Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Bottles produced
268
Production cost per bottle
$11.92
Final gallons after proofing & aging loss
53.2
Cases produced
22.4
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How to use this
- 1Enter hearts (finished spirit) collected (gal).
- 2Enter proof off the still (hearts).
- 3Enter target bottle proof.
- 4Enter barrel aging loss (angel's share), if aged (%).
- 5Enter total production cost (grain, labor, barrel, energy) ($).
- 6Read your bottles produced on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Distilling loses volume at every stage: fermentation efficiency, still cuts (heads and tails discarded, only the hearts kept), proofing down to bottle strength, and angel's share if barrel-aged. This calculator starts from mash bill cost and gallons of low wine or hearts collected, applies your proofing dilution to reach bottle proof, and computes bottles produced and cost per bottle including barrel aging loss if applicable. Distillers often plan yield off collected hearts volume alone and forget that proofing down from cask strength (often 120-140 proof) to bottle proof (usually 80-90) roughly adds 40-60% more volume through water dilution, which changes the final bottle count substantially versus assuming 1:1 hearts-to-bottle volume.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Hearts (finished spirit) collected: 40 gal
- Proof off the still (hearts): 130
- Target bottle proof: 90
- Barrel aging loss (angel's share), if aged: 8 %
- Total production cost (grain, labor, barrel, energy): 3200 $
Results
- Bottles produced: 268
- Production cost per bottle: $11.92
- Final gallons after proofing & aging loss: 53.2
- Cases produced: 22.4
What each field means
Inputs
- Hearts (finished spirit) collected (gal)
- The hearts (finished spirit) collected used in the calculation, measured in gal. Starts at 40 gal so you have a working example on load.
- Proof off the still (hearts)
- The proof off the still (hearts) used in the calculation. Starts at 130 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 80–190.
- Target bottle proof
- The target bottle proof used in the calculation. Starts at 90 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 60–150.
- Barrel aging loss (angel's share), if aged (%)
- The barrel aging loss (angel's share), if aged used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 8 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–40 %.
- Total production cost (grain, labor, barrel, energy) ($)
- The total production cost (grain, labor, barrel, energy) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 3200 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Bottles produced
- Returned as a whole number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Production cost per bottle
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Final gallons after proofing & aging loss
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cases produced
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why does proofing down increase gallons instead of just diluting?
Proofing down adds water to reduce alcohol concentration, and that added water increases total liquid volume even though the total alcohol content stays the same. Going from 130 proof to 90 proof multiplies volume by 130/90, about 1.44x, which is a meaningful yield increase that's easy to forget if you plan bottle count off hearts volume alone.
Is angel's share the same for every spirit?
No. Bourbon aged in new charred oak in a hot warehouse can lose 3-10% of volume per year, while a spirit aged in a cool, humidity-controlled space loses less. Unaged spirits like vodka, gin, and white whiskey skip this loss entirely since there's no barrel time.
What's a typical hearts cut percentage from total distillate?
Hearts commonly represent 60-80% of the total run volume off the still, with heads and tails discarded or redistilled. This calculator starts from hearts volume you've already measured, so make sure you're not including heads/tails/feints in the hearts gallons input.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Distillery Mash to Bottle Yield Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/distillery-mash-bottle-yield
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/distillery-mash-bottle-yield" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Distillery Mash to Bottle Yield Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Distillery Mash to Bottle Yield Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/distillery-mash-bottle-yield) (2026).