Is there a standard!?!?

So i guess i got the idea from AKC dogs, cigars, and hard liquors.... but is there a set of standards for different crafts of beers?!?!?

Can the addition of one ingredient that is nessecary or to call a brew a brown alve Vs. a nut brown?

What defines an ESB?

What make a pale ale not just a real hoppy beer...

Just curious as it would help me understand some directions to go when beginning my own recipies...

Sure is. It's called the BJCP:

BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines - Index

Get a copy of Ray Daniel's Designing Great Beers for a better understanding of how ingredients define style.

Thats a good start, but i guess i was thinking more in terms of an ingredient list... can one make a brown ale with any combination of matl/barley or is there a standard base in which you kind of HAVE to work with in order to realistically call your concoction a "brown" ale?

Bigbens6 said:

can one make a brown ale with any combination of matl/barley or is there a standard base in which you kind of HAVE to work with in order to realistically call your concoction a "brown" ale?

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See my earlier suggestion concerning Designing Great Beers.

Listen to that Flyangler guy, he knows what he is talking about. .

There are certain ingredients that are always present in certain beers. In some beers there are a couple of ingredients that can be used and still fall within the style, and of course there are always ingredients you can add and still be in style.

Designing Great Beers will definately give you some insight on the common style ingredients as well as uncommon or lesser used ingredients.

flyangler18 said:

See my earlier suggestion concerning Designing Great Beers.

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also see his early suggestions of checking out the BJCP guidelines. for instance:

Weizen Guidelines

Ingredients: By German law, at least 50% of the grist must be malted wheat, although some versions use up to 70%; the remainder is Pilsner malt. A traditional decoction mash gives the appropriate body without cloying sweetness. Weizen ale yeasts produce the typical spicy and fruity character, although extreme fermentation temperatures can affect the balance and produce off-flavors. A small amount of noble hops are used only for bitterness.

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slow down, take your time and do some reading, buddy


EDIT: also...look at OTHER PEOPLES recipes online. HBT, brew-monkey, the recipator, and jamils recipes are a good start.

Bigbens6 said:

Thats a good start,

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That's not just a good start, that's the exact answer to your qustion. You specifically asked if there was a standard...You pretty much discounted it by your post...like you didn't like the answer to your question or something.

Well, the BJCP IS pretty much recognized as THE STANDARD guide to a beer style. Especially if you enter into competitions. So that is your start. They list commercial examples of each style, as well as the "numbers" you need to achieve them (bitterness, color, ABV, graivty, etc.)

You want to learn how to brew them, start there, then also like previously mentioned, designing great beers, and also Brewing Classic Styles

But don't shoot down the answers when they are given to you...Like DeathBrewer said, slow down there, and actually read the style guide, you'll learn exactly what you need to know.

hey, my name is deathbrewer, not bowel movement

As far as ingredients go, a lot can be learned by studying recipes (particularly those of award-winning and classic example beers) for any given style and comparing them against the BJCP guidelines with respect to the particular style.

DeathBrewer said:

hey, my name is deathbrewer, not bowel movement

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I fixed it for you mr DingleBerry, sir

oooh, snap

Classic styles have evolved over time, and are linked to local tradition, ingredients, tastes. The differences between one discrete English style and another are often subtle though distinct.

You've got some studying to do, mate. Take your time and enjoy the process. I know I do.

The Reinheitsgebot in Germany is the only law I know of that defines beer and how to make it. Most styles do not have the same strict standards like Champagne or Bourbon or other regional beverages. The BJCP defines the beer categories for judging but it does not define allowed ingredients nor does it impose any limitations on brewers. Many/most commercial do not even label their beer with a category, or they use categories that are less well defined.

So if you want suggestions of how to make a traditional Southern English Brown, then reading the BJCP guidelines and the book Designing Great beer are your best resources. The beers you are trying to copy were not brewed to a guideline and there are no rules defining the style. Just a description of what exists.

Craig

Also, check out

Beertown-Brewers Association

see the link to the PDF file, titled " 2008 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines ".

I mention the Brewers Association styles because, while they differ slightly from the BJCP styles, I find them to be more comprehensive, and include many of the newer styles that the BJCP has not yet adopted into their fold.

For example, American Imperial/Double Red Ale is not yet a BJCP style, but it is a great beer to brew - see Odell's Imperial Red for a fantastically hoppy commercial version of it, and Rogue's Red Ale for another great example!

So in conclusion, I recommend you read lots, and lots, and lots. That's the best way to truly get to understand all these styles, and what makes them the unique styles that they are.

And I also recommend you find some commercial examples of some of these styles, like some Sierra Nevada Pale for an American Pale Ale, or some Anchor Porter as a good example of a Robust Porter. Print out some BJCP tasting sheets, and write what you taste. Then, when you've written a bit, pull out the style guideline that you're supposed to be comparing it to, and review the other half of the glass of beer with the notes in front of you.

Nothing wrong with a mutt beer that curls up at your feet as you enjoy the warmth of the hearth.

just my two cents, if you don't feel like studying, and just want to come close, Beertools.com is pretty good for that.
when you click on a style, they will give you the definition, history, typical ingredients, and what flavor, aroma and mouthfeel should appear.

then when you attempt to make a recipe, it will tell you how close you could get to the guidelines with that recipe (as far as color, alcohol, IBU and overall compliance with the style)

it's nowhere near totally accurate, but a good place to start until you have the time/patience/desire to go with bjcp guidelines

I was NOT discounting deathbewers link, it is decent but very objective listing fruity flavors or strong/mild bitterness which make it hard as what i consider bitter (Big ESB/IPA guy) is vastly different from my father who drinks browns and ambers...

Another problem with the BJCP is that it is not easy to compare and contrast side by side, they are individual listings, and to a degree, it is MORE information than i can digest at this point in my brewing career, hence it is a start for me, but it felt kind of like starting your first day of medschool with a heart transplant IMO. I guess I was looking for a dumbed down simple comparison in a spreadsheet perhaps, or another easily sorted/digested format.

Imagine if you ask a question about making your car a little quicker and i started in on brake specific fuel consumption, combustion chamber temps, and compressor flow effiiency when you are just learning to change your own oil u know!

I'm reading I promise!