Beer Style Guidelines Hierarchy
The following list has been compiled by the Beer Judge Certification Program and is used by the American Homebrewers Association for competitive purposes.
This hierarchical list presents an overview of all the world’s beer styles (along with styles for cider and mead). Listed are all of the major beer styles and their substyles.
| Category | Style | Sub-Style | |
| 1 | Standard American Beer | ||
| 1-A | American Light Lager | ||
| 1-B | American Lager | ||
| 1-C | Cream Ale | ||
| 1-D | American Wheat Beer | ||
| 2 | International Lager | ||
| 2-A | International Pale Lager | ||
| 2-B | International Amber Lager | ||
| 2-C | International Dark Lager | ||
| 3 | Czech Lager | ||
| 3-A | Czech Pale Lager | ||
| 3-B | Czech Premium Pale Lager | ||
| 3-C | Czech Amber Lager | ||
| 3-D | Czech Dark Lager | ||
| 4 | Pale Malty European Beer | ||
| 4-A | Munich Helles | ||
| 4-B | Festbier | ||
| 4-C | Helles Bock | ||
| 5 | Pale Bitter European Beer | ||
| 5-A | German Leichtbier | ||
| 5-B | Kolsch | ||
| 5-C | German Helles Export | ||
| 5-D | German Pils | ||
| 6 | Amber Malty European Beer | ||
| 6-A | Marzen | ||
| 6-B | Rauchbier | ||
| 6-C | Dunkel Bock | ||
| 7 | Amber Bitter European Beer | ||
| 7-A | Vienna Lager | ||
| 7-B | Altbier | ||
| 8 | Dark European Lager | ||
| 8-A | Munich Dunkel | ||
| 8-B | Schwarzbier | ||
| 9 | Strong European Beer | ||
| 9-A | Doppelbock | ||
| 9-B | Eisbock | ||
| 9-C | Baltic Porter | ||
| 10 | German Wheat Beer | ||
| 10-A | Weizenbier | ||
| 10-B | Dunkel Weizen | ||
| 10-C | Weizenbock | ||
| 11 | British Beer | ||
| 11-A | Ordinary Bitter | ||
| 11-B | Best Bitter | ||
| 11-C | Strong Bitter | ||
| 12 | Pale Commonwealth Beer | ||
| 12-A | British Golden Ale | ||
| 12-B | Australian Sparkling Ale | ||
| 12-C | English IPA | ||
| 13 | British Brown Beer | ||
| 13-A | Dark Mild | ||
| 13-B | British Brown Ale | ||
| 13-C | English Porter | ||
| 14 | Scottish Ale | ||
| 14-A | Scottish Light | ||
| 14-B | Scottish Heavy | ||
| 14-C | Scottish Export | ||
| 15 | Irish Beer | ||
| 15-A | Irish Red Ale | ||
| 15-B | Irish Stout | ||
| 15-C | Irish Extra Stout | ||
| 16 | Dark British Beer | ||
| 16-A | Sweet Stout | ||
| 16-B | Oatmeal Stout | ||
| 16-C | Tropical Stout | ||
| 16-D | Foreign Extra Stout | ||
| 17 | Strong British Ale | ||
| 17-A | British Strong Ale | ||
| 17-B | Old Ale | ||
| 17-C | Wee Heavy | ||
| 17-D | English Barleywine | ||
| 18 | Pale American Ale | ||
| 18-A | Blonde Ale | ||
| 18-B | American Pale Ale | ||
| 19 | Amber and Brown American Beer | ||
| 19-A | American Amber Ale | ||
| 19-B | California Common | ||
| 19-C | American Brown Ale | ||
| 20 | American Porter and Stout | ||
| 20-A | American Porter | ||
| 20-B | American Stout | ||
| 20-C | Imperial Stout | ||
| 21 | India Pale Ale | ||
| 21-A | American IPA | ||
| 21-B | Specialty IPA | ||
| *Belgian IPA | |||
| *Black IPA | |||
| *Brown IPA | |||
| *Red IPA | |||
| *Rye IPA | |||
| *White IPA | |||
| *Brut IPA | |||
| 21-C | Hazy IPA | ||
| 22 | Strong American Ale | ||
| 22-A | Double IPA | ||
| 22-B | American Strong Ale | ||
| 22-C | American Barleywine | ||
| 22-D | Wheatwine | ||
| 23 | European Sour Ale | ||
| 23-A | Berliner Weisse | ||
| 23-B | Flanders Red Ale | ||
| 23-C | Oud Bruin | ||
| 23-D | Lambic | ||
| 23-E | Gueuze | ||
| 23-F | Fruit Lambic | ||
| 23-G | Gose | ||
| 24 | Belgian Ale | ||
| 24-A | Witbier | ||
| 24-B | Belgian Pale Ale | ||
| 24-C | Biere de Garde | ||
| 25 | Strong Belgian Ale | ||
| 25-A | Belgian Blond Ale | ||
| 25-B | Saison | ||
| 25-C | Belgian Golden Strong Ale | ||
| 26 | Monastic Ale | ||
| 26-A | Belgian Single | ||
| 26-B | Belgian Dubbel | ||
| 26-C | Belgian Tripel | ||
| 26-D | Belgian Dark Strong Ale | ||
| 27 | Historical Beer | ||
| 27 | Kellerbier | ||
| 27 | Kentucky Common | ||
| 27 | Lichtenhainer | ||
| 27 | London Brown Ale | ||
| 27 | Piwo Grodziskie | ||
| 27 | Pre-Prohibition Lager | ||
| 27 | Pre-Prohibition Porter | ||
| 27 | Roggenbier | ||
| 27 | Sahti | ||
| 28 | American Wild Ale | ||
| 28-A | Brett Beer | ||
| 28-B | Mixed-fermentation Sour Beer | ||
| 28-C | Wild Specialty Beer | ||
| 29 | Fruit Beer | ||
| 29-A | Fruit Beer | ||
| 29-B | Fruit and Spice Beer | ||
| 29-C | Specialty Fruit Beer | ||
| 29-D | Grape Ale | ||
| 30 | Spiced Beer | ||
| 30-A | Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer | ||
| 30-B | Autumn Seasonal Beer | ||
| 30-C | Winter Seasonal Beer | ||
| 30-D | Specialty Spiced Beer | ||
| 31 | Alternative Fermentables Beer | ||
| 31-A | Alternative Grain Beer | ||
| 31-B | Alternative Sugar Beer | ||
| 32 | Smoked Beer | ||
| 32-A | Classic Style Smoked Beer | ||
| 32-B | Specialty Smoked Beer | ||
| 33 | Wood Beer | ||
| 33-A | Wood-Aged Beer | ||
