Biere de Garde

[jjeffers09]

16D. Bière de Garde

Aroma: Prominent malty sweetness, often with a complex, light to moderate toasty character. Some caramelization is acceptable. Low to moderate esters. Little to no hop aroma (may be a bit spicy or herbal). Commercial versions will often have a musty, woodsy, cellar-like character that is difficult to achieve in homebrew. Paler versions will still be malty but will lack richer, deeper aromatics and may have a bit more hops. No diacetyl.

Appearance: Three main variations exist (blond, amber and brown), so color can range from golden blonde to reddish-bronze to chestnut brown. Clarity is good to poor, although haze is not unexpected in this type of often unfiltered beer. Well-formed head, generally white to off-white (varies by beer color), supported by high carbonation.

Flavor: Medium to high malt flavor often with a toasty, toffee-like or caramel sweetness. Malt flavors and complexity tend to increase as beer color darkens. Low to moderate esters and alcohol flavors. Medium-low hop bitterness provides some support, but the balance is always tilted toward the malt. The malt flavor lasts into the finish but the finish is medium-dry to dry, never cloying. Alcohol can provide some additional dryness in the finish. Low to no hop flavor, although paler versions can have slightly higher levels of herbal or spicy hop flavor (which can also come from the yeast). Smooth, well-lagered character. No diacetyl.

Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-light (lean) body, often with a smooth, silky character. Moderate to high carbonation. Moderate alcohol, but should be very smooth and never hot.

Overall Impression: A fairly strong, malt-accentuated, lagered artisanal farmhouse beer.

Comments: Three main variations are included in the style: the brown (brune), the blond (blonde), and the amber (ambrée). The darker versions will have more malt character, while the paler versions can have more hops (but still are malt-focused beers). A related style is Bière de Mars, which is brewed in March (Mars) for present use and will not age as well. Attenuation rates are in the 80-85% range. Some fuller-bodied examples exist, but these are somewhat rare.

History: Name literally means “beer which has been kept or lagered.” A traditional artisanal farmhouse ale from Northern France brewed in early spring and kept in cold cellars for consumption in warmer weather. It is now brewed year-round. Related to the Belgian Saison style, the main difference is that the Bière de Garde is rounder, richer, sweeter, malt-focused, often has a “cellar” character, and lacks the spicing and tartness of a Saison.

Ingredients: The “cellar” character in commercial examples is unlikely to be duplicated in homebrews as it comes from indigenous yeasts and molds. Commercial versions often have a “corked”, dry, astringent character that is often incorrectly identified as “cellar-like.” Homebrews therefore are usually cleaner. Base malts vary by beer color, but usually include pale, Vienna and Munich types. Kettle caramelization tends to be used more than crystal malts, when present. Darker versions will have richer malt complexity and sweetness from crystal-type malts. Sugar may be used to add flavor and aid in the dry finish. Lager or ale yeast fermented at cool ale temperatures, followed by long cold conditioning (4-6 weeks for commercial operations). Soft water. Floral, herbal or spicy continental hops.

Vital Statistics: OG: 1.060 – 1.080
IBUs: 18 – 28 FG: 1.008 – 1.016
SRM: 6 – 19 ABV: 6 – 8.5%

 

[jjeffers09]

Is it just me or is this as clear as mud.

Pale versions - blond
Amber versions - ambree
Dark versions - brun

I get all that. I am struggling with the flavor profiles of the sometimes clear sometimes hazy, sometimes full bodied, sometimes medium-dry, sometimes dry. Malt forward low hop is something my palate leans towards anyway. It seems there is a cousin to saison aspect of this beer that I appreciate and could taste prior to becoming educated on the subject. But this is driving me nuts. I want to try and make a good version of this brew. Because I think it is an artisanal of an artisanal brew. I am sure family by family or farm by farm have the version they do best. I think the lager/ale brew mystery is got me stumped on the subject.

