GB/T 4927-2025Quality requirements for beer (English PDF)

1 Scope

GB/T 4927-2025 is the Chinese national standard covering beer as a product - the original gravity and alcohol, the bitterness and colour, the foam and its retention, the turbidity and the shelf life, and the sensory requirements by style. It replaces GB/T 4927-2008 and takes effect on 1 January 2027, with the analysis methods of GB/T 4928-2026. It was issued on 31 December 2025 and takes effect on 1 January 2027, replacing GB/T 4927-2008. The document is under the responsibility of the China National Light Industry Council. This page is published from the official record of the 2025 edition; the clause text of a standard this recent is not yet in circulation, and the figures, limits and tables it contains are those of the document itself, delivered in full with the English translation.

This document specifies the quality requirements for beer, including terms and definitions, product classification, requirements, test methods, inspection rules, marking, packaging, transportation and storage. This document applies to the production, inspection, and sale of beer.

2 Normative references

The provisions of the following documents constitute the essential clauses of this document through normative references in this text. Among them, for any dated reference, only the version corresponding to that date applies to this document; for any undated reference, the latest version (including all amendments) applies to this document.

GB/T 191 Packaging - Pictorial marking for handling of goods GB 4544 Beer bottles

GB/T 4928 Method for analysis of beer

GB/T 5738 Plastic crates for beverage bottled

GB/T 6543 Single and double corrugated boxes for transport packages

GB/T 9106.1 Packaging containers - Two-piece can - Part

3 Terms and definitions

The following terms and definitions apply to this document.

3.1 beer A fermented beverage made primarily from malt and water, with the addition of hops (including hop products), and fermented with yeast, containing carbon dioxide and capable of forming foam. NOTE

1.It includes non-alcoholic beer. NOTE

2.The proportion of malt in the feed shall not be less than 50% (mass fraction).

3.2 pasteurized beer Beer that has undergone pasteurization or ultra-high-temperature sterilization.

3.3 non-pasteurized beer Beer that achieves a certain level of biological stability without undergoing pasteurization or ultra-high-temperature sterilization. NOTE. This includes fresh beer.

3.3.1 fresh beer Beer that has not undergone pasteurization or ultra-high-temperature sterilization, which is allowed to contain a certain amount of live yeast and achieve a certain level of microbial stability.

3.4 top fermentation beer; ale beer Beer fermented using the top beer yeast.

3.5 bottom fermentation beer; lager beer Beer fermented using the bottom beer yeast.

3.6 mixed fermentation beer Beer produced by fermenting a mixture of more than one type of microorganism during the brewing process.

3.7 special beer Beer with a unique style, which is achieved through changes in raw and auxiliary materials and processes (or the use of multiple microorganisms).

3.7.1 dry beer A dry-tasting beer. NOTE. The actual degree of fermentation of dry beer is no less than 72%.

3.7.2 ice beer Beer treated with an ice crystallization process. NOTE. The turbidity of ice beer is less than or equal to

0.8 EBC.