New Australian Style - Experiment Invite/Discussion

[barabool]

What about some inspiration from some historic Australian beers -
This is from the The Australasian newspaper (Melbourne, Vic. ), Saturday 9 October 1880, page 24

 

[HBHB]

Don't know... Saison sounds pretty French to me

Aren't we making up a new style anyway?

So call it a "Season" Orstraylyan for Saison. yeast cultured from the belly button fluff of a shearer wearing a Jackie Howe singlet.

 

[verysupple]

:icon_offtopic:

<snip>

Southern Oceans Ale? Southern Ocean Ale? Tasman Sea Ale? But then, S&W are on the Pacific Ocean - so are we going for providence of the beer, or providence of the hops?

<snip>

I'm a bit behind in this thread, but I think the word you're looking for is "provenance". Providence means something completely different...or a town in Rhode Island, USA.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

:icon_offtopic:


I'm a bit behind in this thread, but I think the word you're looking for is "provenance". Providence means something completely different...or a town in Rhode Island, USA.

Must be a tablet typo.

My wife is French descent (1st gen Aussie), I should know the proper word!

Thanks mate

 

[///]

I read thru, and seemed that much of the discussion was about a light Pale Ale that simply uses what was a new hop in dry hop. Unlike a beer like Barons (forgive me for mentioning them) Wattle Seed Ale ... or a take on a different theme ... Vienna Imperial Lager ... with belgo ale and lager yeast ...

So i'd ask the question about the use of a technique or a addition other than a new hop ...

Flame suit on ...

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I used to love Baron's Lemon Myrtle Witbier.

The current idea sprange from the fact that S&W PA was neither an APA nor an American Wheat. It sort of straddled a number of styles and uses AU/NZ hops. Based on both AABC and BJCP guidelines it cannot be classified at the moment.

I would (though hesitatingly) add that they use a very very light IBU profile, mostly late additions - we're talking the aroma of these hops, flavour, but tops 20IBU in this instance.

It's a commercial success and in qualitative terms, it tastes like Aussie Summer should.

Another possible explanation - look at, say an American Pilsener or even APA as a style. It realistically is just a continental (in the case of Pils) or English Ale (APA) with American hops. But certainly the beer is much different from that which it originated from.

No flamesuit - this is a massive discussion thread on 'what a current Aussie craft beer is and can we define one (or more) styles for it'.

After thinking about AU/NZ Pils, I think this discussion runs deeper than "change x hop, but it's still the same" - but I certainly think that 'there is no right or wrong answer' to this.

 

[///]

Yes, there is no right answer. The beer discussed won a World Beer Cup medal in the English Summer Ale category just to confuse issues.

We have made a few 100% wheat beers for ourselves and a contract (one included wasabi), and I'd also say there are quite a few brewers chasing a similar light ale with all the hops put into the whirlpool ... so what is new about that sort of beer ...

I'd be keen to see a clandestine network of home brewers wearing hoddies canoodling in dark corners talking in whispers about something other than a dry hopped light ale, maybe a solera wood aged wild yeast flanders beer refermented with pear juice ...

Want some left field very original beers, look no further ... http://www.farmhousebeer.com/our-beers.html

 

[HBHB]

If I may add two worthless cents:

Does it really matter?

Outside of a competitive entry submitted for judging, brewers will always just make what beer style suits them. I mean who ever heard of something black as the ace of spades being classed as pale? ie Black Indian Pale Ale maybe - I'm missing something. What's next...a Black Belgian Witbier?

If at some stage, their beer doesn't sit within the style guidelines of BJCP or AABC, it doesn't detract from the said beer being gob smackingly delicious. If they want it judged then they can enter it into the specialty beer category and have the beer judged on it's own merits.

BTW, Amber Ales don't have a category under AABC either. (Correction, they do now for 2014, tks Andrew)

 

[sponge]

I read thru, and seemed that much of the discussion was about a light Pale Ale that simply uses what was a new hop in dry hop. Unlike a beer like Barons (forgive me for mentioning them) Wattle Seed Ale ... or a take on a different theme ... Vienna Imperial Lager ... with belgo ale and lager yeast ...

So i'd ask the question about the use of a technique or a addition other than a new hop ...

Flame suit on ...

Completely off topic, but there's a small brewery out in Renmark (Woolshed brewery) that does a wattleseed dark ale and is quite nice indeed. Can be a little hit and miss, but when it's good it's a real nice drop.