| 33-B | Specialty Wood-Aged Beer | ||
| 34 | Specialty Beer | ||
| 34-A | Commercial Specialty Beer | ||
| 34-B | Mixed Style Beer | ||
| 34-C | Experimental Beer | ||
| C1 | Standard Cider and Perry | ||
| C1-A | New World Cider | ||
| C1-B | English Cider | ||
| C1-C | French Cider | ||
| C1-D | New World Perry | ||
| C1-E | Traditional Perry | ||
| C2 | Specialty Cider and Perry | ||
| C2-A | New England Cider | ||
| C2-B | Cider With Other Fruit | ||
| C2-C | Apple Wine | ||
| C2-D | Ice Cider | ||
| C2-E | Cider With Herbs and Spices | ||
| C2-F | Specialty Cider and Perry | ||
| M1 | Traditional Mead | ||
| M1-A | Dry Mead | ||
| M1-B | Semi-sweet Mead | ||
| M1-C | Sweet Mead | ||
| M2 | Fruit Mead | ||
| M2-A | Cyser | ||
| M2-B | Pyment | ||
| M2-C | Berry | ||
| M2-D | Stone Fruit | ||
| M2-E | Melomel | ||
| M3 | Spice Mead | ||
| M3-A | Fruit and Spice Mead | ||
| M3-B | Spice, Herb or Vegetable Mead | ||
| M4 | Specialty Mead | ||
| M4-A | Braggot | ||
| M4-B | Historical Mead | ||
Homebrewing Abbreviation Slang
Quite a few technical (and wordy) homebrewing terms exist, so to make it easier to read homebrewing recipes and directions, terms have been abbreviated. Here’s a handy guide for homebrewing abbreviations:
| Abbreviation | What It Stands For |
| AAU | Alpha acid unit. A measurement of hop bittering potential. |
| ABV | Alcohol by volume. One of two methods of expressing alcohol content in beer. (See ABW.) |
| BJCP | Beer Judge Certification Program. National organization for official homebrew judges. |
| DDH | Double Dry Hopped; a beer that has been dry hopped twice. |
| DME | Dry malt extract. The spray-dried version of liquid malt extract. |
| DMS | Di-methyl sulfide. An off flavor and aroma reminiscent of cooked corn. |
| ESB | Extra special bitter. A medium-high gravity ale of British origin. |
| FG | Final gravity. The measurement of gravity taken at the end of fermentation that allows the brewer to compute the alcohol content of beer. (See OG.) |
| FWH | First wort hopping. The practice of introducing bittering hops to the beer during the sparging/lautering phase of the mashing procedure. |
| HBU | Homebrew bitterness unit. A unit of measurement used by homebrewers to denote the amount of bittering in beer. |
| HSA | Hot side aeration. The unintentional exposure of the still-warm wort to oxygen that can lead to problems in your brew, not the least of which is premature staling. |
| IBU | International bittering unit. An international unit of measurement used by professional brewers to denote the amount of bittering in beer. |
| IPA / DIPA | India pale ale. A highly hopped pale ale. Double IPA, a higher ABV version of IPA. |
| OG | Original gravity. The measurement of gravity taken at the beginning of fermentation that allows the brewer to compute alcohol content of beer. (See FG.) |
| pH | Percent hydrion (also potential hydrogen). A scale used to measure the acidity and alkalinity of a liquid. |
| RIS | Russian Imperial stout. High gravity stout brewed for the Russian Imperial Court. |
| SRM | Standard reference measure. A measurement of beer color. |
| TSP | Tri-sodium phosphate. An effective sudsless, powdered cleanser often used to clean brewery equipment. |
Basic Conversions for Homebrewing
In case you need the metric equivalents of basic measurements, keep this simple conversions guide close by when you’re brewing your own beer at home:
| Liquid Conversions | Mass Conversions |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon (tsp.) = 5 milliliters | 1 ounce (oz.) = 28 grams |
| 1 tablespoon (Tbsp.) = 15 milliliters | 1 pound (lb.) = 0.45 kilogram |
| 1 ounce (oz.) = 29.6 milliliters | |
| 1 cup (c.) = 237 milliliters |
Ingredients: The Building Blocks of Beer
Here it is, folks: a veritable smorgasbord of ingredient info. This includes various kinds of malts and base, adjunct, and specialty grains, and an overview of the companies that produce them.
Also listed are many different kinds of hops and what you need to know about them before you chuck them into your brewpot.
Finally, you’ll find yeast strains produced by a few of the industry’s heavy hitters, complete with descriptions and attenuation information. Dig in!
Malt: Grainy names and extract excerpts
Here’s a glimpse at the world of cereal grains used in the realm of professional brewing and widely available at the homebrew level. First up is a list of grain producers whose products are commonly used by professional brewers but may also be found at the homebrewing level.
Following that list is a type-specific list of grain. In this second list, I’ve included the various grain types, divided by their usage (base grain, specialty grain, adjunct grain) and other details such as their Lovibond ratings and whether they require mashing.
