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A local competition - that I wasn't sure would even happen again this year - has opened up... in fact, I missed the beginning of registration (July 7th... apparently, I was distracted).
Beer has to be turned in by August 30th, and they are using the 2015 guidelines. I had hoped to enter multiple beers this year, but I'm caught off guard.
Now, I ought to be able to turn almost any non lager (maybe anything, period) over in 30 days... but I'm only going to have one batch ready. I rather doubt that my hoppy amber lager will fit any style category, since it was more of a concept/fun beer... and even if it did, I'll lose a lot of hoppiness in thirty more days.
It's a bit frustrating, as they are closing dropoff on august 30th, but won't judge until October 2nd. Meh, whatever.
I figure that if I'm brewing one beer for a comp, it needs to be something I feel good about, right? The two I feel best about are the Thundersmoke Brown and the Wandering Barbarian IPA.
The former is a house beer for me, and was the next thing I was planning to brew, anyway. I've done it enough times that I have no doubt as to the final beer. However, it fits a fairly unpopular category (2008 11C, Northern English Brown), and has a hint of smokiness to it that may torpedo it in any competition.
The former is a house beer for me, and was the next thing I was planning to brew, anyway. I've done it enough times that I have no doubt as to the final beer. However, it fits a fairly unpopular category (2008 11C, Northern English Brown), and has a hint of smokiness to it that may torpedo it in any competition.
The latter is probably the best beer I've ever brewed. But probably a third of the total entries will be a freaking American IPA.
Hah. Would I be smarter to pick something to brew specifically for the comp? Obviously, something I would still enjoy drinking.
Shoot some opinions at me, please.
Posted 34 days ago.
Hmmm... maybe try another shot at the Hofbrau Oktoberfest rendition? Fast lager it, enter it as a 4B Festbier?
Posted 34 days ago.
How about brewing a SMaSH split batches. I tend to do this with a new (to me) bag of malt like Golden Promise and see how it performs. So something like an APA / Bitter, split onto a clean yeast and a blended British yeast (Notty+Windsor). I actually do really well in comps when I submit them. Determine if you want to dry hop one or both. I tend to knock out the Bitter first (fairly straightforward use of fruity British hops), then extend the boil slightly for the APA adding in a few ounces of American/NZ hops to increase bitterness and get a more APA/IPA hop character. Usually, I get dinged that the APA is too bitter and should be entered in IPA, and that the bitter needs more hops. But brew clean and it will score really well.
Posted 34 days ago.
What comp is this? I don't see it on the BJCP calendar.
If I'm entering a comp using 2015 guidelines I'd like to enter one of the new categories for novelty's sake, so I vote for Festbier.Posted 34 days ago.
Why didn't I think of a split batch? Lol. That makes so many kinds of sense.
Posted 34 days ago.
Also, if there's a month between entry and judging, that could be bad for any hop forward styles. You'd have to overbitter it a bit if you did that.
OHHH...you know what we need to do?Posted 34 days ago.
I've been wanting to do a vienna, this might be fun. Are you entering this comp?
Only issue I see is that 4 weeks is tough to turn around a lager seeing that I bottle...
Posted 34 days ago.
What comp is it?
Posted 34 days ago.
Alabama Brew Off.
Posted 34 days ago.
Website says entries will be accepted until Sept 18. Aug 30 is first day of acceptance.
Hardest part will be agreeing on a recipe.
Posted 34 days ago.
You should make something with only pils, Munich, c60, wheat flakes.
Posted 34 days ago.
Hehehehe. I was waiting for that.
though that might work alright for a vienna.
I say hes forced to use nothing but rye and black patent.
though that might work alright for a vienna.
I say hes forced to use nothing but rye and black patent.
Posted 34 days ago.
I'm not making a Lager for BU or I would have suggested that.
Posted 34 days ago.
Make a table saison! Then ferment at ambient!
Posted 34 days ago.
They just changed then. I just read it, said august 24 till 30.
Posted 34 days ago.
