How to simply differentiate different beer styles

[The Baron]

Hi
It is really starting to confuse me how as brewers we can brew the style of beers nowadays are they seem to be blending into each other. Is there a simple way to get the grain bill correct for style or do we use the sames grains for golden ales, IPA's etc.
Think I need to revisit the basics again as I make a beer and apart from the hops do not know what to call it
HELP

 

[Wouter]

Define simple? Some styles are quite clear, others are not. A weizen for instance is always something like 50% pils malt, 50% wheat malt.

Even more important, do you really care?
Make any beer you like :)! Use the styles as inspiration, but do whatever you want.

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
Does this help?

 

[Thumper]

Think I need to revisit the basics again as I make a beer and apart from the hops do not know what to call it
HELP

What's in it? What's the colour and the ibu? What yeast did you use?

The grain bill alone doesn't define a style.

 

[Wouter]

What's in it? What's the colour and the ibu? What yeast did you use?

The grain bill alone doesn't define a style.

Well, the colour is defined by the grain bill haha .

 

[-Bezza-]

Think I need to revisit the basics again as I make a beer and apart from the hops do not know what to call it

If you put the recipe in here: https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/calculator/

When you click on the "more" button next to all the OG, FG, ABV info, it'll give you an indication of matching styles at the bottom. That should give you an idea of ballpark you're in.

 

[Thumper]

Well, the colour is defined by the grain bill haha .

This is true :) but you can achieve the same colour with different grains.

 

[Dutto]

As per Bezza above.

If I'm contemplating something new I feed my recipe into BrewersFriend, find out what it will look like and then start searching through the different styles to see what it will turn out to be.

Really scientific me!

My last brew started out in my mind as a "Mild Ale" to use up some grain that I had left over from last year. Fed everything into BrewersFriend and discovered that what I was actually making was a "Robust Porter".

It sounds good if you can actually tell friends which style of brew they are drinking and they need never know that you started without a clue as to what you were going to make! :wave:

Alternatively, you can use these style guidelines ...

https://www.brewersassociation.org/resources/brewers-association-beer-style-guidelines/

... and then go to BrewersFriend in order to match the style you wish to brew. That's how I finished up with my Vienna Lager; it ticked all the boxes in the guidelines and tasted so nice that I have brewed it on numerous occasions.

Enjoy! :thumb:

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi!
There is only one style of beer for Yorkshire homebrewers:
Mek it, sup it

 

[The Baron]

Well thanks chaps you have between you confirmed what I was doing which is changing a recipe several times before brew and sometimes using grains leftover and that is where the ambiguity begins and the confusion. I will just make what I want and call it what I think it is according to brewers friend
Ps Bigcol49 i'll mek it and sup it wi yorkshire watter

 

[Nicks90]

Best brews int' world are made with yooorkshur Watter
Dunt matter what t'grain bill is, it'll be reet
Sithee