Good places to start to learn about beer styles?

[Straya]

I want to learn in depth about different beer styles would anyone have any places to start? I've been unable to find podcasts or books mainly about styles to could you guys help me out?

Cheers

 

[Coodgee]

http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php

 

[Nizmoose]

To be honest you could do worse than going to the bjcp website and just reading about any style you're interested in there, the descriptions of flavour aroma colour and ingredients are all there and it's all in a perfectly searchable database with plenty of info

 

[Coalminer]

Found some good info in this book

Brewing Classic Styles - Jamil Zainasheff

http://www.bookdepository.com/Brewing-Classic-Styles-Jamil-Zainasheff/9780937381922

 

[donald_trub]

Here's a good visual resource I came across the other day - http://www.craftbeer.com/beer-styles

 

[GalBrew]

The Jamil Show/Brewing With Style podcasts on the Brewing Network are quite good, as is the BJCP website. What you really need to do though is go out and drink a whole bunch of different beers (a difficult undertaking I know).

 

[Straya]

Thanks a bunch guys

 

[warra48]

More inforrmation can be found here:

http://www.aabc.org.au/

 

[Rambo]

In addition to the Brewing Classic Styles book, I'd also recommend 'Designing Great Beers' by Ray Daniels.

 

[LiquidGold]

Here's a good visual resource I came across the other day - http://www.craftbeer.com/beer-styles

That page made me thirsty :chug:

 

[danestead]

Bjcp style guide, brewing clasic styles by zamil and your local bottle shop. Sit down and drink some of the classic examples listed in the bjcp guide.

 

[manticle]

Reading must be accompanied by tasting.

It's the law.

 

[Black n Tan]

Join a home-brew club. The first meeting I went too, I got to try more styles of beer than I could name at the time. Of course not all the beers presented will good examples of the style, but it still gives you some appreciation of the styles quite quickly.

 

[super_simian]

Read them. Remember them. But don't assume because of what you've read, that something which doesn't meet your expectations is "wrong". Beer has existed for longer than style, and you can't lock down something which is constantly evolving. Worth checking out any number of online sources who take an historic perspective, which can give you an idea of that stylistic evolution.

 

[manticle]

Oh yes. The culture and history around style development/evolution, the context it has is what makes it fascinating. It should not be dogma, it's information.
If you want to dig deeper into anything the classic beer styles books are mostly good and ron pattinson for UK type beers.

 

[super_simian]

Oh yes. The culture and history around style developmemt/evolution, the context it has is what makes it fascinating. It should not be dogma, it's information.
If you want to dig deeper into anything the classic beer styles books are mostly good and ron pattinson for UK type beers.

Exactly. Shut up about Barclay Perkins will totally change the way you understand IPA, Bitter, Pale Ale, Brown Ale and Mild, just for starters. Fascinating stuff.

 

[Weizguy]

To be honest you could do worse than going to the bjcp website and just reading about any style you're interested in there, the descriptions of flavour aroma colour and ingredients are all there and it's all in a perfectly searchable database with plenty of info

On the BJCP site, under each style, there are examples for each, and you should be able to buy some of those examples and sip them while you read the style guideline, maybe with a few mates, sharing a few examples. That's what we do in BJCP training.

(* This was mentioned a few times above, but reiterated and reworded here for the sake of reinforcing a really good idea).