31B
Alternative Sugar Beer
Alternative Fermentables BeerColour varies by recipe
ABVVaries with the base style
IBUVaries with the base style
SRMVaries with the base style
31A
Alternative Grain Beer
A base beer enhanced by or featuring the character of additional grains. The specific character depends greatly on the added grains.
Colour varies by recipeParameter ranges
Alcohol · ABV
Varies with the base styleBitterness · IBU
Varies with the base styleColor · SRM
Varies with the base styleOriginal gravity · OG
Varies with the base styleFinal gravity · FG
Varies with the base styleRanges describe a style, not an individual beer. Colour depends on the base beer and ingredients. The transparent glass outline does not depict a fixed beer colour.
About this entry
An Alternative Grain Beer is a standard beer (Classic Style or not) with additional or non-standard brewing grains (e.g., rye, oats, buckwheat, spelt, millet, sorghum, rice) added or used exclusively. Gluten-free (GF) beers made from completely gluten-free ingredients belong to this group, while GF beers using process-based gluten removal retain their respective base-style classification.
Appearance
Same as base beer style, although some additional haze may be noticeable.
Aroma
Same as base beer style. The added grain will lend a particular character, although with some grains the beer will simply seem a bit more grainy or nutty, and some may have a relatively neutral character.
Flavor
Same as base beer style. The additional grain should be noticeable in flavor, although it may not be necessarily identifiable. Some grains add an additional grainy, bready, or nutty flavor, while others simply enhance the flavor of the base beer. Some grains add a dryness to the finish.
Mouthfeel
Same as the base beer, although many additional grains (e.g., oats, rye) increase body and viscosity, while some (e.g., GF grains) create a thinner beer.
In the same category
Notes
The alternative grain should contribute a noticeable sensory character. Otherwise, the base-style description remains the better reference. Beers in which that grain is already part of the style definition, such as Rye IPA, Oatmeal Stout, or rice- or corn-based International Lager, retain their normal classification. Sake is not beer and is outside this category.