# Is There An Online Ebc Chart?



## Fermented (9/12/08)

Hello!

I'm looking for an online EBC colour chart so that I gain a better understanding of the BJCP guidelines. 

Regrettably, my Google-fu has failed me. 

Ideally, I'm looking for a PDF that I can print out. Yes, I recognise that without closed loop colour calibration of the system which generated the PDF and my printer, screen and printer drivers that there will be colour differences, but all I'm looking for is something I can use to gain a relative understanding of the expected colours for styles to use as a creative guideline.

Any hints on this one?

Cheers - Fermented.


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## itguy1953 (9/12/08)

Fermented said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm looking for an online EBC colour chart so that I gain a better understanding of the BJCP guidelines.
> 
> ...



Try the brew calc link below.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...ule=calc#colour

Barry


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## Stuster (9/12/08)

Just a note on those colour calculations which use out-of-date conversions. Lovibond and SRM are now generally calculated the same, and EBC is more or less double SRM. See the mighty wiki for details here.


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## Belgrave Brewer (9/12/08)

SRM Chart:
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Malts_Chart


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## Aaron (9/12/08)

If you want to use online versions you really need to calibrate your monitor and your printer if you are going to print. You can get a lot of variation in the way monitors display colours and the way printers reproduce them. That said it will probably do as a rough guide.


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## mika (9/12/08)

SNAP ! I was googling for this today as well, just by random chance. However I seem to recall a BYO article, that I haven't read (just looked at the pretty pictures) where they had pictured a bunch of very different looking beers all with the same SRM value, apparently due to inaccuracies in the method used to test the SRM, not in the way the SRM was calculated by the brewing software, which is a significant factor off again. As I say, haven't read it yet, but thought it worth mentioning...just to muddy the waters a little more.


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## Fermented (9/12/08)

Stuster said:


> Just a note on those colour calculations which use out-of-date conversions. Lovibond and SRM are now generally calculated the same, and EBC is more or less double SRM. See the mighty wiki for details here.


Yep - got that bit sussed.




Aaron said:


> If you want to use online versions you really need to calibrate your monitor and your printer if you are going to print. You can get a lot of variation in the way monitors display colours and the way printers reproduce them. That said it will probably do as a rough guide.


Refer opening post. Prepress and colour reproduction is a part of what I do for a buck. Intent is to use it as a rule of thumb for comparative purposes only.

The malt chart is pretty groovy. Found that one in my travels and it looks to be rather useful.

Still, am angling for a beer colour reference chart. EBC, Lovibond, SRM, furlongs per fortnight... as long as there is a conversion method from one to the other then that will do.

Cheers - Fermented.


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## buttersd70 (9/12/08)

my 2c...just remember that BJCP is a _*guide *_only....it's not the be all and end all. Hence the name, BJCP *Guidelines*.


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## jonocarroll (9/12/08)

There's a printed colour (hopefully accurate) guide to SRM on the inside cover of Palmer's 'How to Brew' if you need an excuse to grab a copy. Not sure if that helps.

EBC = 1.97*SRM so yeah, pretty much double.


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## Stuster (9/12/08)

How about this or this or this.


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## goatherder (9/12/08)

Following on from what Mika mentioned, colour is highly dependent on the kind of malt you used. Kilned malts (pils, pale, vienna, munich, caramel) give a different hue to the roasted malts (choc, patent, RB, carafa etc) for the same EBC number.

To answer your question, I find the appearance descriptions in the BJCP style guidelines more useful than the EBC numbers. Remember, the descriptions are what the judges will be using.

Check the latest BYO for John Palmer's take on it. He drew some of his material for the article and his pres at ANHC from this pres from Briess Malting:

http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Assets/Pr...ngBeerColor.ppt

The key slide is no 23 - all the worts in the same row have the same EBC/SRM number. The worts to the left use kilned malts, those to the right roasted.

<offtopic>it's presentations like this why powerpoint totally sucks as a communication medium</oftopic>


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## Aaron (10/12/08)

Fermented said:


> Refer opening post. Prepress and colour reproduction is a part of what I do for a buck. Intent is to use it as a rule of thumb for comparative purposes only.



My apologies. I'm not quite sure how I missed it.


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## Fermented (10/12/08)

Agreed... BJCP Is only a guide, and that's the intended purpose I have for it. I've been playing with Beersmith and while all the numbers are lovely, I feel the need for a physical reference so that I can better understand the probable end-result. 

Thanks Stuster - those were great. Don't know how I failed to locate them.

I'm very surprised about the vast difference you pointed out, Goatherder. I wouldn't have expected the test results to be the same for such vastly different wort colours. Very surprising indeed. 

Looks like I just found the excuse I need to buy Palmer's. 

Thank you for all the help. Very greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards - Fermented.


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## reviled (10/12/08)

buttersd70 said:


> my 2c...just remember that BJCP is a _*guide *_only....it's not the be all and end all. Hence the name, BJCP *Guidelines*.



The BJCP guide has been awesome for me, its enabled me to try new beer styles that I otherwise wouldnt have been able to try, such as a Dusseldorf Altbier which I cant buy commercially, so making it was the only option, BJCP guidline in hand B)


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## barry2 (18/5/09)

Fermented said:


> Hello!
> 
> I'm looking for an online EBC colour chart so that I gain a better understanding of the BJCP guidelines.
> 
> ...






A lot of information on beer colour at

http://www.beercolor.com/instructions.htm

Has anyone tried their color guide 

http://www.beercolor.com/products.htm


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