CRAFT BEER LOVERS: How do you track beer calories?

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  • HopHead28
    HopHead28 Posts: 180 Member
    edited February 2015
    segacs wrote: »
    glevinso wrote: »
    You have to be a little careful with that chart as an Imperial Stout at 9% will have more calories than a Double IPA at 9%. But in general - yea calories in beer pretty much correlate directly to ABV

    Yeah, if you click on the link and read the preamble and mathematical formulas, it explains all that. The chart is a handy one if you drink a variety of different beers. It's more or less accurate to +-15% or so, but of course it's not perfect. If you drink a lot of heavy stouts or beers with high sugar content, you may want to err on the high side of this. I personally prefer pale ales, IPAs and dry, hoppy beers, so it's not much of an issue for me.

    This isn't necessarily true.
    The only thing beer is based around is sugar extraction. The way you get an imperial stout or an imperial IPA is the same... high sugar content fermenting to an alcohol content of over 7.5% ABV.
    Often times thicker bodied beers are made by steeping the grains at a higher heat. It's easy to make a heavy bodied IPA, pale ale, etc just by steeping the grains at a higher temperature. The higher temperature extracts more complex sugar chains that are not typically fermented by yeast.
    This doesn't mean that it correlates to higher calories. Either way the starting sugar content is not changing... the only thing changing is what can be fermented.

    You may be surprised to find that your IIPA is going to be on par with an Imperial Stout of similar starting and finishing gravities.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    ^ Good point. It can be counter-intuitive sometimes.

    I still think it's only ever going to be a rough estimate anyway, so I don't worry about it too much. Over time, if you drink a pretty good variety of different beers and use a rough formula like the one in the chart, it all comes out in the wash.
  • HopHead28
    HopHead28 Posts: 180 Member
    Ill agree with that. I typically try to err on the side of the higher calorie range if I use the ABV calculator.
  • amcook4
    amcook4 Posts: 561 Member
    My husband and FIL are both homebrewers, I usually just ask them what it is kind of close too, and I just guess from there. However, some of the links/suggestions above look pretty good too!
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    vfit10 wrote: »
    Too many empty Cals

    This thread isn't for you.
  • christinehuds
    christinehuds Posts: 42 Member
    glevinso wrote: »
    vfit10 wrote: »
    Too many empty Cals

    This thread isn't for you.

    There's nothing empty about beer <3
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    edited February 2015
    christinehuds wrote: »
    glevinso wrote: »
    vfit10 wrote: »
    Too many empty Cals

    This thread isn't for you.

    There's nothing empty about beer <3

    Agreed!

    Without beer I would probably waste away to nothingness. I NEED those calories!
  • williamgprice
    williamgprice Posts: 20 Member
    Terrific thread....the chart is super helpful.

    Lol at the estimates earlier on in the thread....300 calories for a pint of big stout
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    auddii wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    This is a brilliant resource for craft beer lovers. It allows you to quickly estimate the calories based on ABV:

    cal-chart.jpg

    beeroftomorrow.com/calories-in-craft-beer/

    Speaking of which, I've got a brewery tasting event scheduled for this weekend, a beer and chocolate workshop next week, and of course a bunch of festivals this spring and summer.

    Mmmm, craft beer...

    Boo, the chart doesn't go up to 18%. It would have failed me last week. I use ratebeer or pick a similar beer with a higher calorie listing. I like erring on the side of caution.

    It's a formula though - you can calculate it based on the pattern in the chart.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    And for all you beer drinkers around the globe:
    US pint = 473ml = 16oz
    Imperial pint = 568ml = 20oz

    Don't underestimate those imperial pints ... you're only cheating yourself!
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    PRMinx wrote: »
    auddii wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    This is a brilliant resource for craft beer lovers. It allows you to quickly estimate the calories based on ABV:

    cal-chart.jpg

    beeroftomorrow.com/calories-in-craft-beer/

    Speaking of which, I've got a brewery tasting event scheduled for this weekend, a beer and chocolate workshop next week, and of course a bunch of festivals this spring and summer.

    Mmmm, craft beer...

    Boo, the chart doesn't go up to 18%. It would have failed me last week. I use ratebeer or pick a similar beer with a higher calorie listing. I like erring on the side of caution.

    It's a formula though - you can calculate it based on the pattern in the chart.

    This is what I get for trying to read the thread on my phone while out for a walk... :cheers:
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    PRMinx wrote: »
    It's a formula though - you can calculate it based on the pattern in the chart.

    The really simple estimation method:
    Calories per ounce = ABV x 2.5

    You're welcome. :)
  • yolo9752
    yolo9752 Posts: 69 Member
    vfit10 wrote: »
    Too many empty Cals

    oh yes...

  • penneysfit
    penneysfit Posts: 97 Member
    I love craft beers but stick to Amstel Light -- only 95 cals and still tasty :)
  • corinic91
    corinic91 Posts: 148 Member
    getdrunknotfat.com has a pretty solid database :smile:
  • kdhith
    kdhith Posts: 43 Member
    Thanks so much for this thread! Very helpful!
  • jeneveg
    jeneveg Posts: 57 Member
    edited February 2015
    At the risk of sounding sexist I'm loving all the fellow females who have chipped in with beer suggestions. Although I don't indulge as often as I used to I still love a good porter or IPA and exercise (walk the pub) to earn the Cals in order to enjoy it.
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