Beer types in Germany: that differentiates the beers

Germany is known worldwide for its quality beer. Numerous types of beer have been brewed under the German Purity Law for several hundred years. Here we present the most important types of beer.

The Pils - Germany's most popular beer

Pils is probably the most famous beer in Germany. It is characterized by its somewhat bitter taste and light color.

• Ingredients in a beer include spicy hops, light malt, soft water and bottom-fermenting yeast.
• The difference between bottom-fermenting and top-fermenting yeast is the level of the temperature used. With bottom-fermenting yeast you brew with cool temperatures, with top-fermenting yeast with higher temperatures.
• The Pilsner is made according to the Pilsner brewing method. This is characterized by its higher hop content, which gives the pilsner its bitter note.
• The name of the variety originates from this type of brewing. But only the "Pilsner Urquell" is actually brewed in Pilsen in the Czech Republic.
• The alcohol content of the pils is 4.0 to 5.2 percent.

Wheat - the darling of the south

Wheat beer, or wheat beer, is particularly popular in the south of Germany.

• The light beer has a fruity and piquant taste. It consists of wheat and barley malt and is brewed with top fermentation.
• There are several types here. Filtered it is called crystal wheat and is clearer in the liquid, the unfiltered yeast wheat is lighter. There is also a dark type of wheat beer, but this is less common.
• The alcohol content of wheat beer is between 5.0 and 5.6 percent.

The export - widespread

The light or dark beer is also brewed bottom-fermented. The name got this variety because it was exported many times.

• The bottom-fermented and strong brewing method of the export beers makes the beer longer-lasting, which in turn was important for the longer transport route from the brewery.
• This particular type of brewing makes the taste more powerful and rich in alcohol.
• The alcohol content here is usually over 5.0 percent.

The Kölsch - Cologne's favorite

This light beer is brewed top-fermented. It is a beer of origin, which means that only beers brewed in Cologne can be called Kölsch.

• The full beer is composed of barley malt and hops. Most top-fermented beers are fermented at 20 degrees, but the temperature of the Kölsch here is 14 - 16 degrees during the fermentation process.
• The beer is traditionally drunk in the typical Kölsch glass. It is slim and cylindrical and has a volume of 0.2 liters.
• The Kölsch alcohol content is 4.8 percent.

The strong beer - the spiciest beer of all

This type of beer is characterized by its particularly high original wort.

• The original wort refers to the proportion of malt and barley substances dissolved in the water before fermentation. The higher this proportion, the higher the wort and the more alcohol the beer has.
• The strong beers include the Bock beers. These were traditionally sold in winter until 1970 because they are very nutritious.
• Due to the high original wort, the alcohol content is around 6.5 percent.

Das Helle - The light beer

Like the Pils, the Helle is a bottom-fermented beer. It is very similar to this, as brewing malt also forms the basis of this beer.

• In contrast to the Pils, the light has a slightly lighter taste because it contains less hops. Instead, the taste is more on the malt.
• The beer is filtered before bottling. That is why the Helle also gets the name "blank beer". Without this filtering, it remains cloudy, which is why it is called cellar or gusset beer.
• Breweries in southern Germany produce a stronger variety in addition to the "Hellen". This is then called "Export", "Special", "Märzen" or "Festbier".
• The alcohol content here varies between 4.7 and 5.4 percent.

Do you also enjoy beer? In our next post, you will learn more about the effects of beer consumption on the immune system.