Bière de Garde
Northern Homebrewer, St. Paul, MN
Malt 1: 7 lbs. Pilsen DME
Grain 1: .5 lbs Dingeman’s Aromatic
Grain 2: .5 lbs Gambrinus Honey Malt
Hop 1: 1 oz Styrian Goldings
Yeast: Used – Saflager S-23 (65-75)
Also available – Wyeast 2112 California Lager Yeast (58-68)
Biere de Garde should be brew at warmer ale temps and cold stored at colder temps.
Boiling Schedule:
After the water reaches 155°F add the bag full of grain to the water in the kettle and steep like a tea bag as the water continues to heat. Remove water from heat and mix 3 lbs. of DME until dissolved @ 90 minutes. Bring water back to a boil and add Hop 1 @ 90 minutes. With 15 minutes left mix 4 lbs of remaining DME until dissolved @ 15 minutes left in the boil.
Notes:
Transfer to secondary fermenter after 14 days or begin taking daily hydrometer readings – when hydrometer readings are the same on consecutive days, primary fermentation is complete. Proceed to bottling or secondary fermentation. Bottle with 1.25 cups of wheat DME or .75 cups of corn sugar. Bottle condition and store for up to 3 months.
From Northern Brewer:
O.G: 1063 / Ready: 3 months
Bière de Garde is a beer that has its origins in the northern region of France known as Nord-Pas de Calais. This style is intended to be cellared for many months, and is brewed relatively strong. Bronze in color, this beer has clean fermentation properties and a caramelly profile from a longer-than-usual boil. Our Bière de Garde kit is intended to be fermented ‘steam style’, by a lager yeast fermented at warmer ale temperatures. To enhance the cleanliness, this beer should be cold-conditioned in the bottle for two months before serving.
I’m really getting into trying as many styles as I can, appropriate to my fermentation temps in my basement. I’m not content on just brewing one style or recipe over and over and perfecting it. I feel there are so many recipes and styles to try. My next home brew was a Biere de Garde kit that I purchased through Northern Brewer out of St. Paul, MN. Biere de Garde is a farmhouse ale originating from northern France’s border with Belgium. I brewed it today with an OG of 1.60 (target was 1.063), balling was 15%, and potential alcohol was 8% per the hydrometer. I pitched the yeast with the wort at 64 degrees. I’m trying something new that I read on a forum to keep my fermentation temps higher in my 59 degree basement. I placed my carboy in a tubberware container where I have a 100 watt aquarium heater keeping the water at 69 degrees.
NB’s catalog and customer service were great and very helpful. Their own description says:
OG: 1063 / Ready: 3 months
Bière de Garde is a beer that has its origins in the northern region of France known as Nord-Pas de Calais. This style is intended to be cellared for many months, and is brewed relatively strong. Bronze in color, this beer has clean fermentation properties and a caramelly profile from a longer-than-usual boil. Our Bière de Garde kit is intended to be fermented ‘steam style’, by a lager yeast fermented at warmer ale temperatures. To enhance the cleanliness, this beer should be cold-conditioned in the bottle for two months before serving.
BeerAdvocate.com‘s description of the Belgian hybrid:
Description:
The Biere de Garde is golden to deep copper or light brown in color. They are moderate to medium in body. This style of beer is characterized by a toasted malt aroma, slight malt sweetness in flavor, and medium hop bitterness. Noble-type hop aromas and flavors should be low to medium. Fruity esters can be light to medium in intensity. Flavor of alcohol is evident. Earthy, cellar-like, musty aromas and flavors are okay. Diacetyl should not be perceived but chill haze is okay. Often bottle conditioned with some yeast character.
Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 6.0-8.0%
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about this beer, with a nice photo of 3 Monts.
As you may have noticed, I’ve begun posting my current and past recipes. You can view all my recipes that I’ve tried from local and national home brew suppliers by simply clicking the “recipe” tag.
