Style: Vienna Lager

All Styles

Style Profile based on 825 recipes

BU:GU

0.45

Hops

3.6 g/L

Mash pH

5.51

Style Guidelines BJCP 2015 Beer
OG
1.048 1.055
1.052
FG
1.01 1.014
1.012
IBU
18 30
24
ABV
4.7% 5.5%
5.3%
SRM
9 15
Description

A moderate-strength amber lager with a soft, smooth maltiness and moderate bitterness, yet finishing relatively dry. The malt flavor is clean, bready-rich, and somewhat toasty, with an elegant impression derived from quality base malts and process, not specialty malts and adjuncts. History: Developed by Anton Dreher in Vienna in 1841, became popular in the mid-late 1800s. Now nearly extinct in its area of origin, the style continues in Mexico where it was brought by Santiago Graf and other Austrian immigrant brewers in the late 1800s. Authentic examples are increasingly hard to find (except perhaps in the craft beer industry) as formerly good examples become sweeter and use more adjuncts. Style Comparison: Lighter malt character, slightly less body, and slightly more bitter in the balance than a Märzen, yet with many of the same malt-derived flavors. The malt character is similar to a Märzen, but less intense and more balanced. Lower in alcohol than Märzen or Festbier. Less rich, less malty and less hop-centered compared to Czech Amber Lager.

Examples: Cuauhtémoc Noche Buena, Chuckanut Vienna Lager, Devils Backbone Vienna Lager, Figueroa Mountain Danish-style Red Lager, Heavy Seas Cutlass Amber Lager, Schell’s Firebrick

Typical Grain Bill

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

Common Additions

% of Vienna Lager recipes using each malt category (addition % in brackets)

Hop Usage by Addition Type

g/L · median with IQR range

Bittering
0.37 g/L 1.37 g/L
0.69 g/L
Flavour
0.32 g/L 1.37 g/L
0.75 g/L
Aroma
0.31 g/L 1.37 g/L
0.69 g/L
Whirlpool
0.33 g/L 1.03 g/L
0.69 g/L

Common Hops

% of Vienna Lager recipes using each hop

Typical Water Profile

Ca²⁺ 60 ppm
Mg²⁺ 6 ppm
Na⁺ 10 ppm
Cl⁻ 70 ppm
SO₄²⁻ 55 ppm
HCO₃⁻ 50 ppm

median across recipes with a declared water profile

Similar Styles

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