Finally, you find a semi-comprehensive list of malt extract brands that produce a wide variety of beer kits for the extract homebrewer.
You’ll notice here and elsewhere when shopping for brewing grains that many of the grain names are branded, meaning the malting companies market them by specific names. Also of note: Whenever you see a grain with the prefix cara-, it simply denotes a caramel malt (also known as crystal malt).
Producers of grains
The following list includes many of the top producers of grain for the brewing industry worldwide. These company names are widely known in the commercial brewing arena and are becoming more familiar and sought-after at the homebrewing level.
Briess: This Wisconsin-based maltster is one of the primary suppliers of brewer’s grain to the microbrewing industry, particularly in the Midwestern U.S. In addition to the wide range of malted grains that the company produces, Briess also markets a full line of liquid and dry malt extracts called CBW, or Concentrated Brewer’s Wort.
Crisp Malting: This English malthouse in County Norfolk, England, exports its distinctive Maris Otter brand of 2-row, pale, and crystal malts to North America. Maris Otter is a barley variety renowned by U.K. brewers.
Dingemans: The Dingemans family has produced an extensive range of basic ingredients for the demanding Belgian and European brewer since 1875. The result is an outstanding line of brewer’s and specialty malts used not only in Pilsen type beers but also in Trappist, Abbey, and White beers.
Durst: An authentic German malt producer located in the fatherland of beer, Durst began as a family-owned country brewery and malthouse 170 years ago. It sold its first malt exports in 1924 and has since expanded into an international supplier producing 157,000 U.S. tons of malt each year.
Gambrinus Malting: This small Canadian maltster produces some of the finest 2-row malt in the world. Gambrinus Malting also produces malts not made by other well-known maltsters, such as the almost-forgotten bruhmalt, a pale malt that imbues the beer with a honeyed aroma and flavor.
Great Western Malting: Many consider Great Western Malting’s 2-row pale malt to be the best in the U.S; many of the biggest microbrewers on the West Coast use this base grain.
Hugh Baird: Located in the U.K., the Hugh Baird Malting Company is one of the world’s best suppliers of specialty malts and authentic 2-row British Pale Ale malt.
Paul’s Malt: Paul’s Malt originated in the first half of the 19th century on the east coast of England, where its headquarters still reside today. Today, Paul’s Malt is a modern company and the U.K.’s largest maltster, producing in excess of 500,000 British tons of malt per year.
Rahr Malting: Rahr Malting Co. is a family owned company that has been in business since 1847. It produces and distributes malt and industry-related brewing supplies. Rahr’s malt production plants are located in Shakopee, Minnesota, and Alix, Alberta.
Schreier: This small maltster from Wisconsin is one of the small malting houses distributed by the American conglomerate Cargill.
Simpson’s: Established in 1866 by corn merchant James Parker Simpson, Simpson’s is still the largest totally independently family-owned malting company in the U.K. The company manufactures a wide range of quality malts, including specialty roasted malts, for the brewing, distilling, and food industries.
Weyermann: The 132-year-old malthouse housing Mich. Weyermann & Co. KG Malzfabrik is a protected historic site. But behind the red-brick turn-of-the-century building in Bamberg, Germany, lies the modernized heart of the world’s leading manufacturer of specialty brewing malts. For over a century, Mich. Weyermann has been providing specialty malts to breweries large and small on virtually every continent of the world.
The international conglomerate Con-Agra owns Canada Malting, Great Western Malting, Hugh Baird, and others, making it the world’s largest maltster. Similarly, the American malting conglomerate Cargill imports and distributes Paul’s Malt, Gambrinus, and Schreier.
Types of grains
This section provides you with details about a variety of base, specialty, and adjunct grains available to the homebrewer. Within these tables I’ve also listed Lovibond ratings and the need for mashing procedures -or not. These are by no means exhaustive listings — many more grains are available in the market. These are just meant to give you a “taste” of what’s out there.
Base grains
Base grains denote all the malted grains (barley, wheat, rye, etc.) used to make beer. Brewers must mash all base grains order to create the wort that becomes beer through the magic of fermentation. Beginner and intermediate homebrewers can simply use malt extract to create their wort.
| Grain Name/Type | Lovibond Rating | Needs to be Mashed? |
| 2-row (domestic) | 1.8 | Yes |
| 2-row lager | 1.4 | Yes |
| 6-row lager (domestic) | 1.8 | Yes |
| Pale ale malt | 2 | Yes |
| Mild ale malt | 3 | Yes |
| Pilsner malt | 1.2 | Yes |
| Dextrin malt | 1.5 | No |
| CaraVienne | 20 | Yes/no |
| CaraMunich | 55 | Yes/no |
| Vienna malt | 4 | Yes |
| Light Munich | 10 | Yes |
| Dark Munich | 20 | Yes |
| Wheat malt | 2.5 | Yes |
Specialty grains denote all the malted and unmalted grains (barley, wheat, rye, oats, etc.) you can add to the wort to give the finished beer a wide variety of colors and flavors that base grains don’t provide. Both all-grain brewers (those who mash their grains to create their wort) and extract brewers (those who create their wort from malt extract) can use specialty grains effectively.
| Grain Name/Type | Lovibond Rating | Needs to be Mashed? |
| Wheat (unmalted) | 2.5 | No |
| Crystal malts | 10–120 | No |
| Special “B” | 221 | No |
| Victory malt | 25 | Yes |
| Biscuit malt | 25 | Yes |
| Melanoidin malt | 28 | Yes |
| Special roast | 50 | Yes |
| Carafa Type 1 | 335 | No |
| Chocolate malt | 350 | No |
| Black malt | 500 | No |
| Roasted barley | 500 | No |
| Rye malt | 4 | Yes |
| Smoked malt | 30 | Yes/no |
The previous sections cover base grains, which are malted and must be mashed to make beer, and specialty grains which can be malted or unmalted and don’t require mashing to add color and flavor to beer. This section provides a list of adjunct grains, which can be malted or unmalted and can be used as either a base grain or specialty grain (and two of these “grains” are also available as syrups).
