Beer Style OG/FG/IBU/ABV Ranges
When designing a recipe, you need to know the target ranges for your chosen beer style. This table covers the most popular styles brewed by UK homebrewers with their original gravity (OG), final gravity (FG), bitterness (IBU), colour (SRM) and alcohol (ABV) ranges. Use it to check your recipe hits the style targets.
Style Guidelines
| Style | OG | FG | IBU | SRM | ABV (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Bitter | 1.030–1.039 | 1.007–1.011 | 25–35 | 8–14 | 3.2–3.8 |
| Best Bitter | 1.040–1.048 | 1.008–1.012 | 25–40 | 8–16 | 3.8–4.6 |
| English IPA | 1.050–1.075 | 1.010–1.018 | 40–60 | 6–14 | 5.0–7.5 |
| American IPA | 1.056–1.070 | 1.008–1.014 | 40–70 | 6–14 | 5.5–7.5 |
| New England IPA | 1.060–1.085 | 1.010–1.020 | 25–60 | 3–7 | 6.0–9.0 |
| Pale Ale | 1.040–1.054 | 1.007–1.012 | 30–50 | 5–10 | 3.8–5.5 |
| Porter | 1.040–1.052 | 1.008–1.014 | 18–35 | 20–30 | 4.0–5.4 |
| Stout (dry) | 1.036–1.050 | 1.007–1.011 | 25–45 | 25–40 | 4.0–5.0 |
| Imperial Stout | 1.075–1.115 | 1.018–1.030 | 50–90 | 30–40+ | 8.0–12.0 |
| Brown Ale | 1.040–1.052 | 1.008–1.013 | 20–30 | 12–22 | 4.2–5.4 |
| Mild | 1.030–1.038 | 1.008–1.013 | 10–25 | 14–25 | 3.0–3.8 |
| Golden Ale | 1.038–1.053 | 1.006–1.012 | 20–45 | 2–6 | 3.8–5.0 |
| German Pilsner | 1.044–1.050 | 1.008–1.013 | 25–45 | 2–5 | 4.4–5.2 |
| Lager (Munich Helles) | 1.044–1.048 | 1.006–1.012 | 16–22 | 3–5 | 4.7–5.4 |
| Wheat Beer (Hefeweizen) | 1.044–1.052 | 1.010–1.014 | 8–15 | 2–6 | 4.3–5.6 |
| Belgian Witbier | 1.044–1.052 | 1.008–1.012 | 8–20 | 2–4 | 4.5–5.5 |
| Belgian Dubbel | 1.062–1.075 | 1.008–1.018 | 15–25 | 10–17 | 6.0–7.6 |
| Belgian Tripel | 1.075–1.085 | 1.008–1.014 | 20–40 | 4–7 | 7.5–9.5 |
| Saison | 1.048–1.065 | 1.002–1.008 | 20–35 | 5–14 | 5.0–7.0 |
| Barley Wine | 1.080–1.120 | 1.018–1.030 | 40–100 | 8–22 | 8.0–12.0 |
| Scottish Export | 1.040–1.054 | 1.010–1.016 | 15–30 | 13–22 | 3.9–5.0 |
Ranges are based on BJCP 2021 guidelines with some simplification. Individual beers may fall outside these ranges and still be excellent examples of the style.
Recipe Design Tools
Use our calculators to design recipes that hit your style targets:
- Recipe Design Calculators — grain bill calculator, colour estimator, bitterness calculator and more
OG and FG are Specific Gravity readings. IBU = International Bitterness Units. SRM = Standard Reference Method (colour). These guidelines are a starting point — great beer is about flavour, not hitting numbers exactly.