I read a lot of posts around here that say this or that is not traditional or doesn’t conform to the BJCP guidelines. Why would that matter. When I make a recipe the program I use will flag it if it’s out of the style I am making. Who cares? That would be boring. I certainly am out of the lines often. Just wondering how many of you brew to style and why?
I brew to style at least half the time I suspect, but I also enjoy regularly stepping away from strict style guidelines to brew things that seem like they will be good. I’ve even brewed a couple of “kitchen sink” beers with left over malts that have turned out really well. I brewed one last summer with a variety of wheat malts that turned out so well I will repeat this year.
Thought I’d clarify a little. I went through the extra ingredients phase many years ago. Never really produced a beer I was happy with (although there were always other people who thought they were good), so I’ve pretty much given that up. Most of my outside the style guidelines brews are not very exotic. I just experiment with some different malt/hop/yeast combinations that seem interesting without getting too carried away. My kitchen sink wheat beer resulted from my wanting to sample a number of the available varieties of wheat malts. I bought several pounds of basic red and white wheat malt and 1 lb each of most of the other available wheat malts. Then spent some time chewing on malt samples to get a taste for what they would add to a recipe. I then put together a beer using a number of these types. Turned out to be very crisp and refreshing, great for summer.
It all depends on your goal. If you’re making beers to win competitions then staying within style is very important. If you’re just looking to make a tasty brew, all that is pretty much thrown out the window. I will say though that if you go too far out of style, your chances of making a really good beer will diminish. Thinking outside the box may make an amazing beer, but you also may make something destined for a drain. If you stick to good recipe formulation concepts you should be fine though.
I have to agree. I usually brew “to style” but I also want to be able to get a good base recipe down before I start messing with it too much. I’m also a “less is more” kind of a person. A good solid Belgian or porter is much more appealing to me than a chocolate-cherry-vanilla-chipotle-tuna fish English dark strong IPA.
In my quest to understand certain styles or beers I 've not tasted before, I stick to the guidelines. Some are keepers and some not. Other than that I will at times throw things together just to see what certain malts, hops, yeasts taste like with just looking for kinds of flavors I come up with. At that point I’m probably way out of any guidelines. Like others have said it can be one way or another. To me that’s what this brewing experience is about. Cheers…B.C.
I’m with you there. Although the tuna sounds good. :lol:
The “rules” in brewing are the same as music theory or any other art form. Its important to know the rules and then break them when its beneficial.
As mentioned above, if it’s not for you then don’t do it.
People “brew to style” for competition I would think. They obviously need to meet the style guidelines in order to compete. If you’re not competing and want to try something new, then do it and don’t worry about what the style guidelines say.
You could get lucky and make a really good beer that doesn’t fall within any certain style guides, but I would also guess that you can make something rather terrible doing that as well.
Guidelines are exactly that… guidelines.
[quote=“Templar”]As mentioned above, if it’s not for you then don’t do it.
People “brew to style” for competition I would think. They obviously need to meet the style guidelines in order to compete. If you’re not competing and want to try something new, then do it and don’t worry about what the style guidelines say.
You could get lucky and make a really good beer that doesn’t fall within any certain style guides, but I would also guess that you can make something rather terrible doing that as well.
Guidelines are exactly that… guidelines.[/quote]
Well said. As I’ve been saying for a couple of decades, the guidelines are definitely not a rulebook or (especially) an authoritative gospel with regard to what any given style should or should not be. The guidelines were designed to make homebrew judging more organized.
But really, there seems to be far too much obsession about brewing “to style” (the very term itself has become a bit cringeworthy).
Just brew good beer.
If you’re competing with your homebrew, by all means, use the guidelines (even as they often tend to be arbitrary or downright questionable) since if your judges are qualified, those are the parameters upon which they will be basing their decisions.
Remember that every style has historically been open to individual interpretation and evolution.
I agree with Lew Bryson, who stated so eloquently that it is best to concentrate on brewing with style, not to style.
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t…no big deal. Although if someone says they want to make something like a tripel but put motor oil and candy canes in it, I feel like I have to tell them that’s not making a tripel. I also say that you can make anything you want to make any way you want to make it, but just call it what it is. a common vocabulary is necessary for communication. OTOH, I find brewing to style is one of the best ways to hone your brewing skill. You have a target and you try to get as close to that target as possible. It’s helped my brewing a lot.
