Style: German Pils

All Styles

Style Profile based on 795 recipes

BU:GU

0.67

Hops

5.4 g/L

Mash pH

5.51

Dry hop

0.1 g/L

Style Guidelines BJCP 2015 Beer
OG
1.044 1.05
1.05
FG
1.008 1.013
1.011
IBU
22 40
33
ABV
4.4% 5.2%
5.1%
SRM
2 5
Description

A light-bodied, highly-attenuated, gold-colored, bottom-fermented bitter German beer showing excellent head retention and an elegant, floral hop aroma. Crisp, clean, and refreshing, a German Pils showcases the finest quality German malt and hops. History: Adapted from Czech Pilsner to suit brewing conditions in Germany, particularly water with higher mineral content and domestic hop varieties. First brewed in Germany in the early 1870s. Became more popular after WWII as German brewing schools emphasized modern techniques. Along with its sister beer, Czech Pilsner, is the ancestor of the most widely produced beer styles today. Average IBUs of many well-regarded commercial examples have dropped over time. Style Comparison: Lighter in body and color, drier, crisper, and more fully attenuated, with more of a lingering bitterness, and with higher carbonation than a Czech Premium Pale Lager. More hop character, malt flavor, and bitterness than International Pale Lagers. More hop character and bitterness with a drier, crisper finish than a Munich Helles; the Helles has more malt flavor, but of the same character as the Pils.

Examples: König Pilsener, Left Hand Polestar Pils, Paulaner Premium Pils, Schönramer Pils, Stoudt Pils, Tröegs Sunshine Pils, Trumer Pils

Typical Grain Bill

% of total grain weight across all recipes · sums to ~100%

Common Additions

% of German Pils recipes using each malt category (addition % in brackets)

Hop Usage by Addition Type

g/L · median with IQR range

Bittering
0.49 g/L 1.5 g/L
0.87 g/L
Flavour
0.4 g/L 1.37 g/L
0.81 g/L
Aroma
0.51 g/L 1.71 g/L
1.07 g/L
Whirlpool
0.43 g/L 1.5 g/L
0.86 g/L
Dry Hop
0.54 g/L 2.56 g/L
0.94 g/L

Common Hops

% of German Pils recipes using each hop

Typical Water Profile

Ca²⁺ 59 ppm
Mg²⁺ 5 ppm
Na⁺ 10 ppm
Cl⁻ 50 ppm
SO₄²⁻ 63 ppm
HCO₃⁻ 25 ppm

median across recipes with a declared water profile

Similar Styles

Ranked by similarity across OG, IBU, ABV, hop rate, and grist composition.