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**llama_boy** · 11-19-2012, 10:32 PM

I just received my scores from a BJCP event, got a 37 and a 40. This was my first competition but I felt this beer was worthy and I wanted to see what feedback I would receive for a beer I thought was very good. The 37 found the beer a little oxidized while the 40 really didn't name any flaws but did mention a tartness. One judge was certified while the other was a master.

My batch was all according to the original recipe except I used Marris Otter for the base. The 40 mentioned the extra biscuit/malt and thought it made the beer better.

Thanks for the great simple recipe.

**tre9er** · 11-20-2012, 04:47 PM

I brewed this with CTZ and Cascade as it was what I had on hand. Either I should have FWH the CTZ or I'm finding that hop leaves a real bite that I'm not fond of in lower IBU beers. I'm thinking of doing Nugget and Cascade next time. The beer is good, a little over-hopped and the bite is there. Tastes more like a Pale Ale than a Blonde, which means my wife likes it a little less. Good simple recipe that I'll do again with different hops. Glad I'm learning more about my hops though. I like buying in bulk, but knowing which work best with different styles is key.

JordanThomas · 11-20-2012, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tre9er

I brewed this with CTZ and Cascade as it was what I had on hand. Either I should have FWH the CTZ or I'm finding that hop leaves a real bite that I'm not fond of in lower IBU beers. I'm thinking of doing Nugget and Cascade next time. The beer is good, a little over-hopped and the bite is there. Tastes more like a Pale Ale than a Blonde, which means my wife likes it a little less. Good simple recipe that I'll do again with different hops. Glad I'm learning more about my hops though. I like buying in bulk, but knowing which work best with different styles is key.

That's interesting to note. I've never used CTZ, but I had to use the "Centennial Type" hops due to the Centennial shortage, and the beer turned out great.

**tre9er** · 11-20-2012, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JordanThomas

That's interesting to note. I've never used CTZ, but I had to use the "Centennial Type" hops due to the Centennial shortage, and the beer turned out great.

A good high-alpha hop for hoppier pales and IPA's/anything that you need a good, cheap bittering addition. I've noticed the sharpness before, though but it was well-masked in a pale/IPA that's supposed to have some bite.

Cohumulone in CTZ is in the 30's where it's in the 20's for Nugget, my fast-growing favorite for bittering. I'm a believer that cohumulone matters, personally.

**Chriso** · 11-20-2012, 09:10 PM

Thanks for your notes on that, tre9er, I have a bunch of Columbus to use up and it's good to properly anticipate how 'harsh' of a hop it is, or isn't.

Kind of thinking I need to brew 3 or 4 different batches of this recipe, and use a different pair of hops each time, to work on finding the right combo. I'm thinking 1 all-Centennial, 1 Columbus+Centennial, 1 Nugget+Centennial, and dunno what else.

**tre9er** · 11-20-2012, 09:20 PM

I also thought that I might try backing the CTZ off considerably next time if I were forced to use it. As BierMuncher stated though, Centennial and Cascade were the magic combo he found after lots of attempts.

RiverBirchBrew · 11-21-2012, 01:23 PM

If anyone is still having problems finding Centennial, Bells (www.bellsbeer.com) has it both in 1lb and 1 oz bags. The price seems pretty reasonable. I didn't even know they sold ingredients until now. I look forward to trying this recipe.