How picky are you about style?

[jstringer1983]

I was wondering the other day as i was brewing if i was a minority among craft brewers, in that i dont care too much about style specific beer. Ive seen extreme beer fanatics (id say beer snobs but i dont want to offend anyone) that will pick a beer apart because its advertised as an IPA, but drinks like a pale ale, or whatever. I make beers that are based on a style i like, but im sure they would get destroyed by an actual judge if i entered them as a specific style. How important is it to the average beer drinker do you think?

 

[Sailingeric]

I go for color and ABV and then try out different hops and different types of yeasts. So far everything has been damn good. Styles be damned.

 

[brew_ny]

brew what you like and call it what you like

enjoy

S_M

 

[lumpher]

Style is a 4-letter word. Technically 5 letters, but I don't care about that, either

 

[Murphys_Law]

I try to brew to a pretty specific style: good! Wait, is "good" a style? I may change my preference as I learn more but for now I just like making good beer that my family enjoys.

 

[chickypad]

I think I'm mostly picky in the sense that I want to know what to expect. I may order a particular beer based on style because that's what I'm in the mood for, if it drinks as something else then I might not be happy with it. If it comes with some type of description/clarification, or say it's a hybrid or non-traditional interpretation, I'm cool with that as long as it's indicated.

 

[Natdavis777]

I think I'm mostly picky in the sense that I want to know what to expect. I may order a particular beer based on style because that's what I'm in the mood for, if it drinks as something else then I might not be happy with it. If it comes with some type of description/clarification, or say it's a hybrid or non-traditional interpretation, I'm cool with that as long as it's indicated.

This.

I dont want to order a DIPA and have it taste like a pale or a barlywine. As long a beer falls into whatever description it says it is, Im kosher with it.

 

[brewcat]

I generally use style as a guideline when I brew.

 

[JayDubWill]

I truly believe everyone should brew however the craft moves them. I do tend to brew to style but that's because I enter competitions on occasion and I'm exploring many different styles and techniques. That being said brewing to style doesn't mean you can't push boundaries. My next batch will be a saison with pink peppercorns, rosemary, and lemon peel, the batch after that will be a berliner weisse with hibiscus and honey.

 

[Qhrumphf]

If anything, I think it's a minority of brewers who DO brew to style. Most homebrewers don't, and most craft brewers, even at things like GABF, have much looser interpretations of style than a BJCP competition would, and are often brewing beers that, while perfectly good, wouldn't really fit within established style parameters. And the beers that ARE within style parameters are brewed that way because that's what the brewer wanted, not because that's what the style dictated.

Me personally, I usually brew to style. Sometimes I'll do something more experimental, but for the most part it's classic styles for me.

 

[GrainToGlass]

My first attempt on any style abides the guidelines for educational purposes. The following batches I allow my imagination to take over.

 

[Bosh]

I've got a weak sense of smell (living in the tropical bit of Bolivia screwed up my sinuses as far as I can tell) and smelling is a big part of tasting so I have a hard time with more subtle flavors. So if a beer is marketed as one style and then waters down the flavors that that style is famous for I'm going to be pissed because I'm not going to be able to taste them. Weak-ass IPAs are a big offender here but the same goes for stouts brewed with midnight wheat so they don't have much of a roast taste and the like. Screw that.

 

[muels]

When I brew I use style as a general guideline but am not a stickler. It's extremely loose. When I go to a restaurant I like a beer to fit in a style so I get what I'm in the mood for. I brew a pale that's probably more of a session ipa but we still call it the house pale.


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[Gnomebrewer]

For me a pair of old trackpants and flip-flops is perfection. No style here.




Oh wait, were you talking about beer?

 

[jstringer1983]

For me a pair of old trackpants and flip-flops is perfection. No style here.




Oh wait, were you talking about beer?

Haha i brew in my pajamas and rubber boots that i call my brewing boots. I dont know how my wife can resist me sometimes. Seems like most of you are the same as me when it comes to this subject. I definitely agree that if something is advertised as a style, it should follow pretty closely so you get what you want. I also think im maybe not as experienced with certain styles to know any better if one isnt spot on, so maybe thats part of the reason.when i brew i have an idea of what i want, but its probably incorrect for any one style. Its one of the joys of homebrewing i think.

 

[m00ps]

I dont give 2 S%^&ts about style. I generally use it as a reference point for others so they know what to expect from my brews. Most of my recipes are based on a certain ingredient I was to showcase and I'll jsut pick the best style for the blank canvas

 

[ImNoExpert]

I like to try to brew to style. Once I have something that I'm happy with in style, then I try to push the envelope more.

I think style is good because people naturally want to categorize things. If it's in its place then I know what it is. Lager, ale, Porter, Pale ale, Hefe, etc. Plants, animals, mammals, primates, etc. Metals, gasses, noble gasses, etc. Helps you know what you're getting.

