Favorite Way to Break Style

[yard_bird]

What is something that you like add or subtract for a base beer recipe that pushes it out of a style category but you personally think improves the recipe. For example, adding roast character to a weizenbock recipe even though BJCP says roast is an inappropriate flavor for the style. Arguably subtracting IBUs from IPAs for new variations of that category. Any other ones?

 

[Bramling Cross]

As a US brewer of a certain age, I persist in being a bit heavy handed with the bittering and 20min hops. It's my opinion that they taste better that way, but that opinion (along with everything else I write) is valid only within the walls of my brewery.

Regarding my UK ales, I've increasingly abandoned the use of the various colorants. If my dark mild tastes great but isn't terribly dark, I'm fine with that. Same with my bitters, it's okay if they're just dark gold.

I'm a stickler for a dry finish, so I have a strong preference for gypsum over calcium chloride. I'm increasing relying on small additions of non-iodized table salt in place of calcium chloride. The Belgian concept of "digestible" beers is one I've taken to heart. I'd much rather have someone ask for a second pint than struggle to finish the last third of an overly rich, fatiguing pint that lacks "digestibility."

 

[AlexKay]

Peated malt in a wee heavy (I kid, I kid...)

I like making German beers with non-noble hops. There's a whole constellation of hops that have earthy, spicy, or floral characteristics but also bring a little more to the table (even if only breaking the monotony). Some of my favorites in this category are Lubelski, Sybilla, Nationalniy, Vojvodina, Crystal, Contessa, Helios, and Boadicea.

 

[jerrylotto]

I recently brewed a "dark wit" as a collaborative 40th anniversary project with my club. It came out quite fine IMHO, we're going to taste it with a commercial brewer and scale it up if it is a hit.

 

[corncob]

As a US brewer of a certain age, I persist in being a bit heavy handed with the bittering and 20min hops. It's my opinion that they taste better that way, but that opinion (along with everything else I write) is valid only within the walls of my brewery.

Regarding my UK ales, I've increasingly abandoned the use of the various colorants. If my dark mild tastes great but isn't terribly dark, I'm fine with that. Same with my bitters, it's okay if they're just dark gold.

I'm a stickler for a dry finish, so I have a strong preference for gypsum over calcium chloride. I'm increasing relying on small additions of non-iodized table salt in place of calcium chloride. The Belgian concept of "digestible" beers is one I've taken to heart. I'd much rather have someone ask for a second pint than struggle to finish the last third of an overly rich, fatiguing pint that lacks "digestibility."

I hate Belgians. Always have. But I read that book "brew like a monk" because I received it as a gift. The "digestible" bit hit hard with me as well. I didn't have a label for it before, but that's always been a big part of my preference. Even going back in my old notes, I talked about a "big beer flavor" that I always detested (think craft brew double IPA or barley wine). That's what it was. Too much polysaccharide per gallon of finished beer.

So, at my house, whatever it is, it gets dried the heck out. Since then, I've learned that flavor/fullness/mouthfeel/whatever can be built in without the bulk.

 

[passedpawn]

I like smoked malt in all sorts of stuff.

 

[yard_bird]

Agreed on digestibility. Belgians we’re my favorite for a while because of this and since then I’ve employed those techniques into some of my other recipes.

Thanks for the great ideas folks!

 

[Zanatrik]

+1 on roasted malts (and non-pale malts in general). I was looking at brewing an American Wheat for a small competition with the local brew club on American styles, but I couldn't help wanting to put some roasted malts in to add a bit of character.