Award-winning homebrewer Paul Zocco (Zok) shared this bière de garde recipe modeled on a bière de garde from Castelain, one of the most celebrated breweries in French Flanders. Annick Castelain—the granddaughter of the brewery’s founder—has been pivotal in the movement to revive artisan brewing in France. This version of bière de garde is a bit higher in alcohol and somewhat sweeter, with a pleasant honey aroma and flavor. The appearance is deep golden. The yeast Zok has chosen shows some spicy notes, typical in this version. This malt-forward beer with a very subtle hops presence ages well.
This recipe is scaled to 5 gallons (19 liters) with a brewhouse efficiency around 80 percent. Zok recommends using soft, low-mineral water throughout the brewing process.
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