| Grain Name/Type | Lovibond Rating | Needs to be Mashed? |
| Rice | 0 | Yes |
| Corn/maize | 0 | Yes |
| Oats | 2.2 | Yes |
Malt extract brands
Following is an alphabetical list of malt-extract brand names and their countries of origin. This list is simply to help beginners become familiar with brand names so that they can make informed choices on appropriate malts for their desired beer styles. In other words, if I intended to brew a Pale Ale, I wouldn’t choose an extract brand produced in Germany. Conversely, if I wanted to brew a lager, I wouldn’t choose a kit made in the U.K.
A few American-made brands have come to dominate the American market, so some of these foreign brands are no longer available in the U.S. (but they can still be found in Europe and Australia).
| Brand Name | Country of Origin | Brand Name | Country of Origin |
| Alexander’s | U.S. | John Bull | U.K. |
| Black Rock | New Zealand | Morgan’s | Australia |
| Brewferm | Belgium | Mountmellick | Ireland |
| Coopers | Australia | Munton’s | U.K. |
| Edme | U.K. | Weyermann’s | Germany |
| Geordie | Scotland | Briess CBW | U.S. |
| Ireks | Germany |
Top Hops: Hop varieties and descriptions
The world of hops is a fairly big one — one that continues to grow every year. Because of this scope, the discussion of hop varieties can be a fairly confusing subject. This section, which you should use in conjunction with Chapter 5, is designed to help you make decisions about which hops you should use in your brews.
You typically base your primary hop-choosing decision on the alpha-acid content of the hop variety — this characteristic tells you the bittering potential of the hop variety, or how much bitterness a particular variety may add to your beer. You make a secondary decision in regards to the hops’ aromatic potential (which isn’t measured by a numerical score) and its related flavor.
In very general terms, you can say that:
- American hop varieties are piney and citrusy
- German and Eastern European hop varieties are spicy
- British hop varieties are herbal and earthy
- New Zealand hop varieties are tropical (as in tropical fruit)
Hop varieties from around the world
The table below is an alphabetical list of most of the hop varieties currently in use in the brewing industry. They are listed by their variety name, their country of origin, their alpha acid content (expressed as a percentage) and how they are best used in the brewing process — as a bittering hop, as an aroma hop, or as dual-purpose (they can be used for either bittering or aromatizing).
| Hop Name | Country | Alpha Acid % | Usage |
| Admiral | U.K. | 13.5–15.5 | Bittering |
| Ahtanum | U.S. | 5.7–6.3 | Aroma |
| Amarillo | U.S. | 8.0–11.0 | Aroma |
| Aramis | France | 7.9–8.3 | Aroma |
| Aurora | Slovenia | 7.0–8.3 | Aroma |
| Bitter Gold | U.S. | 12.0–14.5 | Dual |
| Blanc | Germany | 9.0–12.0 | Aroma |
| Bobek | Slovenia | 3.5–7.0 | Aroma |
| Bramling Cross | U.K. | 6.0–7.8 | Dual |
| Bravo | U.S. | 15.0–18.0 | Bittering |
| Brewers Gold | Germany | 5.5–8.0 | Aroma |
| Cascade | U.S. | 5.5–9.0 | Aroma |
| Celeia | Slovenia | 3.0–6.0 | Dual |
| Centennial | U.S. | 9.5–11.5 | Dual |
| Challenger | U.K. | 6.5–8.5 | Dual |
| Chelan | U.S. | 12.0–14.5 | Bittering |
| Chinook | U.S. | 12.0–14.0 | Dual |
| Citra | U.S. | 11.0–15.0 | Aroma |
| Cluster | U.S. | 5.5–8.5 | Dual |
| Columbus | U.S. | 13.0–16.0 | Bittering |
| Comet | U.S. | 8.0–10.5 | Bittering |
| Crystal | U.S. | 2.0–4.4 | Aroma |
| Dr. Rudi | New Zealand | 10.0–12.0 | Dual |
| East Kent Goldings | U.K. | 4.4–6.7 | Aroma |
| Ekuanot | U.S. | 13.0–15.5 | Aroma |
| Ella | Australia | 13.3–16.3 | Dual |
| Falconer’s Flight | U.S. | 9.5–12.0 | Aroma |
| First Gold | U.K. | 5.6–8.7 | Dual |
| Fuggle | U.K. | 3.0–5.5 | Dual |
| Galaxy | Australia | 13.6–16.0 | Dual |
| Galena | U.S. | 12.0–14.0 | Bittering |
| Glacier | U.S. | 3.3–9.7 | Dual |
| Gold | Slovenia | 3.5–6.5 | Aroma |
| Green Bullet | New Zealand | 13.0–15.0 | Bittering |
| Hallertauer Mittelfruh | Germany | 3.5–5.5 | Aroma |
| Hallertauer Tradition | Germany | 5.0–7.0 | Aroma |
| Hallertauer Taurus | Germany | 12.0–16.0 | Bittering |
| HBC 431 | U.S. | 14.0–16.0 | Dual |
| HBC 472 | U.S. | 9.0–11.0 | Aroma |
