Why stick with style guidlines?

[O-Ale-Yeah]

If someone's goal is 100% only taste, do style guidelines matter?

 

[Qhrumphf]

Not in the slightest.

Style matters in exactly two ways:

1. Strict interpretation of style applies only for competition.

2. Broadly interpreting style makes for quick explanation of what to expect to another drinker.

 

[Kharnynb]

I just made a 9% abv honey-wheat, style guides are for competitions or telling people what it is, no more

 

[Keith81]

No they don't matter, unless you decide the beer tastes so good you want to enter a competition.

 

[grampamark]

The only person you have to please is yourself. If you've always wondered what a cranberry-sunflower seed-flamin' hot Cheeto-oyster stout would taste like, go for it.

 

[imasickboy]

I'll throw an opposing opinion in the ring, just because it at least needs to be there.

Brewing to style can help make you a better brewer. Having a stationary target to aim for can help you identify differences in process and recipe formulation. The key is "stationary target". Making "beer that I like to drink" is a moving target, and will potentially slow your growth as a brewer.

That said, I rarely aim for brewing to style. But I do think it is important to have a definitive target to aim for on occasion.

 

[Qhrumphf]

While I think you're *mostly* correct (and brewing to traditional style can definitely take you out of your wheelhouse and expand your knowledge of techniques and ingredients), one needn't use accepted style guidelines to set a defined target.

You can set a vision for what you want to brew and then set out to brew it and it's functionally the same. Just requires a tougher level of honesty and self-criticism (that most homebrewers lack) to determine whether or not you achieved your goal.

Of course learning to brew a wide array of styles, to style, and the techniques and ingredients needed to do so (it's far more than just getting IBUs, gravities, SRM and ABV right) can expand your toolbox enough to accomplish the latter.

 

[jack13]

It can also be a challenge, and fun, to brew to style...and satisfying when you've done a good job of it.

 

[BobBailey]

The only reason I can see to strictly adhere to style guidelines is if you're gong to enter the beer in a competition. They are, however, guidelines and can be used as such if you're looking to brew a specific style. Great thing about homebrewing is you can brew whatever you want.

 

[MaxStout]

That's the beauty of home brewing. You can brew whatever you want, experiment, go crazy. It's your beer. Why be confined if you want to mix it up a little?

 

[O-Ale-Yeah]

I suspected as much, thanks for the feedback. In addition to the challenge of brewing a style, the potential for it to take you outside of your accomplished abilities, does aiming for a style improve the chance that characteristics will be in sync?

For example, broccoli is thought of by most as a poor choice for a parfait topping and chocolate chips would be more inline with parfait style guidelines. Do style guideline inform variable choices?

 

[Qhrumphf]

It can. I'm not going to use English malts to brew a German style. And depending on the character of the style, more specific than that. Where a Märzen and an American Amber might have similar SRM and strength, they'll be getting there in radically different ways with very different characters.

 

[shetc]

Brewing to style will help you understand if you are brewing "correctly". For example, if you do well in a competition then you may feel that you have good brewing controls in place. After that, do as you please. BTW, there are categories 34B (mixed styles) and 34C (experimental beer), which is for brewers doing something different.

 

[Bobby_M]

The guidelines are there to help you describe beer. It's short hand used by people who understand it. Think of it this way... I get people that come into my shop and they want to brew "something like an ale". Oh good, that narrows it down.

You can go after it with a huge list of appearance, aroma, flavor and origin descriptors or if both people know BJCP, you can say something like "I want to brew something between a Maibock and a Doppelbock but slightly more hoppy".

 

[Northern_Brewer]

If someone's goal is 100% only taste, do style guidelines matter?

If the goal is 100% only taste then you have no business applying a style to the beer, it's irrelevant. Therefore if you have no style, there are no guidelines to matter.

As others have said the whole concept of a "style" is to act as a shorthand for communicating with others.

There's also the issue of how accurate the guidelines in the first place - for instance half the BJCP 2008 guidelines for British beers bore no relation to any reality, the 2015 guidelines are much better but still have some holes in them. What is the "truth" for British beers, what actually happens in Britain, or the "official" view thereof from an ocean away?

 

[treacheroustexan]

I'm very much against style guidelines. Sometimes I'll follow them when I'm competiting in a BJCP competition just to win, but most of the time I don't.

Today I brewed a beer with 100% Red X Malt, Australian Vic Hops, and Kolsch Yeast. Enough said haha.

 

[Qhrumphf]

The BJCP tries to be clear (less than effectively) that their intent is to describe beers as they're brewed today (as opposed to historically) and the guidelines written using American craft brewing terminology. It describes beer as it's brewed, NOT telling people what to brew.

This practiced in comp judging- BJCP comps at the homebrew scale rigidly apply BJCP guidelines. Commercial comps (even BJCP sanctioned) tend to either use less rigid guidelines themselves (BA/GABF guidelines) or much more loosely apply BJCP.

And, as said, the BJCP guidelines are far from perfect. GABF guidelines are updated more often too.

 

[Calder]

There is no reason to stick with style guidelines, but it is a benefit to understand what they are and where you move outside of them.

 

[grampamark]

The late comedian, George Carlin, once observed "I have just as much authority as the Pope. I just don't have as many people who believe that".

So it is with style guidelines. If you never plan to enter a BJCP judged competition, your interpretation of a Porter or a Saison or an APA or whatever, is as valid as anyone else's.

 

[McKnuckle]

It describes beer as it's brewed, NOT telling people what to brew.

There's a nice analogy to music here, for those who can relate. Music theory describes music as it is written/performed; it does not tell people what to play. But some musicians - usually those without knowledge of theory - commonly protest its usage as being prescriptive or didactic. Not so.

Many disciplines have a common language for ideas to be conveyed amongst participants. Becoming conversant in the language promotes a deeper level of awareness, of appreciation for the work of others, and for the evolution of the art.

Such is the case for beer style guidelines. Learn the "rules" first, then break them if you wish. if you pay no attention to the rules from the start, you miss out on a lot of knowledge and experience.

 

[Qhrumphf]

There's a nice analogy to music here, for those who can relate. Music theory describes music as it is written/performed; it does not tell people what to play. But some musicians - usually those without knowledge of theory - commonly protest its usage as being prescriptive or didactic. Not so.

Many disciplines have a common language for ideas to be conveyed amongst participants. Becoming conversant in the language promotes a deeper level of awareness, of appreciation for the work of others, and for the evolution of the art.

Such is the case for beer style guidelines. Learn the "rules" first, then break them if you wish. if you pay no attention to the rules from the start, you miss out on a lot of knowledge and experience.

I haven't thought about music theory (or played anything) in more than 15 years, but that's very well said.

The example that comes to mind is Charlie Parker (I think, as said it's been a long time) who routinely was playing in a different key than his band, but understood the theory behind it enough to make it work in a way thay was uniquely his own.

The same can be said with painting. Understand the techniques of those who came before you before developing your own.

 

[ncbrewer]

If you sample a beer of a particular style and like it a lot, you can use the style guidelines to brew something pretty similar. It's far from perfect, but it's been helpful for me.

 

[brewcat]

All beer fits a general style. Yes guidelines matter to an extent. You don't have to be constrained by them... But, just because you call your stout a pale ale doesn't make it so...