No. Lovibond rating describes colour contribution, not flavour, and different malts at similar Lovibond ratings can taste very different depending on how they were kilned or roasted. A malt chosen purely to hit a colour target without considering its flavour profile can push a beer toward unwanted roast, caramel, or astringent notes even if the SRM number comes out exactly as planned.
- How do I calculate SRM for a partial mash or extract batch that uses steeped grains?
- The same MCU and Morey equation calculation applies, using the weight and Lovibond rating of whatever specialty grains are steeped, plus any colour contribution stated for the extract itself if the manufacturer publishes one. Liquid and dry extracts vary in base colour, so check the packaging or manufacturer specification for that figure rather than assuming a value.
Researched from published brewing formulas, manufacturer specifications and verified owner reviews. This is general guidance, not professional advice.