| HBC 682 | U.S. | 18.0–21.0 | Bittering |
| Helga | Australia | 5.4–7.3 | Dual |
| Herald | U.K. | 11.0–13.0 | Dual |
| Herkules | Germany | 12.0–17.0 | Bittering |
| Hersbrucker | Germany | 3.0–5.5 | Aroma |
| Horizon | U.S. | 10.2–16.5 | Dual |
| Huell Melon | Germany | 6.9–7.5 | Aroma |
| Kohatu | New Zealand | 6.0–7.0 | Dual |
| Liberty | U.S. | 3.0–5.0 | Aroma |
| Loral | U.S. | 11.3–12.2 | Dual |
| Lublin / Lubelski | Poland | 3.0–5.0 | Aroma |
| Magnum | Germany | 12.0–14.0 | Bittering |
| Mandarina Bavaria | Germany | 7.0–10.0 | Aroma |
| Marynka | Czech Republic | 9.0–12.0 | Dual |
| Merkur | Germany | 12.0–14.0 | Bittering |
| Millenium | U.S. | 15.5–18.5 | Bittering |
| Mosaic | U.S. | 10.5–14.0 | Aroma |
| Motueka | New Zealand | 6.5–7.5 | Aroma |
| Mount Hood | U.S. | 5.0–8.0 | Aroma |
| Mount Rainier | U.S. | 5.0–7.0 | Dual |
| Nelson Sauvin | New Zealand | 12.0–14.0 | Dual |
| Newport | U.S. | 13.5–17.0 | Bittering |
| Northdown | U.K. | 6.8–9.5 | Dual |
| Northern Brewer | U.S. | 7.0–10.0 | Dual |
| Nugget | Germany | 11.5–14.0 | Bittering |
| Opal | Australia | 13.0–14.0 | Dual |
| Orion | Germany | 6.0–8.5 | Dual |
| Outeniqua | South Africa | 12.0–13.5 | Dual |
| Pacifica | New Zealand | 5.0–6.0 | Aroma |
| Pacific Gem | New Zealand | 14.0–17.0 | Bittering |
| Pacific Jade | New Zealand | 12.0–14.0 | Dual |
| Pacific Sunrise | New Zealand | 12.5–14.5 | Bittering |
| Palisade | U.S. | 6.5–10.0 | Aroma |
| Perle | Germany | 5.0–7.5 | Dual |
| Phoenix | U.K. | 12.0–15.0 | Dual |
| Pilgrim | U.K. | 10.0–13.0 | Dual |
| Pioneer | U.K. | 8.0–10.0 | Dual |
| Polaris | Germany | 18.0–23.0 | Dual |
| Premiant | Czech Republic | 7.0–10.0 | Dual |
| Pride of Ringwood | Australia | 9.0–12.0 | Dual |
| Progress | U.K. | 6.0–7.5 | Dual |
| Rakau | New Zealand | 10.0–11.0 | Dual |
| Riwaka | New Zealand | 4.5–6.5 | Aroma |
| Saaz | Czech Republic | 3.0 -4.5 | Aroma |
| Santiam | U.S. | 5.0–7.0 | Aroma |
| Saphir | Germany | 2.0–4.0 | Aroma |
| Select | Germany | 3.0–6.5 | Aroma |
| Simcoe | U.S. | 12.0–14.0 | Dual |
| Smaragd | Germany | 4.0–6.0 | Dual |
| Sorachi Ace | U.S. | 11.5–14.5 | Dual |
| Southern Brewer | South Africa | 9.0–10.5 | Dual |
| Southern Cross | New Zealand | 12.0–14.6 | Dual |
| Southern Promise | South Africa | 9.5–11.5 | Dual |
| Southern Star | South Africa | 12.0–15.5 | Bittering |
| Sovereign | U.K. | 4.5–6.5 | Dual |
| Spalter | Germany | 3.5–5.5 | Aroma |
| Status | U.S. | 12.5–14.0 | Dual |
| Sterling | U.S. | 6.0–9.0 | Dual |
| Sticklebract | New Zealand | 13.0–14.5 | Dual |
| Strisselspalt | France | 3.0 -5.0 | Aroma |
| Syrian Golding | Slovenia | 4.5- 6.0 | Aroma |
| Summer | Australia | 5.6–6.4 | Aroma |
| Summit | U.S. | 15.0–17.0 | Bittering |
| Sun | U.S. | 12.0–16.0 | Bittering |
| Super Alpha | New Zealand | 12.5–15.0 | Dual |
| Super Pride | Australia | 14.0–15.0 | Dual |
| Super Styrian (Aurora) | Slovenia | 7.5–8.8 | Dual |
| Sussex | U.K. | 4.3–5.8 | Aroma |
| Sylva | Australia | 5.6–7.3 | Aroma |
| Tahoma | U.S. | 6.0–7.5 | Aroma |
| Target | U.K. | 9.5–12.5 | Bittering |
| Tettnanger | Germany | 3.5–5.5 | Aroma |
| Tomahawk | U.S. | 15.0 -17.5 | Bittering |
| Tradition | Germany | 4.0–7.0 | Aroma |
| Triplepearl | U.S. | 10.3- 11.2 | Aroma |
| Triskel | France | 8.0–9.0 | Aroma |
| Ultra | U.S. | 2.0–3.5 | Aroma |
| Vanguard | U.S. | 4.0–5.0 | Aroma |
| Victoria | Australia | 14.0–15.0 | Bittering |
| Wai-iti | New Zealand | 2.5–3.5 | Aroma |
| Waimea | New Zealand | 16.0–19.0 | Dual |
| Wakatu | New Zealand | 6.5–8.5 | Dual |
| Warrior | U.S. | 15.0–17.0 | Bittering |
| Whitbread Golding | U.K. | 5.4–7.7 | Aroma |
| WGV | U.K. | 5.4–7.7 | Dual |
| Willamette | U.S. | 4.0–6.0 | Dual |
| Zeus | U.S. | 12.0–18.0 | Bittering |
| Zythos | U.S. | 10.0–12.5 | Aroma |
Yeast: dry and liquid
This section lists most of the liquid-yeast strains available from three major liquid-yeast suppliers to the homebrewing industry; I’ve identified their products not only by the brand name but also by a beer-style-specific identifying code number. I’ve also included many other well-known freeze-dried-yeast suppliers. Note that these are not exhaustive lists; consult the websites of these suppliers for additional information.