 

[jjeffers09]

I want to make a full bodied version of this beer. But I think it would do will with a full bodied brew, backed by a late addition sugar/adjunct to dry things up. Also I think this would go a long way with a couple of yeast options. First a clean lager like ale ie wyeast 2565 or 1007 but finish/age the brew with adjunct and a secondary yeast like 3638, 3333, 3068. On the long cold condition I think it would do unbelievably well and would not give the banana flavors

 

[Aristotelian]

I agree, the guidelines are kind of ridiculous. It would be like if there was one category of "American Ale" that included stouts, porters, browns, amber, pale, blonde, and IPA, all lumped into one category with no sub-categories. To me, it just means that you have the opportunity to brew whatever kind of beer you want, as long as it is lagered.

I haven't had too many beers in this style but the ones I have had were surprisingly malt-forward and borderline cloying, in my opinion. I was surprised because I had heard this beer compared to saison. Not my preference, but if it's what you are going for I would mash high and use some crystal malt.

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

I agree, the guidelines are kind of ridiculous. It would be like if there was one category of "American Ale" that included stouts, porters, browns, amber, pale, blonde, and IPA, all lumped into one category with no sub-categories. To me, it just means that you have the opportunity to brew whatever kind of beer you want, as long as it is lagered.

I haven't had too many beers in this style but the ones I have had were surprisingly malt-forward and borderline cloying, in my opinion. I was surprised because I had heard this beer compared to saison. Not my preference, but if it's what you are going for I would mash high and use some crystal malt.

That's why this style is insane. All the Biere de gardes I've had were pale/amber versions that were dry and spicy like a saison, nothing about them came off as lager characters. They were malty but definitely had major saison character.

 

[jjeffers09]

This style is a little insane because there is so much room for "artistic interpretation". As I read it over and over, and taste the few I have ever seen season after season. Ambree and brun are my favorites, blonds, to me would be better off as a saison. Reading up on the style leads me to think the yeast and the conditioning methods is what gets the job done. Late addition adjuncts to dry out, but a super malt forward grist (that has some kettle caramelization perhaps). And am I crazy to think it may be fermented 3x? primary, long cold conditioned secondary with adjunct, and bottle fermentation then lay it down for 6months? longer? at the eod I think I need to just start brewing. I am thinking to start on 1gal and start playing around with it. maybe 1 750ml bottle at a time to lay down, bottle up the rest and taste.

 

[TNGabe]

My advice is to take those BJCP guidelines, print them out, wad the paper up, and burn it. Biere de Garde isn't a style. Very few of the brewers of Northern France that make the beers that are thought of as BdG make any claim to them being such.

Farmhouse Ales is where you want to start. I take that back. You want to start at bottle shop by buying actual French BdGs, which it sounds like you have already. Definitely not any US versions as they are almost unanimously terrible. I'm a big St Sylvestre fan. 3 monts is their blond beer, Gavroche is dark. Jenlain is the 'original' BdG, or at least credited with reviving/reinventing the style in the 50s'

WLP072 French Ale is a seasonal strain and available now. It's what you want to use. Can you use something else? Yes. Would the beer have been better with WLP072? Almost certainly. It's sort of a finicky little thing. Likes to start around 64 and needs to free rise / ramp before krausen falls or it will stall. Doesn't have to get hot, but mid 70s is fine. Once the temp is elevated, don't let it dip or the yeast will flocc before it's done. 90% AA isn't unrealistic and still makes a malt forward beer. That dry/malt/carb/mouthfeel thing is what it's all about for me.

 

[jjeffers09]

Jester King Repose, Schlaflys, Castelains ambree, Bells Le Contrabassiste, Thiriez LAmbree DEsquelbecq, Brasserie La Choulette De Noel LaD'Artagnan Des Sans Culottes and De Printemps are the ones that I like but are not what I would want to try and clone. They are all missing something that I would like to pin point and make my favorite version of. I have made Saisons, and they are good, but I want to give this one a go.

no particular order there, just ones that I have a liked. I can't say I can remember the ones that I don't care for, but I have probably tried like 20. Can't knock it till you try it right?