German-Style Leichtes Weizen

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Location:German
Category:Ale
BJCP Comparable Category:5A - German Leichtbier

Beer Style Description

This is the description of how the German-Style Leichtes Weizen style of beer should taste, feel and look. However, there may be perfectly fine beers in this style that fall outside of these ranges and descriptions. This information is just to show the most commonly accepted ranges for the German-Style Leichtes Weizen beer style.

These beers are made with at least 50 percent wheat malt. They are often roused during pouring, and when yeast is present, they will have a yeasty flavor and a fuller mouthfeel.

  • Color: Straw to copper-amber
  • Body: Low with a lighter mouthfeel than Hefeweizen. The German word “leicht” means light, and as such these beers are light versions of Hefeweizen.
  • Malt Flavors & Aromas: Very low to medium-low
  • Hop Flavors & Aromas: Not present to very low
  • IBUs/Bitterness: Very low
  • Fermentation Characteristics: The phenolic and estery aromas typical of Weissbiers should be present but less pronounced in this style. The overall flavor profile is less complex than Hefeweizen due to a lower alcohol content and there is less yeasty flavor. Diacetyl should not be present.
  • Common Ingredients: Similar to a German Pils or Helles, continental Pils malt, German lager yeast, Saazer-type hops.
  • Commercial Examples: Beck’s Light, Bitburger Light, Mahr’s Leicht, Paulaner Münchner Hell Leicht, Paulaner Premium Leicht

Brewing Properties of German-Style Leichtes Weizen

These are the functional brewing properties of German-Style Leichtes Weizen beers, as descided by the Brewers Association. These guidelines reflect, as accurately as possible, the historical significance, authenticity or a common profile in the current commercial beer market.

ABV
The alcohol by volume is shows the amount of alcohol this style of beer should have.
2.5 - 3.5%
Bitterness
The International Bittering Units (IBU) scale is used to approximately quantify the actual (not perceived) bitterness of beer.
10 - 15 IBUs
SRM
SRM is a scale for measuring the color intensity of a beer. Low SRM grains impart a pale straw color while higher values mean it will add a darker color to the wort. Learn more »
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3.5 - 15 SRM
(6 - 30 EBC)
Original Gravity
Original Gravity (OG) is a measure of the sugar content in the wort before alcoholic fermentation has started to produce the beer.
1.028 - 1.044
Final Gravity
The Final Gravity (FG) is how much sugar is left over in the beer when fermentation is complete.
1.004 - 1.008

If you see an error in our data, please let us know!

Based on Brewers Association 2020 Beer Style Guidelines with changes. Used with permission of Brewer's Association.