[Tfwebster]

Last night, I was fortunate to enjoy Prairie Artisan Ales Standard (https://prairieales.com/standard/) on tap. When I got home, I looked up "farmhouse ale" on BJCP and ended up in Category 16 "Belgian and French Ale" (https://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style16.php), a relatively broad assembly of brews. I get it that styles vary (two imperial stouts, for instance,  may be quite different), but this category seems so broad that it gives me little guidance on how to make a beer in the vein of Standard. Thoughts on which set of style guidelines I should refer to as I seek to design my own farmhouse ale? I do recognize I can be guided by clone recipes and my own palette, but I'm looking to be in the same style rather than exactly replicate.

[majorvices]

That's kind of the spirit of Belgium, especially with FHA. You might read the book Farm House Ales and see what you think. It's hard to iron out a specific style style. I haven't had the beer you mention but Bam Bier would be my definition of an American Version of FHA and as far as Saison goes DuPont is consider by most to be standard.

[denny]

Keep in mind that BJCP guidelines aren for homebrew comps and don't necessarily have anything to do with what commercial breweries do.  That's why there are different style guidelines for GABF and other commercial comps.

[Tfwebster]

That's kind of the spirit of Belgium, especially with FHA. You might read the book Farm House Ales and see what you think. It's hard to iron out a specific style style. I haven't had the beer you mention but Bam Bier would be my definition of an American Version of FHA and as far as Saison goes DuPont is consider by most to be standard.

Thanks for the reply. I'm a big fan of Belgian beers and the book! Incidentally,  Lars Garshol is our March guest on Brewer's Book Club (see link in signature).

[Tfwebster]

 

Keep in mind that BJCP guidelines aren for homebrew comps and don't necessarily have anything to do with what commercial breweries do.  That's why there are different style guidelines for GABF and other commercial comps.

That's an interesting distinction that I didn't recognize.  Thank you!