How to measure the beer color with TS4010 spectrophotometer

As a globally popular fermented beer, beer has a diverse range of categories and styles, and color is one of the key indicators to distinguish beer types and reflect product quality. Whether it's the refreshing and translucent color of light beer or the rich and full-bodied color of dark beer, precise color control directly affects product consistency and consumer experience. 

What is beer color?How to check the beer color? Let’s show you in detail.

First what is the beer color?

Beer chromaticity refers to the depth of the yellowish to yellowish brown color tone presented by beer, essentially reflecting the total amount of various pigment substances in beer. The sources of these pigments mainly include two aspects: first, the natural pigments extracted from the raw materials themselves, such as the pigment components contained in malt shells and hops; The second is the dissolution contribution of colored malt or specialized coloring substances added during the production process. Chromaticity is not only a visual representation of the appearance of beer, but also closely related to the quality of raw materials and fermentation processes, and is an important indirect indicator reflecting the stability of beer production.

So how to check the beer color? Any international standard?

According to the national standard GB/T4927-2008, beer can be clearly classified into the following categories based on color, providing clear basis for production and quality inspection:

• Light colored beer: beer with a color range of 2EBC~14EBC.

• Dark beer: beer with a color range of 15EBC~40EBC.

• Black beer: Beer with a chromaticity greater than or equal to 41EBC.

• Special beer.

  

  SRM Beer Color Chat

3nh TS4010 benchtop liquid spectrophotometer

The TS4010 benchtop liquid spectrophotometer is purpose-built for accurate beer color measurement, supporting EBC, and CIELAB standards with D/0 optical geometry, turbidity compensation, and 25°C temperature control. Below is a step-by-step guide for reliable results.

Key Beer Color Standards (TS4010 Supports All)

EBC (European Brewery Convention): Most common in Europe; calculated as EBC = Absorbance at 430 nm × 25(10 mm path).

SRM (Standard Reference Method): US standard; SRM = Absorbance at 430 nm × 12.7(10 mm path). The ASBC (American Society of Brewing Chemists) value, also known as SRM (Standard Reference Method), is a, primarily North American, numerical scale used to measure the color intensity of beer and wort. A lower ASBC value indicates a lighter-colored beer (e.g., pale lager 2–4), while a higher value indicates a darker beer (e.g., stout 30+). ASBC use various forms of beer color analysis based on the method to closely monitor processing and changes. The range of the ASBC color scale is from 1 to 11 units [ASBC method beer-10 (2015)] where a higher ASBC Beer Color value indicates a lighter color beer. The ASBC color is generally expressed as °SRM (Standard Reference Method).

*CIELAB (Lab)**: For color difference analysis (ΔE) and hue tracking.

With this standard GB/T4927-2008, how can we measure the beer color?

The measurement of beer color should follow the national standard GB/T 7416.2-2025 "Quality Requirements for Beer Raw Materials Part 2: Beer Malt". This standard specifies that EBC (European Breweries Association) is the core unit of measurement, and the measurement benchmark is 10mm optical path liquid. The specific calculation formula is:C=25 × A430× F.

After we knew these standards and measurement ways, let’s start to measure the beer color.

Pre-Measurement Preparation

1. Instrument Setup

1. Power on the TS4010 

   
   

2. Select transmission mode(liquid measurement) 

3. Choose your standard: EBC, ASBC, SRM, or CIELAB(Lab*).

   
   

2. Calibration (Mandatory Before Each Test)

First we need to do the calibration for 3nh brand TS4010 spectrophotometer. It has 0% calibration and then use the water for 100% calibration with 10mm glass cell. Before this, we have to choose the cell scale in the setting in the image or it will affect the test result.

Insert the black calibration baffle into the cuvette holder → press Calibrate Black.

Fill a clean 10 mm quartz cuvette with distilled/deionized water(blank) → insert → press Calibrate White/Blank.

Confirm calibration success on the screen.

3. Beer Sample Preparation (Critical for Accuracy)

Degas thoroughly: Use a vacuum degasser or ultrasonic bath to remove CO₂ bubbles (bubbles cause false high absorbance).

Filter if turbid: Pass through a 0.45 μm membrane filterif haze is visible (TS4010 compensates but filtering improves precision).

Dilute dark beers: For beers >30 SRM / >60 EBC, dilute with degassed water (record dilution factor for final calculation).

Step-by-Step Measurement Procedure

Fill a 10 mm quartz cuvettewith the prepared beer sample (avoid air bubbles; fill to 80–90% capacity).

Wipe the cuvette exterior with lint-free tissue to remove fingerprints or liquid.

Insert the cuvette into the TS4010’s holder (align the orientation mark).

Close the lid and press Measure, Just go back to measurement test and press the test button. Here it is the beer EBC value of A and B.

The instrument will display:

EBC / SRM value(direct readout)

*CIELAB values (Lab)**

Spectral curve (360–780 nm)

Repeat 3–5 timesand use the TS4010’s average functionfor the final result.

Data Calculation & Interpretation

For Undiluted Samples

Directly use the displayed EBC or ASBC value.

Typical ranges:

Pale Lager: 2–8 EBC / 1–4 SRM

Amber Ale: 10–20 EBC / 5–10 SRM

Stout/Porter: 40–100+ EBC / 20–50+ SRM

For Diluted Samples

Final EBC = (Measured EBC) × (Dilution Factor)

Example: 1:2 dilution → multiply by 2.

CIELAB Analysis

L*: Lightness (lower = darker beer)

a*: Red-green axis (positive = red hue)

b*: Yellow-blue axis (positive = yellow/gold hue)

ΔE: Total color difference vs. standard (target<1.0 for consistency).

Best Practices for TS4010 Beer Color Measurement

Always use 10 mm quartz cuvettes(glass cuvettes absorb UV light).

Keep the cuvette holder clean; avoid scratches on optical surfaces.

Calibrate before each batchand after temperature changes.

Store samples in the dark to prevent light-induced color shift.

For quality control, set a tolerance (e.g., ±0.5 EBC) and reject out-of-spec batches.

Both EBC and ASBC value all can display for the beer color and welcome people to check more detail for our beer color spectrophotometer in our 3nh website and leave me a message by email(service@3nh.com).