You also find a beer style table designed to help you choose an appropriate liquid-yeast strain to produce any beer style you have in mind. In this table, I identify the recommended yeast strains by their code numbers.
Note that I also include a few mead and cider yeasts in some of these lists for your convenience.
This section shows yeast selections from three major liquid yeast suppliers, but these are by no means all of your options. There are other smaller yeast suppliers out there for you to consider, including Fermentum, Imperial Organic Yeast, RVA Yeast Labs, Giga Yeast, and several others . . .
Some liquid-yeast-culture suppliers list the rate of attenuation of the yeast. This rate refers to the percentage of sugar that you can expect a particular strain to eat during fermentation. (I’ve listed these rates of attenuation wherever the information was available.) What this rate of attenuation means to you as a brewer is that you can choose a yeast strain according to how dry or sweet you like your beers.
This table gives you the most popular dry yeast brands arranged according to ale, lager, and Belgian beer styles:
| Dry Ale Yeast | Dry Lager Yeast | Dry Belgian Yeast |
| Cooper’s | Brewferm Blanche | |
| Doric | Safbrew T-58 | |
| Edme | Brewferm Lager | SafAle BE-134 Belgian Saison Dry Yeast |
| Lallemand Nottingham | Lallemand Munich | Mangrove Jack Belgian Wit M21 |
| Mangrove Jack’s | Saflager S-189 | |
| Munton’s | Saflager S-23 | |
| Safale S-04, US-05 | ||
| Safbrew S-33 | ||
| Whitbread | ||
| Windsor | ||
| Omega Lutra Kveik |
You can use these dry yeasts for fermenting both Cider and Mead:
- Epernay Cotes des Blanc
- Lalvin K1-V1116
- Lalvin 71B-1122
- Lalvin ICV-D47
- Red Star Montrachet
- Red Star Pasteur Champagne
- Red Star Premier Cuvee
Liquid top-fermenting yeast (ales)
The yeast culture descriptions in the table below were supplied by the yeast producer Wyeast Laboratories, https://wyeastlab.com/ (P.O. Box 146, Odell, OR 97044; 541-354-1335).
Liquid Ale Yeast from Wyeast Labs
| Name of Yeast | Product Code | Apparent Attenuation |
| German ale | 1007 | 73 to 77% |
| London ale | 1028 | 73 to 77% |
| American ale | 1056 | 73 to 77% |
| Irish ale | 1084 | 71 to 75% |
| British ale | 1098 | 73 to 77% |
| American II | 1272 | 72 to 76% |
| Thames Valley | 1275 | 72 to 76% |
| British II | 1335 | 73 to 76% |
| London III | 1318 | 71 to 75% |
| Scottish | 1728 | 69 to 73% |
| European | 1338 | 67 to 71% |
| Bavarian Wheat | 3056 | 73 to 77% |
| Whitbread ale | 1099 | 68 to 72% |
| Ringwood ale | 1187 | 68 to 72% |
| Northwest ale | 1332 | 67 to 71% |
Liquid bottom-fermenting yeast (lagers)
The yeast culture descriptions in the following table were supplied by the yeast producer Wyeast Laboratories, https://wyeastlab.com/ (P.O. Box 146, Odell, OR 97044; 541-354-1335).
Liquid Lager Yeast from Wyeast Labs
| Name of Yeast | Product Code | Apparent Attenuation |
| Pilsen | 2007 | 71 to 75% |
| American | 2035 | 73 to 77% |
| Danish | 2042 | 73 to 77% |
| California | 2112 | 67 to 71% |
| Bohemian | 2124 | 73 to 77% |
| Bavarian | 2206 | 73 to 77% |
| Danish II | 2247 | 73 to 77% |
| North American | 2272 | 70 to 76% |
| Czech Pils | 2278 | 70 to 74% |
| Munich | 2308 | 73 to 77% |
| Budvar | 2000 | 71 to 75% |
| Urquell | 2001 | 72 to 76% |
Advanced liquid yeast (ales)
The yeast culture descriptions in the table below were supplied by the yeast producer Wyeast Laboratories, https://wyeastlab.com/ (P.O. Box 146, Odell, OR 97044; 541-354-1335).
The list describes yeast cultures Wyeast considers advanced because the production of these beer styles is generally more difficult or involved than those styles listed previously.
Advanced Liquid Ale Yeast from Wyeast Labs
| Name of Yeast | Product Code | Apparent Attenuation |
| Belgian Abbey | 1214 | 72 to 76% |
| Belgian Strong ale | 1388 | 73 to 77% |
| Belgian Abbey II | 1762 | 73 to 77% |
| Special London | 1968 | 67 to 71% |
| Kolsch | 2565 | 73 to 77% |
| Weihenstephan Wheat | 3068 | 73 to 77% |
| Belgian Lambic Blend | 3278 | 65 to 75% |
| German Wheat | 3333 | 70 to 76% |
| Belgian Trappist | 3787 | 75 to 80% |
| Belgian Wheat | 3942 | 72 to 76% |
| Belgian Witbier | 3944 | 72 to 76% |
| Forbidden Fruit | 3463 | 73 to 77% |
| Belgian Ardennes | 3522 | 73 to 77% |
| Belgian Saison | 3274 | 76 to 80% |
Liquid top-fermenting yeast (ales)
The yeast culture descriptions in the table below were supplied by the yeast producer White Labs, https://www.whitelabs.com/ (5564 Trade St., San Diego, CA 92121; 858-693-3441).
