Style: Munich Helles
All StylesStyle Profile based on 958 recipes
BU:GU
0.38
Hops
3.2 g/L
Mash pH
5.51
Description
A clean, malty, gold-colored German lager with a smooth grainy-sweet malty flavor and a soft, dry finish. Subtle spicy, floral, or herbal hops and restrained bitterness help keep the balance malty but not sweet, which helps make this beer a refreshing, everyday drink. History: Created in Munich in 1894 at the Spaten brewery to compete with pale Pilsner-type beers. Currently the most popular style in Southern Germany. Style Comparison: Similar in malt balance and bitterness to Munich Dunkel, but less malty-sweet in nature and pale rather than dark. More body and malt presence than a German Pils, with less hop character throughout. Similar malt profile as a German Exportbier, but with less hops in the balance.
Examples: Augustiner Lagerbier Hell, Bürgerbräu Wolznacher Hell Naturtrüb, Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Gold, Löwenbraü Original, Paulaner Premium Lager, Spaten Premium Lager, Weihenstephaner Original
- 80% Pilsner (88%)
- 66% Toast (11%)
- 42% Pale (11%)
- 36% Crystal (5%)
% of Munich Helles recipes using each malt category (addition % in brackets)
g/L · median with IQR range
- 31% Hallertau Mittelfrüh
- 13% Saaz (CZ)
- 11% Tettnanger
- 8% Hallertauer Hersbrucker
- 8% Magnum (GR)
- 6% Hallertau Taurus
- 6% Perle (GR)
- 4% Hallertau Tradition
- 4% Hallertau (US)
- 3% Tettnang (US)
% of Munich Helles recipes using each hop
g/L · median with IQR range
dated Munich Helles recipes with at least one dry-hop addition
- 15% German - Pilsner
- 10% Pilsner (2 Row) Ger
- 9% Munich Malt
- 7% German - Acidulated Malt
- 7% German - Vienna
- 6% Melanoiden Malt
- 6% Weyermann - Pilsner
- 6% German - Melanoidin
- 5% Pilsner (Weyermann)
- 5% German - Bohemian Pilsner
Colour = malt category · bar = % of recipes
- 24% Saflager Lager (W-34/70) Fermentis
- 6% Munich Lager (2308) Wyeast Labs
- 5% German Lager Yeast (WLP830) White Labs
- 4% Southern German Lager Yeast (WLP838) White Labs
- 3% LalBrew Diamond Lager Lallemand
- 3% Harvest (L17) Imperial Yeast
- 2% Lutra Kveik (OYL-071) Omega
- 2% Bavarian Lager (2206) Wyeast Labs
- 2% German Bock Lager Yeast (WLP833) White Labs
- 2% Bavarian Lager (M76) Mangrove Jack's
% of Munich Helles recipes using each strain
- 60% Single Infusion
- 25% Step Mash
- 15% Decoction
231 recipes with mash data
- 50 ppm Ca²⁺
- 5 ppm Mg²⁺
- 10 ppm Na⁺
- 75 ppm Cl⁻
- 52 ppm SO₄²⁻
- 29 ppm HCO₃⁻
median across recipes with a declared water profile
Similar Styles
Ranked by similarity across OG, IBU, ABV, hop rate, and grist composition.