beertroll
Well-Known Member
I just got my scoresheets back from my second competition (Greg Noonan Memorial, South Burlington, VT). I entered a dry stout, and my average score was 33.5, so I'm fairly pleased. It's certainly quite a bit better than my first competition results (mid to low 20s - meh).
The main thing one of the judges found lacking was a lack of creaminess, which left the finish a little harsh. I can't disagree with that assessment; there is a little bit of a bite on the end, and the carbonation mouthfeel is more sharp than I'd like. However, I'm not sure how to correct that in future batches. Ok, that's not entirely true; I'm sure that carbonating with a nitrogen system would make the beer super-creamy, but that just isn't in the cards. The judge suggested adding some calcium chloride to the boil, which I intend to try. Is adding CaCl to the boil going to give me different results than just upping the amount I add to my mash water (I use distilled and add 1tsp/5gal)? Is there anything else I can do to smooth off my texture?
The main thing one of the judges found lacking was a lack of creaminess, which left the finish a little harsh. I can't disagree with that assessment; there is a little bit of a bite on the end, and the carbonation mouthfeel is more sharp than I'd like. However, I'm not sure how to correct that in future batches. Ok, that's not entirely true; I'm sure that carbonating with a nitrogen system would make the beer super-creamy, but that just isn't in the cards. The judge suggested adding some calcium chloride to the boil, which I intend to try. Is adding CaCl to the boil going to give me different results than just upping the amount I add to my mash water (I use distilled and add 1tsp/5gal)? Is there anything else I can do to smooth off my texture?