And just down the road from the brewery is a place that makes sticky wattleseed balsamic. My lord.. god's nectar. Myself and the mrs go through far too much of that stuff.. Doesn't help that we buy it in casks.

If it was alcoholic, I'd have a new poison.


Now, back to the style discussion!

 

[mje1980]

For years I've been wanting to put my chilli vanilla vegemite imperial stout pale lager saison in a comp. The way things are going, soon there might even be an Australian version of the style.

 

[AndrewQLD]

BTW, Amber Ales don't have a category under AABC either.

8.4 American Amber Ale

 

[Bribie G]

Australian style:

kilo saunders malt
two kilos raw sugar
ounce of Pride of Ringwood flowers stored on a LHBS shelf for at least one summer
Teaspoon Parisian Essence

Tandaco yeast

Ferment at 27 degrees for a week.

 

[HBHB]

8.4 American Amber Ale

Thanks, when did that come in Andrew? Looking at a print out here now.....nada. 2010 guidelines printed 2012 has duseldorf Alt as 8.4.
sorry for the hijack

 

[AndrewQLD]

I think it changed in 2013, although my memory is pretty crap.

 

[Bribie G]

The Australian version of the BJCP guidelines dropped the American Amber as it was considered that nobody was brewing it anymore. They were in the style guide in 2009 as I entered one. However they disappeared then reappeared a few years later, I think it might have been 2012.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

The Australian version of the BJCP guidelines dropped the American Amber as it was considered that nobody was brewing it anymore. They were in the style guide in 2009 as I entered one. However they disappeared then reappeared a few years later, I think it might have been 2012.

Thus why this discussion is worth having (heck I think it is even for the fun of it! ).

Styles are coming on and off the BJCP and AABC guidelines in line with 'demand' (to give it an economic term). Why not discuss new styles. Outside of AABC (for Aus) no one has more brewers' input in this country regarding what is currently being brewed.

The way I see it, the guidelines are reactive (to what is being brewed) to allow like beers to be judged in as fair a way as possible (although we all know that even this is subject to different judges' perceptions and interpretations). Having said that, this topic started as a proactive "what if we made up a new style?" exercise, not a reactive "this is why we're brewing, why not create a style of our own?".

If it's just a big whole lot of wind and no-one enjoys talking about it (it's a bit like pub speak, lots of hot air ), we can just all agree to disagree and leave it status quo ante bellum.

 

[Nizmoose]

If I may add two worthless cents:

Does it really matter?

Outside of a competitive entry submitted for judging, brewers will always just make what beer style suits them. I mean who ever heard of something black as the ace of spades being classed as pale? ie Black Indian Pale Ale maybe - I'm missing something. What's next...a Black Belgian Witbier?

If at some stage, their beer doesn't sit within the style guidelines of BJCP or AABC, it doesn't detract from the said beer being gob smackingly delicious. If they want it judged then they can enter it into the specialty beer category and have the beer judged on it's own merits.

BTW, Amber Ales don't have a category under AABC either. (Correction, they do now for 2014, tks Andrew)

It really doesn't matter and you're 100% correct any addition or subtraction of styles is highly unlikely to change the frequency of which they're brewed but it's a good conversation

 

[Blind Dog]

It really doesn't matter and you're 100% correct any addition or subtraction of styles is highly unlikely to change the frequency of which they're brewed but it's a good conversation

+1 (if that's what you young uns do; I don't get Gen A let alone Gen Y or anything in between)

And I just realized that I have to eat humble pie, climb a long ladder and hang myself from my own petard, as b***** me sideways but there is already a style with 1 commercial example; Ladies and gentleperkins I give you BJCP style 7B California common (aka Anchor Steam; they're scraping the barrel with the other 2 examples given in the 2008 guidelines).

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

+1 (if that's what you young uns do; I don't get Gen A let alone Gen Y or anything in between)
And I just realized that I have to eat humble pie, climb a long ladder and hang myself from my own petard, as b***** me sideways but there is already a style with 1 commercial example; Ladies and gentleperkins I give you BJCP style 7B California common (aka Anchor Steam; they're scraping the barrel with the other 2 examples given in the 2008 guidelines).

And I reckon a lot of Commons and cream ales are being brewed here because they're in the (American) guidelines.

 

[///]

For years I've been wanting to put my chilli vanilla vegemite imperial stout pale lager saison in a comp. The way things are going, soon there might even be an Australian version of the style.

No barrel aging? Prefer those ones ...