Category 16 Belgian and French AleBJCP Study GroupDecember 4, 2013Karen White

BelgiumGood Beer Guide to Belgium, Tim Webb

Leuven

Witbier

• White beer, brewed as early as the fourteenth century, specifically around Leuven.• Style revived by Pierre Celis in 1966 in

Hoegaarden. Brewery sold to Artois (InBev).• Color from unmalted wheat (50%) and oats (5-

10%).• Spices may be added (coriander, orange peel).

16A. Witbier

A refreshing, elegant, tasty, moderate strength wheat-based ale.• Spices should blend with fruity, floral and sweet

aromas and flavors. May have slight lactic sourness.• Cloudy, milky, whitish-yellow. Good head

retention.• Low hop bitterness.• Medium-light to medium body, often with light

creaminess but may finish dry with slight tartness.

16A. Witbier• Vitals: OG: 1.044-1.052

IBUs: 10-20 FG: 1.008-1.012SRM: 2-4 ABV: 4.5-5.5%

• Sample recipe (Zainasheff):5.5lb Pilsner, 5 lb flaked wheat, 1.13lb flaked oats, 0.25lb Munich1.2 oz Hallertau (60)1.5oz citrus zest (5), 0.4oz coriander (5), .03oz chamomile (5)WLP400 or Wy3944Mash 122°F then 154°F. Boil 90 min.Ferment 68°F, raising to 72°F.

Antwerp

Maros

Belgian Pale Ale

• Everyday or Category 1 (1.044-1.054) beers.• Of modest strength and varying shades of amber,

these pale ales retain enough wacky character to remind the drinker that something Belgian is being consumed. Not heavily hopped like their British cousins, they rely on a mix of subtle maltiness and offbeat yeast character to make their point.

• Randy Mosher, Radical Brewing

16B. Belgian Pale Ale

A fruity, moderately malty, somewhat spicy, easy-drinking, copper-colored ale.• Moderate fruit aroma and flavor. Not citrusy.• Malty sweet aroma and flavor (toasty, biscuity, nutty).• Hop aroma and flavor, low to none. • Background peppery, spicy phenols.• Amber to copper with good clarity.• Medium to medium light body.

16B. Belgian Pale Ale• Vitals: OG: 1.048-1.054

IBUs: 20-30 FG: 1.010-1.014SRM: 8-14 ABV: 4.8-5.5%

• Sample recipe (Zainasheff):11.2lb Pilsner, 0.75lb CaraMunich, 0.25lb Biscuit1.3oz Kent Goldings (60), 0.3oz Kent Goldings (0)WLP515 or Wy3655Mash 152°F. Boil 90 min.Ferment at 66°F.

Wallonia and Northern France

Jean-Pol Grandmont

Saison and Bière de Garde

• Stronger ales made towards the end of the brewing season, destined for storage rather than immediate consumption.• Saisons developed in Wallonia in Belgium

and Bière de Garde in Northern France.

Saison

Farmhouse AlesPhil Markowski

16C. Saison

A refreshing, medium to strong fruity/spicy ale with a distinctive yellow-orange color, highly carbonated, well hopped, and dry with a quenching acidity.• Well attenuated (FG 1.006-1.008)• ABV 5-7%.• Complex fruit and spice-driven aroma from yeast or

spices.• Emphasis on hop aromatics and flavor rather than

bitterness.• May have acidity/sourness from water and or aging.

16C. Saison• Vitals: OG: 1.048-1.065

IBUs: 20-35 FG: 1.002-1.012SRM: 5-14 ABV: 5-7%

• Sample recipe (Zainasheff):10.5lb Pilsner, 0.75lb wheat malt, 0.75 Munich, 2oz CaraMunich1lb cane sugar1.7oz Hallertau (60), 0.75oz Hallertau (0)WLP565 or Wy3724Mash 147°F for 90 min. Boil 90 min.Ferment 68°F so start, then ramp up to 80°F.

Bière de Garde

Farmhouse AlesPhil Markowski

16D. Bière de Garde

A fairly strong, malt-accentuated, lagered artisanal farmhouse beer.• 6-8% ABV.• Malt character expressed over hop character. Toasty,

toffee-like or caramel sweetness.• “Provision beer.” Stored or lagered. May have cellar

character (yeasty notes or corked character).• Traditionally deep copper color but can range from blond

to brown.• Related styles Bière de Mars and Bière de Noel.

16D. Bière de Garde• Vitals: OG: 1.060-1.080

IBUs: 18-28 FG: 1.008-1.016SRM: 6-19 ABV: 6-8.5%

• Sample recipe (Zainasheff):11.5lb Pilsner, 3lb Munich, 0.75lb CaraVienna, 1.0oz Black Patent1lb cane sugar1.4oz Fuggle (60)WLP011 or Wy1338Mash 147°F for 90 min. Boil 90 min.Ferment 66°F, raising to 70°F. Cellar 3 months.

Belgian Specialty Ale

• It’s important to keep in mind that half of all beers in Belgium don’t fit into any particular style.

• Randy Mosher, Radical Brewing

www.upfront-live.com

16E. Belgian Specialty Ale

This is a catch-all category for any Belgian-style beer not fitting any other Belgian style category.• Can be used for clones of specific beers.• Belgian IPA, Belgian stout, quadrupels, and dark

saison would fall into this category.• The brewer must specify either the beer being

cloned, the new style being produced or the special ingredients or processes used.

References

2008 BJCP Style GuidelinesBelgian Ale, Pierre RajotteBrewing Classic Styles, Jamil Zainasheff and John PalmerBrewing With Wheat, Stan HieronymusGood Beer Guide Belgium, Tim WebbRadical Brewing, Randy Mosher

All photographs from Wikipedia