We, as humans, are very visual. We use this sense to give us quick feedback on many aspects of life. Brewers only have one chance to set the first impression of a beer as it pours into our glass. Based on the style of the beer, the color is the first gauge for what we expect in a beer. Other factors like retention, lacing, and color of the foam play a big part also.
SRM is a scale for measuring the color intensity of a beer (it's more technical than this, but we will leave it there). SRM was adopted by the Ameican Society of Brewing Chemists in 1951. There is another, older scale named degrees Lovibond (devised by Joseph Williams Lovibond) that the SRM scale has replaced.
The color chart and colors below are an approximation of the actual colors in the SRM scale. Two Beer Dudes tries to use these color descriptions or SRM number when rating beer. We hope that you will do the same so that everyone is on a level playing field while describing our beer experience. Enjoy!
| Beer Colors and SRM Value | ||
|---|---|---|
| Color Swatch | SRM | Color |
| 2 | Pale Straw | |
| 3 | Straw | |
| 4 | Pale Gold | |
| 6 | Deep Gold | |
| 9 | Pale Amber | |
| 12 | Medium Amber | |
| 15 | Deep Amber | |
| 18 | Amber-Brown | |
| 20 | Brown | |
| 24 | Ruby Brown | |
| 30 | Deep Brown | |
| 40 | Black | |
| Beer Style SRM Color Ranges | |
|---|---|
| Style | SRM Range |
| Pilsner | 2 - 7 |
| Witbier, Berliner Weisse | 2 - 4 |
| Belgian Strong Ale | 4 - 7 |
| Maibock | 4 - 10 |
| Vienna Lager | 7 - 14 |
| Oktoberfest | 4 - 12 |
| American Pale Ale | 6 - 14 |
| Pale Ale | 5 - 14 |
| English Golden Ale | 4 - 8 |
| Bavarian Weizen | 4 - 10 |
| Bitter, ESB | 8 - 14 |
| Märzen | 7 - 15 |
| Imperial Pale Ale | 5 - 11 |
| Bière de Garde | 6 - 13 |
| Dunkel Weizen | 9 - 13 |
| Amber Ale | 11 - 18 |
| English Brown Ale | 12 - 22 |
| Bock | 15 - 30 |
| Porter | 20 - 40 |
| Oatmeal Stout | 25 - 40 |
| Baltic Porter | 17 - 40 |
| Foreign Stout | 30 - 65 |
| Imperial Stout | 50 - 80 |
| Source: Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher | |