A beer style guide is the starting point for any homebrewing project. Each entry shows target OG (original gravity), FG (final gravity), ABV range, IBU bitterness, and SRM color — the core parameters you need to formulate or evaluate any recipe.
| Style | OG | FG | ABV | IBU | SRM | Color |
|---|
How to Use the Beer Style Recipe Guide
This beer style reference covers the most common styles from the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) guidelines, presented for easy homebrewing reference. Use it to check recipe targets or identify what commercial beer you are trying to replicate.
Step 1: Search by style name
Type any partial name to find matching styles. "pale" matches both "American Pale Ale" and "English Pale Ale." Use the category dropdown to filter by lager, ale, IPA, stout, or other groupings.
Step 2: Read the parameters
OG (original gravity) determines how much alcohol potential you have. FG (final gravity) is what remains after fermentation — the difference between OG and FG determines actual ABV. IBU measures bitterness. SRM is the color scale where 3 is pale yellow, 14 is deep amber, and 40+ is near black.
Step 3: Use as brewing targets
When formulating a recipe, stay within the style's OG, FG, IBU, and SRM ranges if you want to brew "to style." For competition entries, staying within the BJCP parameters is essential. For personal brewing, treat these as starting guidelines and adjust to taste.
FAQ
What does OG mean in beer?
OG stands for Original Gravity — the density of wort (unfermented beer) before fermentation begins. A higher OG means more fermentable sugar and more potential alcohol. OG is measured on the specific gravity scale where water = 1.000. A typical lager has OG around 1.048-1.056.
What is IBU in beer?
IBU stands for International Bitterness Units — a scale measuring the bitterness from hops. Low IBU (5-15) is virtually no bitterness (wheat beers, light lagers). Medium (20-40) is balanced (pale ales, amber ales). High IBU (50-100+) is intensely bitter (IPAs, double IPAs). Perceived bitterness also depends on malt sweetness.
Is this beer style guide free?
Yes, completely free. No signup, no account. Works entirely in your browser.
What is SRM in beer?
SRM stands for Standard Reference Method — the color scale for beer. SRM 1-2 is pale yellow (light lager). SRM 8-12 is golden amber (pale ale). SRM 20-30 is brown (brown ale, porter). SRM 40+ is near-black (stout). SRM is measured by light absorption at 430nm wavelength.
What beer has the highest ABV?
Some extreme styles like barleywines (8-15% ABV), imperial stouts (8-12%), and double IPAs (7.5-10%) are at the high end of traditional styles. Some specialty brews using freeze distillation can reach 20-40%+ ABV. Most common beers range 4-7% ABV.