17.3 Biere de Garde

[fungrel]

2nd place, Melbourne Brewers Beerfest 2017.

Biere De Garde

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Bière de Garde
Boil Time: 90 min
Batch Size: 21 liters (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 26.6 liters
Boil Gravity: 1.045
Efficiency: 60% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.067
Final Gravity: 1.011
ABV (standard): 7.26%
IBU (tinseth): 23.2
SRM (morey): 10.54

FERMENTABLES:
5 kg - American - Pilsner (69.8%)
1 kg - American - Munich - Light 10L (14%)
330 g - American - Aromatic Malt (4.6%)
230 g - German - CaraMunich I (3.2%)
80 g - United Kingdom - Amber (1.1%)
20 g - German - Carafa I (0.3%)
500 g - Cane Sugar - (late addition) (7%)

HOPS:
43 g - Saaz, Type: Pellet, AA: 4, Use: Boil for 90 min, IBU: 23.2

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 64 C, Time: 90 min
2) Sparge, Temp: 75 C, Time: 10 min
Starting Mash Thickness: 2.7 L/kg

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
0.5 each - Whirlfloc, Time: 5 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil
0.5 tsp - Yeast nutrient, Time: 15 min, Type: Other, Use: Boil

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - German Ale Yeast K-97
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 81%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 12.22 - 25 C
Fermentation Temp: 18 C
Pitch Rate: 1.25 (M cells / ml / deg P)
Additional Info: 24g Dry Packet Rehydrated

 

[hirschb]

How did a Biere de Garde fermented with a German ale yeast place? You gotta use a saison yeast (or some other French/Belgian yeast that throws out some esters)!

 

[Chridech]

How did a Biere de Garde fermented with a German ale yeast place? You gotta use a saison yeast (or some other French/Belgian yeast that throws out some esters)!

BJCP (and therefore the AABC) guidelines state the use of German Ale yeast and even Lager yeasts fermented warm.
No mention of Saison yeast. Surprised me too when putting together a recipe. More of a malt driven style, rather than yeast esters. Saison yeast is so characterful that any beer made with it is a Saison first and foremost.

 

[fungrel]

BJCP (and therefore the AABC) guidelines state the use of German Ale yeast and even Lager yeasts fermented warm.
No mention of Saison yeast. Surprised me too when putting together a recipe. More of a malt driven style, rather than yeast esters. Saison yeast is so characterful that any beer made with it is a Saison first and foremost.

I agree, Saison yeasts tend to be easy to pick out when used in any style. K-97 fermented warmer will throw a lot more esters, it fitted this style, although i made a few process errors and ended up more estery that it should have been.

 

[n87]

I did mine with Belle Saison fermented cool and it turned out a cracker.
Belle Saison is pretty sedate on the esters, and fermenting cool knocked them down more while still giving it that farmhouse taste.

 

[fungrel]

I would be keen to do this recipe again with a Belgian yeast, more phenolics would be an interesting addition.

 

[Chridech]

I have a beer I intended to be a Biere de Garde Brun fermented with Wy3787 Trappist High Gravity Ale Yeast in the keg and just about to bottle. I added a small amount of Pale chocolate malt that has contributed a nice chocolate/slightly roasty flavour but probably too much for style. The fruity yeast esters are evident but not over the top. I will enter this beer in comps as a Belgian Specialty Ale rather than BDG. Another label would be Baltic Porter but probably too much yeast character.

I would be keen to do this recipe again with a Belgian yeast, more phenolics would be an interesting addition.

 

[Chridech]

I did mine with Belle Saison fermented cool and it turned out a cracker.
Belle Saison is pretty sedate on the esters, and fermenting cool knocked them down more while still giving it that farmhouse taste.

I've only ever used Wy3711 and Wy3724, both have a lot of Saison character. Admittedly I ferment 3711 at 20C ramping to 25. I have only used 3724 once and ramped it to a ridiculous 32C in an attempt to finish it off. Only later learnt it is pressure sensitive.
I've had a few Belle Saison beers brewed by friends and they were the most peppery/phenolic
Beers I have ever had. Probably fermented quite warm.

 

[Chris79]

I am looking to brew this style in the next few months. It would seem that the French hop Strisselspalt would be the truest to style hop.

But has anyone brew Biere de Garde with Lubelski hops (a Polish hop)? Seems the link claims it would also be to style?

Cheers
Chris

 

[homebrewnewb]

From Brad Smith:
Continental hops are used with a floral or slightly spicy aroma such as Hallertauer, Tettnanger, or Saaz.

pretty generic statement.

have you considered how light or dark you are going yet? could determine your hop selection more than anything.

 

[goatchop41]

From Brad Smith:
Continental hops are used with a floral or slightly spicy aroma such as Hallertauer, Tettnanger, or Saaz.

pretty generic statement.

have you considered how light or dark you are going yet? could determine your hop selection more than anything.

Essentially just saying to use a noble-type hop

 

[homebrewnewb]

yep, in thinking about it, if you go lighter, i would have thought a noble like tettnanger or styrian with low AA would be more appropriate since it's style is supposed to be on maltier side.

 

[n87]

tbh, you will be putting bugger all hops in early in the boil. If you used something like Galaxy... you might see a difference, but between nobles, its splitting hairs.
I would concentrate more on the malt selection and fermentation

 

[Chris79]

From Brad Smith:
Continental hops are used with a floral or slightly spicy aroma such as Hallertauer, Tettnanger, or Saaz.

pretty generic statement.

have you considered how light or dark you are going yet? could determine your hop selection more than anything.

Cheers everyone. Understood best to broadly go noble.

I think I'd like to brew an Amber colour one first.

 

[Chris79]

tbh, you will be putting bugger all hops in early in the boil. If you used something like Galaxy... you might see a difference, but between nobles, its splitting hairs.
I would concentrate more on the malt selection and fermentation

My local brew shop stocks WhiteLabs. So if I didn't get WLP072, what Belgian strain would you use?

N87 - I did find some recipes on BYO, so based on that I drafted a recipe, like the attached. Let me know your thoughts?

Cheers