Liquid Ale Yeast from White Labs
| Name of Yeast | Product Code | Apparent Attenuation |
| California ale | WLP001 | 73 to 80% |
| English ale | WLP002 | 63 to 70% |
| Irish ale | WLP004 | 69 to 74% |
| British ale | WLP005 | 67 to 74% |
| Dry English ale | WLP007 | 70 to 80% |
| East Coast ale | WLP008 | 70 to 75% |
| European ale | WLP011 | 65 to 70% |
| London ale | WLP013 | 67 to 75% |
| Burton ale | WLP023 | 69 to 75% |
| Edinburgh Scottish ale | WLP028 | 70 to 75% |
| German ale / Kolsch | WLP029 | 70 to 78% |
| Pacific ale | WLP041 | 65 to 70% |
| California ale V | WLP051 | 70 to 75% |
| American ale blend | WLP060 | 72 to 80% |
| Cream ale blend | WLP080 | 75 to 80% |
| Super High Gravity Ale | WLP099 | 80+% |
Specialty/Belgian yeast
The yeast culture descriptions in Table 11 were supplied by the yeast producer White Labs, https://www.whitelabs.com/ (5564 Trade St., San Diego, CA 92121; 858-693-3441).
Specialty Liquid Yeast from White Labs
| Name of Yeast | Product Code | Apparent Attenuation |
| Hefeweizen ale | WLP300 | 72–76% |
| American Hefeweizen ale | WLP320 | 70–75% |
| Hefeweizen IV | WLP380 | 73–80% |
| Belgian Wit | WLP400 | 74–78% |
| Trappist ale | WLP500 | 75–80% |
| Abbey ale | WLP530 | 75–80% |
| Belgian ale | WLP550 | 78–85% |
| Belgian Saison | WLP565 | 65–75% |
| Belgian Style Saison Ale Blend | WLP568 | 75–80% |
| Belgian Golden ale | WLP-570 | 73–78% |
| Belgian Style Ale Yeast Blend | WLP575 | 74–80% |
Bottom-fermenting yeast (lagers)
The yeast culture descriptions in the following table were supplied by the yeast producer White Labs, https://www.whitelabs.com/ (5564 Trade St., San Diego, CA 92121; 858-693-3441).
Liquid Lager Yeast from White Labs
| Name of Yeast | Product Code | Apparent Attenuation |
| Pilsner lager | WLP800 | 72–77% |
| Czech Budejovice Lager | WLP802 | 75–80% |
| San Francisco lager | WLP810 | 65–70% |
| Oktoberfest/Marzen lager | WLP820 | 65–73% |
| German lager | WLP830 | 74–79% |
| German Bock lager | WLP833 | 70 -76% |
| Southern German lager | WLP838 | 68 -76% |
| American lager | WLP840 | 75–80% |
| Mexican lager | WLP940 | 70–78% |
Liquid top-fermenting yeast (ales)
The yeast culture descriptions in the following table were supplied by the yeast producer Omega Yeast Labs, https://omegayeast.com/ (4720 W Pensacola Ave. Chicago, IL 60641, 773.657.3438)
Liquid Ale Yeast from Omega Yeast
| Name of Yeast | Product Code | Apparent Attenuation |
| Bananza ale | OYL-400 | 73–77% |
| British ale I | OYL-006 | 70–80% |
| British ale V | OYL-011 | 71–75% |
| British ale VIII | OYL-016 | 76–71% |
| Cosmic Punch ale | OYL-402 | 71–75% |
| DIPA ale | OYL-052 | 72–80% |
| Gulo ale | OYL-501 | 85–90% |
| Hefeweizen ale I | OYL-021 | 73–77% |
| Irish ale | OYL-005 | 69–75% |
| Kolsch II | OYL-044 | 72–78% |
| Scottish ale | OYL-015 | 73–76% |
| Sundew ale | OYL-401 | 72–85% |
| Tropical IPA | OYL-200 | 82–90% |
| West Coast ale | OYL-004 | 73–80% |
| Belgian ale A | OYL-024 | 72–85% |
| Belgian ale W | OYL-028 | 74–78% |
| Belgian Saison II | OYL-042 | 74–79% |
| French Saison | OYL-026 | 80–90% |
| Jovaru Lithuanian Farmhouse | OYL-033 | 80–85% |
| Saisonstein | OYL-500 | 80–90% |
| Wit | OYL-030 | 72–76% |
| Espe Kveik | OYL-090 | 75–82% |
| Hornindal Kveik | OYL-091 | 75–82% |
| Hothead Kveik | OYL-057 | 75–82% |
| Lutra Kveik | OYL-071 | 75–82% |
| Voss Kveik | OYL-061 | 75–82% |
| Dried Lutra Kveik | OYL-071DRY | 75–82% |
Bottom-fermenting yeast (lagers)
The yeast culture descriptions in the table below were supplied by the yeast producer Omega Yeast Labs, https://omegayeast.com/ (4720 W Pensacola Ave. Chicago, IL 60641, 773.657.3438)
Liquid Lager Yeast from Omega yeast
| Name of Yeast | Product Code | Apparent Attenuation |
| Bayern lager | OYL-114 | 72–76% |
| German Bock | OYL-111 | 70–76% |
| German lager I | OYL-106 | 73–77% |
| Mexican lager | OYL-113 | 70–78% |
| Oktoberfest | OYL-107 | 73–77% |
| Pilsner I | OYL-101 | 72–76% |
Bretts, bacterias, and blends
The yeast culture descriptions in the table below were supplied by the yeast producer Omega Yeast Labs, https://omegayeast.com/ (4720 W Pensacola Ave. Chicago, IL 60641, 773.657.3438)
Liquid Wild Yeast and Bacteria from Omega Yeast
| Name of Yeast | Product Code | Apparent Attenuation |
| All the Bretts | OYL-218 | 85+% |
| Brett Clausenii | OYL-201 | 85+% |
| Brett Blend #1 Where da Funk? | OYL-210 | 78–88% |
| Brett Blend #2 Bit o’ Funk | OYL-211 | 85+% |
| Brett Blend #3 Bring on da Funk | OYL-212 | 85% |
| C2C American Farmhouse | OYL-217 | 70–85% |
| Lacto | OYL-605 | n/a |
Suggested strains for specific beer styles
The following tables give you popular beer styles and the Wyeast, White Labs, and Omega Yeast code numbers for the yeasts appropriate to each style.
