What category?

I split this batch into two 6 Gallon carboys (approximately 4.5 gallons in each), into one I pitched:

Wyeast 1728 Scottish ale yeast &
into the other:
Wyeast 3725 Biere de Garde

I have a couple questions. When serving or entering if it comes out good what category would be most appropriate, or most descriptive?

I am contemplating dry hopping, but am hesitant until I get a good idea whether or not it needs it. I don't want to cover the malt up, and neither do I want to alter the Motueka hops taste and aroma, but if I did want to what would you suggest for the future?


I plan on fermenting both at 60-62 degrees wort temp in keezer with a controller. (Edit: Oops didn't see the Biere de Garde temp range was 70-84F, I'll change the location of carboy this evening)
OG 1.06
FG unknown
IBU 43
ABV
SRM 8 approximately

Specifics
Boil Volume 11 gallons
Batch Size 9.5 gallons
Yeast 75% AA

OG 1.06
FG
IBU 43
SRM 8

Fermentables Mashed at 154 for 60 mins

% Weight Weight (lbs)

94.4 % 21.00 lbs Golden Promise malt

5.6 % 1.25 lbs Cane sugar

Boiled first runnings to develop carmelization notes 60 minutes

Hops
% Wt Weight (oz) Hop Form AA% Boil IBU
40.3 % 1.35oz Magnum Pellet 14.5 60 36.2
29.9 % 1.00oz Moteuka Pellet 7.0 15 6.4
29.9 % 1.00oz Moteuka Pellet 7.0 1 0.6

43 IBUS

It looks like a belgian grain bill. Especially with the sugar. But IBU is too high for that. It would probably have to go into category 23.

16E -- Belgian Specialty (for the Biere de Garde yeast)

Probably 23 for the Scottish Ale Yeast one. The hop profile looks wrong for a wee heavy, and I don't think I would add simple sugar to a wee heavy, either.



Regarding the fermentation temp, I was under the impression that Biere de Garde are typically fermented lower than other Belgian styles, and also "lagered", hence the name. BJCP style guidelines seem to agree with me:

Lager or Ale yeast fermented at cool temperatures, followed by a long cold conditioning (4-6 weeks for commercial operations)

Click to expand...

weirdboy said:

16E -- Belgian Specialty (for the Biere de Garde yeast)

Probably 23 for the Scottish Ale Yeast one. The hop profile looks wrong for a wee heavy, and I don't think I would add simple sugar to a wee heavy, either.



Regarding the fermentation temp, I was under the impression that Biere de Garde are typically fermented lower than other Belgian styles, and also "lagered", hence the name. BJCP style guidelines seem to agree with me:

Click to expand...

^This was my understanding as well, but I was referencing the suggested temp by Wyeast.

Interestingly, I came across an article on BdG in "All About Beer", in which

"Looking Ahead
France’s first brewpub, Au Baron, or Bailleux, in Gussignies, doesn’t just straddle the border of saison and bière de garde, but completely obliterates the style divide. The Cuvée des Jonquilles embraces all the funk and junk of a great saison and the amber beer (ironically named Saison Saint Médard) has all of the caramel, dust and barnyard tastes of a great bière du garde. You can walk to the border in three directions within 10 minutes, as this area of France juts into neighboring Belgium. The brewer is a second-generation saison brewer, and maybe because of his Flemish heritage he doesn’t think there is any difference between bière de garde and saison."

http://allaboutbeer.com/learn-beer/.../bieres-de-garde-frances-road-less-traveled/2

bighorn_brew said:

The brewer is a second-generation saison brewer, and maybe because of his Flemish heritage he doesn’t think there is any difference between bière de garde and saison.

http://allaboutbeer.com/learn-beer/.../bieres-de-garde-frances-road-less-traveled/2

Click to expand...

Or maybe it's because he's not an American homebrewer with the consequent obsessive need to categorize everything.


As far as what category you should enter, I would leave that until the beer is done and you have tasted the finished product. Look through the guidelines and make a decision on what seems the closest to your beer. I'll warn you, though: the BJCP comps are so focused on meeting the "style" guidelines that you will tend to only score well when you plan a beer from the beginning to match a predetermined style.

Actually, entering into a comp is not likely, just want to know what to tell my friends.

dwarven_stout said:

Or maybe it's because he's not an American homebrewer with the consequent obsessive need to categorize everything.


As far as what category you should enter, I would leave that until the beer is done and you have tasted the finished product. Look through the guidelines and make a decision on what seems the closest to your beer. I'll warn you, though: the BJCP comps are so focused on meeting the "style" guidelines that you will tend to only score well when you plan a beer from the beginning to match a predetermined style.

Click to expand...

You can do well by tasting a beer and seeing how it fits the existing styles, too.

I brewed a wee heavy heavy (designed and brewed as such), but when I tasted it a few weeks before entering a competition, I thought it was pretty close to a Belgian Dark Strong Ale as well. So, I entered the same beer in both categories. It won first place in Scottish Ales, and third place in Belgian Strong Ales.