BJCP Guidelines

[ncbrewer]

I looked up the BJCP guidelines today - interested in Belgian Pale Ale. I found three different web pages for it - not all the same:
https://www.bjcp.org/beer-styles/16b-belgian-pale-ale/https://www.bjcp.org/style/2021/24/BJCP Releases 2021 Beer Style Guidelines – Beer Judge Certification Program (This has a link that downloads the overall guidelines.)

I read their introduction to the guidelines but couldn't see an explanation for the different versions. Does anyone know what all this means?

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Check the PDFs for the 2008, 2015, & 2021 guidelines.

It looks like "16B Belgian Pale Ale" is in 2008 guideline and "24B Belgian Pale Ale" is in the 2021 guideline.

 

[Kickass]

Another option, depending on your phone is the BJCP phone app. It’s super simple, clean, easy to use and doesn’t require WiFi/cell service. It’s my go to when I’m off the grid.

 

[ncbrewer]

Yes, the third one I listed goes to a pdf that looks like the previous versions - easy to use. But I wonder why the others are there, and why.

 

[Bobby_M]

Keep in mind that the BJCP is always struggling with consistency on their website. It's frankly a mess. It's better to use the PDF or an app. The second link is clearly in a folder structure that suggests it's in the 2021 version. The first link has no indication of version so skip that.

 

[dmtaylor]

Keep in mind that the BJCP is always struggling with consistency on their website. It's frankly a mess. It's better to use the PDF or an app. The second link is clearly in a folder structure that suggests it's in the 2021 version. The first link has no indication of version so skip that.

Their website is indeed a bit of a mess. They keep all the old versions on there for reference, so whenever someone provides a link you need to try to track down which version it is.

The latest version is this one, which is indicated as 2021 via the web address and at the top of the page:

https://www.bjcp.org/style/2021/24/24B/belgian-pale-ale/

 

[Bobby_M]

Their website is indeed a bit of a mess. They keep all the old versions on there for reference, so whenever someone provides a link you need to try to track down which version it is.

The latest version is this one, which is indicated as 2021 via the web address and at the top of the page:

https://www.bjcp.org/style/2021/24/24B/belgian-pale-ale/

When they started putting the style version into its own year folder, they needed to move all the previous ones into a similar folder structure even if it meant adding a bunch of redirects to keep old links working. I suppose too many cooks. They need to add an annual dues for membership so they can actually hire an IT professional.

 

[Kickass]

All more ammo to download the phone app.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I found three different web pages for it - not all the same:

FWIW, I was able to find the 2008 page(s) using a search engine, but didn't find links from the home page that lead to the 2008 pages(s).

But I wonder why the others are there, and why.

Plausible explanations include 1) pages stuck in search engines 2) a second 'home' page that links to all the 2008 style pages.

---

slightly off topic and mostly for future readers. "Make your best Belgian Pale Ale" (link) pairs well with the BJCP guidelines. Articles exist all the common styles (and many of the uncommon ones).

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

... and FWIW the web site for the 2015 guidelines are currently available at a 'legacy' subdomain: BJCP Style Guidelines.

 

[ncbrewer]

Thanks for the explanations, everyone. Good to know.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I looked up the BJCP guidelines today - interested in Belgian Pale Ale. I found three different web pages for it - not all the same:
https://www.bjcp.org/beer-styles/16b-belgian-pale-ale/https://www.bjcp.org/style/2021/24/BJCP Releases 2021 Beer Style Guidelines – Beer Judge Certification Program (This has a link that downloads the overall guidelines.)

I read their introduction to the guidelines but couldn't see an explanation for the different versions. Does anyone know what all this means?

I’m making an Orval clone tomorrow and it’s classed as a Belgian Pale Ale but the BJCP say a BPA has a maximum ABV of 5.5% whereas Orval is 6.2%. How do these people define the categories as I’ve noticed strange numbers for British beers?
PS I don’t enter competitions but I like to keep my beer to a style.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I’m making an Orval clone tomorrow and it’s classed as a Belgian Pale Ale but the BJCP say a BPA has a maximum ABV of 5.5% whereas Orval is 6.2%. How do these people define the categories as I’ve noticed strange numbers for British beers?
PS I don’t enter competitions but I like to keep my beer to a style.

Many of the style guidelines are just trying to group together similar beers. Since the BJCP guidelines are a fairly new concept, many beers were brewed for many decades without trying to fit into any style guidelines. While some sources list Orval as a "Belgian Pale Ale", I am not sure that Orval claims it is one. I doubt it would do well in a competition under the subcategory. Maybe without the Brett, it would be a decent example of the style??

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I’m making an Orval clone tomorrow and it’s classed as a Belgian Pale Ale

Err - well it's not. BJCP 2021 explicitly place it in 34A Commercial Specialty Beer and before that in 16E Belgian Speciality Beer. BPA is for things like de Koninck, a very different beer.

How do these people define the categories as I’ve noticed strange numbers for British beers?
PS I don’t enter competitions but I like to keep my beer to a style.

Forget the whole idea of "styles" when talking about oddities like Orval (which has more connection with 19th century British beer than modern Belgian brewing), the commercial beer is "the style".

The BJCP guidelines are not intended to be specifications for commercial beer, they are *guidelines* to allow grouping of homebrews in competition - and reflect USian ideas rather than local ones. The 2015 version of the British categories was a complete mess, 2021 is better but ain't great on things like milds - British staples like Sarah Hughes and Taylor's Golden Best are non-beers according the BJCP. But obviously traditional European brewers aren't going to pay much attention to guidelines created for homebrewers in the colonies decades if not centuries after the European brewery started brewing.

So don't take them too literally - if you really want to get something closer to the way European brewers think, there's the EBCU style guide, but inevitably it's a lot less specific.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Over in "the colonies", there's also Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines which (historically) has been updated yearly.

For the BJCP guidelines, the "INTRODUCTION TO THE ____ GUIDELINES" section in the PDF for the 2015 (link to PDF) or 2021 (link to PDF) is a good read.

eta: for those who write their own brewing software, this is 'new to me' since the last time I was at BJCP Style Guidelines – Beer Judge Certification Program):

• JSON Versions of the Style Guidelines
  • JSON Version of the 2021 beer guidelines submitted by Andrew Scholer and maintained externally on github.
    • Also was used to develop a Style Viewer app.
  • [...]

The style viewer (web) app may be interesting as it can compare stats for two different styles.