Until you come across a California Common, platypus, or a jar of mercury.

 

[Clonefan94]

I'm into style as much as it gives me something to reference on my tap handles, that's about it. I only have one beer that I brew regularly, all the others I'm usually changing stuff up to see what I like, or if I liked something specific about a previous beer, I may up that in the next one to see if it helps or hinders.

I have no ambition to do competitions, most of my friends aren't really beer snobs and probably wouldn't know the difference between an IPA and a Pale Ale on paper anyways, so I don't really get too wrapped up in specific styles, other than, as I said, to have something to put on my tap handles. "This is an IPA, this is a Pale Ale, this is a porter, this is an American Amber, etc. I don't really even bother naming my beers other than adding the name of the hops used in the IPAs I make. I enjoy what I make, if someone gets that hung up on my beer that it doesn't fit a specific style, they are more than welcome to not drink any more of it.

Most of my beers probably fit into their respective style, but I have made plenty of Pales and Ambers that venture into the IPA range as well as making a couple lower ABV IPAs that might drink like pales.

 

[ktblunden]

Some of my beers I brew to style, some I don't. However, if I'm buying a commercial beer I expect it to fall within the confines of the style they claim it as unless they make it clear it's unique in some way.

 

[Vamptrump]

I care about style when I'm done, so I can describe the beer to people easily. If I start spitting off the recipe to people, everyone's eyes will roll into the back of their head. It's easier saying, "This is a stout".

I do get disappointed when I order a beer based on style and it isn't what it should be. Similar styles aren't that big of a deal, Porter/Stout, Pale/IPA. I've ordered Night of the Living Stout before and wasn't very pleased when it drank like a black IPA though.

 

[Gus_13]

I tend to never brew to style. I brew what I like and how I like it. Guidelines should be viewed as that... Guidelines. It's there to get you started towards what you want to brew. I don't like to be shackled to them but they give you and idea of where to head. After I've figured out where I want to go, I like to get there my own way. I don't even use any brewing software for a lot of my brews now. I just have an idea and try to get there with whatever knowledge I have about the ingredients.

Some of my favorite commercial beers would probably make a BJCP judge cringe.

 

[Malty_Dog]

Styles help me understand and appreciate the different aspects of beer (flavor, aroma, mouthfeel, etc) as well as a bit of the history of beer. When it was brewed and by whom, and why. After that, my homework is done and all I really want is something tasty. Though I do kind of enjoy it when I "brew to style" and feel like I nailed it.

 

[catdaddy66]

Styles help me understand and appreciate the different aspects of beer (flavor, aroma, mouthfeel, etc) as well as a bit of the history of beer. When it was brewed and by whom, and why. After that, my homework is done and all I really want is something tasty. Though I do kind of enjoy it when I "brew to style" and feel like I nailed it.

This is pretty much how I feel about my brewing. A style is a guide for me as I learn more and more about brewing. When I have done one style a couple of times I'll play around with yeast or hops, subbing some grain options also. It teaches me about ingredients, history, geography, etc. I'm not married to specifics which is why I don't get my panties in a twist if my numbers aren't perfect or flavors are off slightly. If I fail completely to meet the specs of a style I shrug, try to design a better alternative and drink the results. After all, it's beer!

 

[Iseneye]

Yes, I brew to style. I'm not picky about it but generally if I brew to style I know I'm going to make a beer I like. There is a big range even in a single style.

I think that if you plugged beers by those who don't brew to style into beersmith you may find they fit within the parameters of an existing style anyway.

 

[Brew_G]

Some of my beers I brew to style, some I don't. However, if I'm buying a commercial beer I expect it to fall within the confines of the style they claim it as unless they make it clear it's unique in some way.

I care about style when I'm done, so I can describe the beer to people easily. If I start spitting off the recipe to people, everyone's eyes will roll into the back of their head. It's easier saying, "This is a stout".

I do get disappointed when I order a beer based on style and it isn't what it should be. Similar styles aren't that big of a deal, Porter/Stout, Pale/IPA. I've ordered Night of the Living Stout before and wasn't very pleased when it drank like a black IPA though.

I'm of the same mind.

When I give a beer to my buddies, they'll always ask what style it is before they drink it. It shouldn't matter, but it makes it simpler for them to know what to expect. My wife doesn't really care - if it's a good, not overly malty beer, she'll drink it.

As for me personally, I don't really care about style when I'm brewing something because I know that I've brewed something that I should like and because I should know what to expect. I use styles as a guide, but if I fall outside of a style, it doesn't matter to me.

As for buying a beer - whether a pint in a restaurant or a six-pack at the store - I definitely want that beer to fall within the style that I'm expecting to drink.