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Sugar Syrup Calculator

Calculate how much sugar and water to mix for any desired syrup concentration.

Common ratios:

Practical Recipes

Quick presets sized for 5-gallon buckets and common sugar bags (4 lb, 10 lb, 25 lb)

By Weight

Amount of sugar to add, then top off with water to 5.0 gal

AmountsEnd GoalGranulated Sugar77% Syrup
Sugar25.83 lbs25.83 lbs33.54 lbs
Water25.83 lbs25.83 lbs18.11 lbs
Total51.66 lbs51.66 lbs51.66 lbs

By Volume

Amount of sugar to add, then top off with water to 5.0 gal

AmountsGranulated Sugar77% Syrup
Sugar25.83 lbs2.89 gal
Water3.10 gal2.11 gal
Total5.00 gal5.00 gal

How to Use

  1. Enter the number of gallons of syrup you want to make.
  2. Choose your desired sugar concentration (or pick a common ratio).
  3. Measure out the amount of sugar (granulated or 77% commercial syrup) shown in the results.
  4. Add the sugar to your container, then top off with water to the desired number of gallons.

Common Syrup Ratios

  • 1:1 (50%) — Light syrup for spring feeding to stimulate brood rearing
  • 5:3 (63%) — Medium syrup, a good all-purpose feed
  • 2:1 (67%) — Heavy syrup for fall feeding to build winter stores

Assumptions

  • 1 gal water = 8.3454 lbs; 1 lb water = 0.1198 gal
  • 1 gal 77% sugar syrup contains 8.93 lbs sugar
  • Sugar syrups weigh 8.3454 × e(0.427 × % sugar), based on a best-fit curve regression to the Beet-Sugar Handbook data

Calculator based on the sugar syrup mixing spreadsheet by ScientificBeekeeping.com