Pale lager

German Pils

BJCP 5D

Drier and more bitter than its Bohemian parent, with a harder water profile and a spicy, floral German hop character. The bitterness should be clean and linger without becoming coarse.

Vital statistics

Each bar is drawn against the full range of all 98 styles

Original gravity

1.044 - 1.050

Final gravity

1.008 - 1.013

Bitterness

22 IBU - 40 IBU

Colour

2 SRM - 4 SRM

Alcohol

4.4% - 5.2%

Colour also 4-8 EBC

What goes wrong

Harsh bitterness from too much sulphate or a long, hot boil with high-alpha hops. Firm is the target, astringent is the failure.

Commercial examples

Jever PilsenerKönig PilsenerPaulaner PilsBierstadt Slow-Pour PilsRothaus PilsTrumer Pils

Reference examples of the style, as listed in the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines. Availability varies by market and year.

Vital statistics as published in the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines. Checked against the published guidelines.

Brew it

A recipe on this site brewed to this style

Every figure below is computed from the ingredients and checked against the ranges above before the page is built.

Advanced

German Pils

OG 1.048 · 4.9% · 37 IBU

The rest of the pale lager family

American Light Lager

2.8-4.2% · 8-12 IBU

American Lager

4.2-5.3% · 8-18 IBU

Cream Ale

4.2-5.6% · 8-20 IBU

International Pale Lager

4.6-6% · 18-25 IBU

Czech Pale Lager

3-4.1% · 20-35 IBU

Czech Premium Pale Lager

4.2-5.8% · 30-45 IBU

Munich Helles

4.7-5.4% · 16-22 IBU

Festbier

5.8-6.3% · 18-25 IBU

German Leichtbier

2.4-3.6% · 15-28 IBU

Kolsch

4.4-5.2% · 18-30 IBU

German Helles Exportbier

4.8-6% · 20-30 IBU

Plan a batch to these numbers.

Bitterness Colour Alcohol