Ales
| Beer Style | Wyeast Code Numbers | White Labs Code Numbers | OmegaYeast Code Numbers |
| English-style Pale Ale/Bitters | 1028, 1968, 1099 | 002, 005, 013 | 006, 016 |
| American-style Pale Ale | 1056, 1028, 1338 | 001, 008, 041 | 004, 052, 501, |
| Brown Ale/Mild | 1028, 1338, 1984 | 002, 005, 007 | 006, 011, 016 |
| Scottish Ale | 1728, 1056, 1084 | 023, 028 | 015, 016 |
| Scottish Strong (Scotch) Ale | 1728, 1056, 1187 | 002, 028 | 005, 015 |
| English Strong Ale | 1968, 1028, 1098 | 002, 005, 028 | 005, 015 |
| Porter | 1084, 1028, 1056 | 002, 005, 013 | 005, 016 |
| Dry Stout | 1084, 1007, 1028 | 004, 005, 007 | 005, 006 |
| Sweet Stout | 1968, 1338, 1056 | 004, 013, 028 | 006, 016 |
| Imperial Stout | 1084, 1056, 1728 | 004, 013, 099 | 016, 052 |
| Barley Wine | 1728, 1084, 1056 | 013, 099 | 016, 052 |
| Altbier | 1007, 1338, 1056 | 029, 080, 820 | 005, 044 |
| Kölschbier | 2565, 1007, 1338 | 029, 080 | 017, 044 |
| Belgian Ale (Dubbel, Tripel, Abbey) | 1214, 3944, 3522 | 530, 550, 575 | 024, 028 |
Lagers
| Beer Style | Wyeast Code Numbers | White Labs Code Numbers | Omega Yeast Code Numbers |
| Bohemian-style Pilsener | 2000, 2007, 2001 | 800, 802 | 101, 107 |
| German-style Pilsener | 2007, 2000, 2001 | 800, 802, 830 | 101, 106 |
| American-style Pilsener | 2035, 2007, 2278 | 810, 840, 940 | 106, 113 |
| Münchner-style Helles (Pale Lager) | 2308, 2206, 2124 | 820, 830, 838 | 111, 114 |
| Dortmunder/European-style Export | 2206, 2308, 2035 | 820, 830, 838 | 107, 114 |
| Märzen/Oktoberfest/Vienna | 2206, 2278, 2308 | 820, 833, 838 | 107, 111, 114 |
| Munich Dunkel (Dark Lager) | 2206, 2308, 2035 | 820, 830, 838 | 111, 114 |
| Bock/Doppelbock | 2124, 2278, 2007 | 820, 833, 838 | 107, 114 |
| California Common (Steam Beer) | 2112, 1332 | 001, 051, 810 | 106, 114 |
Wheat Beers
| Beer Style | Wyeast Code Numbers | White Labs Code Numbers | Omega Yeast Code Numbers |
| American Wheat | 1007, 1056 | 320, 380 | 052, 401 |
| Bavarian Weizenbier | 3068, 3056 | 300, 380, 550 | 021, 024 |
| Belgian Witbier | 3944, 3463 | 400, 550 | 024, 030 |
Mead and cider yeast
All the following yeast culture descriptions were supplied by the yeast producer.
Wyeast #4766 Cider: Crisp and dry fermenting yeast with big, fruity finish. Creates a nice balance for all types of apples, pears, and other fruits. Allows fruit character to dominate the profile.
Wyeast #4184 Sweet Mead: Leaves 2 to 3 percent residual sugar in most Meads. Rich, fruity profile complements fruit Mead fermentation. Use additional nutrients for Mead making.
White Labs WLP715 Champagne Yeast: Classic yeast, used to produce champagne, Cider, dry Meads, dry wines, or to fully attenuate Barley Wines/strong Ales. Neutral.
White Labs WLP720 Sweet Mead/Wine Yeast: A wine yeast strain that’s less attenuate than WLP715, leaving some residual sweetness. Slightly fruity and will tolerate alcohol concentrations up to 15 percent. A good choice for sweet mead and cider, as well as blush wines, Gewürztraminer, Sauternes, and Riesling.
White Labs WLP775 English Cider Yeast: Classic cider yeast. Ferments dry, but retains fruit flavor. Produces sulfur during fermentation, but this will disappear in first two weeks of aging. Can also be used for wine and high-gravity beers.
White Labs WLP773 Scottish Cider Yeast Blend: This is a blend of two ale strains and one wine strain. Unlike a lot of ale strains that typically dry out most ciders, this unique blend of Saccharomyces strains will leave some residual sweetness for a smooth mouthfeel. This strain is perfect for those looking for a still cider with some lingering apple characteristic or a dryer sparkling cider.
Fermentis SafCider AS-2: This is a good cider yeast for a fresh aromatic profile (apple, citrus) with nice elaborated fruit notes (applesauce) bringing a good overall complexity. For sweet and dry ciders, even under difficult fermentation conditions. Ideal for producing ciders with nice cooked fruit notes and a sweet and round mouthfeel.
Fermentis SafCider AC-4: This is the best cider yeast for an intensely fresh aromatic profile (apple, floral) with a crisp mouthfeel enhancing cider structure. Fast fermenter that maintains acidity. Ideal for producing intensely fresh aromatic ciders (apple, floral) with a crisp mouthfeel.