Munich Helles
A soft, malty, pale Bavarian lager, gently hopped and built for easy drinking by the litre.
About the Munich Helles style
Munich Helles, meaning pale, was created around 1900 as Bavaria's answer to the pale pilsners spreading from the north, but built to local taste with a softer, maltier balance.
It is the everyday lager of Munich, poured by the litre in the beer gardens. Where a pilsner leads with hop bitterness, the Helles leads with soft, bready malt and finishes clean and gently sweet.
Helles or hell is a traditional German pale lager beer, mainly produced in Southern Germany, particularly Munich. The German word hell can be translated as 'bright', 'light', or 'pale'.
Grain, hops and yeast
Malt and grain: German pilsner and a touch of Munich malt for a soft, grainy-sweet, bready base that leads the beer.
Hop character: Low noble hopping, just enough to balance; the malt is the star.
Yeast and fermentation: A clean German lager yeast, cold-fermented and lagered for a smooth, rounded finish.
A typical Munich Helles runs 4.7 to 5.4% alcohol by volume, with a bitterness of about 16 to 22 IBU and a colour of 3 to 5 SRM. It is traditionally served in a willi becher or stange. These figures describe the usual range for the style; a given example may sit a little outside them.
Serving and carbonation
Serve a Munich Helles cold, around 5 to 7 degrees Celsius, in a tall Willi Becher glass, with a moderate to high carbonation. It is a beer to drink fresh in quantity, so serve it young and well lagered.
Fermentation in brief
A clean German lager yeast fermented cold, around 9 to 12 degrees Celsius, and lagered for weeks, gives the smooth, rounded, malt-forward finish. Keep the fermentation clean and cool, since any off-flavour has nowhere to hide in such a delicate, malt-led beer.
Classic examples
Well-known commercial examples of the style include Augustiner Helles, Weihenstephaner Original and Paulaner Münchner Hell. Tasting a benchmark example is the best way to understand what a style should be before brewing your own.
| Vital statistic | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Origin | Germany (Munich) |
| Strength (ABV) | 4.7 to 5.4% |
| Bitterness (IBU) | 16 to 22 |
| Colour (SRM) | 3 to 5 |
| Traditional glass | Willi Becher or stange |
Typical published ranges. Individual examples vary.
Set up your Munich Helles on tap
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Sources: BJCP Beer Style Guidelines · Wikipedia