I’d say 90% of my beers are brewed to style guidelines, though it’s not because I’m a style nazi or I’m entering competitions. I mainly brew American style beers- porters, pale ales, cream ales, IPAs, etc. and there’s quite a bit of leeway in those. I don’t care for high ABV beers so I’m not going to try to knock out a double imperial cream ale and I can’t stand most flavored beers with the exception of a good pepper ale, even then I don’t want 5 gallons of it.
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t…no big deal. Although if someone says they want to make something like a tripel but put motor oil and candy canes in it, I feel like I have to tell them that’s not making a tripel. I also say that you can make anything you want to make any way you want to make it, but just call it what it is. a common vocabulary is necessary for communication. OTOH, I find brewing to style is one of the best ways to hone your brewing skill. You have a target and you try to get as close to that target as possible. It’s helped my brewing a lot.[/quote]
I’m with you Denny. I think its important to have the guidelines, not just for comps, but for target profile too. I think its ideal to start with a profile and blur the lines a little to get your desired effect. IMO you have a much better chance at producing a worthy beer rather than just throwing stuff together.
I don’t add any crazy ingredients mostly I push the IBU s or gravity. Like someone stated above I’ve stayed in the guidelines on some beers and then tweaked them to my liking the next time I brew it. Also I will find a commercial beer I’ve had and try to improve it. Like the rest of you people I guess, sometimes I conform sometimes I don’t. It’s all good.
I’m with you. I pretty much stay within the style guidelines and fiddle with the IBU’s and my water. I did fruity/spicy beers when I first started brewing, but realized trying to get through 5 gallons of an “experiment” got a little tiresome.
Think of the BJCP styles like dog breeds. The AKC has some really refined definitions of dogs, but that should in no way discourage you from loving a good mutt. I used to have a mostly-German shepherd, who was a great dog. True, I never could have entered him in a competition as a German Shepard, but that wasn’t the point, was it?
As others have said; if you want to enter competitions and win medals, you have to be concerned about the BJCP guidelines, your pedigree, if you will. If you want to drink a beer you love; brew what you think tastes good, but knowing the styles, helps you communicate and frame your expectations. Just like “mostly German Shepherd” gave your an idea about the size and appearance of my late best friend in just three words, so too “Peppermint Tripel” lays down the thought process pretty effectively.
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t…no big deal. Although if someone says they want to make something like a tripel but put motor oil and candy canes in it, I feel like I have to tell them that’s not making a tripel. I also say that you can make anything you want to make any way you want to make it, but just call it what it is. a common vocabulary is necessary for communication. OTOH, I find brewing to style is one of the best ways to hone your brewing skill. You have a target and you try to get as close to that target as possible. It’s helped my brewing a lot.[/quote]
I’m with you Denny. I think its important to have the guidelines, not just for comps, but for target profile too. I think its ideal to start with a profile and blur the lines a little to get your desired effect. IMO you have a much better chance at producing a worthy beer rather than just throwing stuff together.[/quote]
Same here. That said, I do throw in crazy ingredients or experiment with processes - perhaps more often than I should. Sometimes that results in 5 gallons that lasts longer than I wish, but occasionally it results in unexpectedly great beer. You never know until you try.
[quote=“JMcK”]Think of the BJCP styles like dog breeds. The AKC has some really refined definitions of dogs, but that should in no way discourage you from loving a good mutt. I used to have a mostly-German shepherd, who was a great dog. True, I never could have entered him in a competition as a German Shepard, but that wasn’t the point, was it?
As others have said; if you want to enter competitions and win medals, you have to be concerned about the BJCP guidelines, your pedigree, if you will. If you want to drink a beer you love; brew what you think tastes good, but knowing the styles, helps you communicate and frame your expectations. Just like “mostly German Shepherd” gave your an idea about the size and appearance of my late best friend in just three words, so too “Peppermint Tripel” lays down the thought process pretty effectively.[/quote]
Interesting comparison. We all know what happens when you let a pure breed run. You got to hold that pure bred beer on a leash you may get a hybrid that you love. It’s that darn chaos theory.
You can always find someone to take the beer off your hands if you don’t like it. I’m loaded up with experimental beers and this week I’ll be giving away 4 kegs of stuff that I just don’t care to drink.
