BJCP Style question

I'm going to submit my beer to the fair for a competition. I can't figure out where to put an Oatmeal Stout that I brewed with Star Anise. Best I could figure would be category "21A. Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer; specify base beer style and type(s) of spices, herbs or vegetables." I already have a beer for Category 23 Specialty beer.

Would star anise be a "spice"?

Yes star anise is a spice.

Star Anise

21A and don't forget to put the base beer as Oatmeal Stout. We judged 3-4 beers yesterday that did not include the base beer style. Made it hard to judge a few of them.

SourHopHead said:

21A and don't forget to put the base beer as Oatmeal Stout. We judged 3-4 beers yesterday that did not include the base beer style. Made it hard to judge a few of them.

Click to expand...

+1

I would describe this as "13C (Oatmeal Stout) with Star Anise"

If there is a good base style I think specifying it gives the judges more opportunities to give you points.

Sometimes there is no base style (think New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red) and you have to find some other way to communicate to the judges what you were trying to do.

Two options not mentioned: 1. Enter it in both; 2. It can be entered as an oatmeal stout if the star anise isn't too strong, perhaps like a supporting flavor that you can't quite put your finger on. If, however, you can tell it's anise, spice would be your best bet, and definitely state your base style.

Thanks for the comments!

When I have let people taste it all I tell them is "oatmeal stout." Typically people can't identify the anise. Of course these aren't judges! I think the anise is really strong, but a few months of cold conditioning in the keg has really done wonders for this beer. The residual sugars make this beer sweeter and with the complement of the anise remind me of a dessert beer.

I get a max of 10 entries, so perhaps I'll enter this beer to 21A and 13C and see what happens. It will be my first contest so I am pretty excited!

Also, would this be the right forum to ask these types of questions? I'm a bit new hear and still learning the layout. Thanks!

This is a perfect place for these types of questions!

If the anise is strong I don't think 13c will work. 21 & 23 are the best places. If they don't taste the anise and write it down you will get dinged but if you don't write it and they taste it you will too. Call them 2 different names and enter them in.

Which fair are you entering these to?

SourHopHead said:

If the anise is strong I don't think 13c will work. 21 & 23 are the best places. If they don't taste the anise and write it down you will get dinged but if you don't write it and they taste it you will too. Call them 2 different names and enter them in.

Click to expand...

21. 23 is for beers that don't fit anywhere else, and a classic style with star anise fits in 21. A lot of the beers in 23 are mis-categorized and should be in 21 or 20. I try to be lenient, but some judges will 29 you. 29 being a score given by convention to a good beer that is way out of style, the point being to not give an extremely low score just over style issues while still making sure the entry doesn't win.

Sounds like there are a couple folks out there that know the guidelines well, so I have a similar question. I have been making what I call a Belgin Dubbel for a long time. I like the beer a great deal and would like to enter it in competition. Problem is that I use an American (Summitt) hop as a dry hop. I get a clear hop aroma and a little flavor to go along with it. Will this knock me out of the Dubble catagory...18b I believe. All other aspects of the beer seem to fit the catagory very well.

badhabit said:

Sounds like there are a couple folks out there that know the guidelines well, so I have a similar question. I have been making what I call a Belgin Dubbel for a long time. I like the beer a great deal and would like to enter it in competition. Problem is that I use an American (Summitt) hop as a dry hop. I get a clear hop aroma and a little flavor to go along with it. Will this knock me out of the Dubble catagory...18b I believe. All other aspects of the beer seem to fit the catagory very well.

Click to expand...

". A small number of examples may include a low noble hop aroma, but hops are usually absent."

You'd get dinged for a strong hop aroma, but it might not put it out of contention if the rest of the beer was made well. You could also try to enter it into Belgian specialty.

If it's definitely not a noble hop aroma, I think your best bet would be Belgian specialty. You can identify it as a dubbel with American hops on your entry form.

Great suggestion, thanks for the help!

I have a honey wheat that I'm not sure which catagory it fits.I used 1 lb of honey and had honey malt in the grain bill,cascade hops and used munich dry yeast.
6d?

I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but be sure and read over the rules carefully to ensure the style you are entering under is accepted for that competition...sometimes certain styles are not allowed due to lack of judges or other reasons.

Fat_Bastard said:

I have a honey wheat that I'm not sure which catagory it fits.I used 1 lb of honey and had honey malt in the grain bill,cascade hops and used munich dry yeast.
6d?

Click to expand...

If the honey character is significant, 23. The guidelines for 23 specifically mention honey beers (that are not braggots).

For a lot of these style questions, it's very hard for us to be able to help without tasting the beer. You should be able to help yourself out by just going to the bjcp site and checking your beer against the styles you are thinking about entering under. I always tell people to enter under the style they would give themselves the most points for!

For badhabit - remember that aroma is 12 out of 50 points, that's nearly 25% of your score!

Keep brewing!

Here's the way 21A works (I've learned this the hard way).

1. Can you taste the licorice flavor in your beer? If it just tastes like an Oatmeal stout, enter it in 13C. If it has a noticeable licorice flavor that would be considered not-to-style in 13C, then enter it in 21A. If the licorice is hardly noticeable, just something that makes you go "hrm.... that's nice and interesting", stay in 13C, you'll place better. When you enter in 21A, that specialty ingredient is going to be something the judges are DEFINITELY looking for.

2. If you do enter it in 21A. State that you brewed an 'Oatmeal Stout with Star Anise (Star Anise imparts a licorice flavor)'.

Make sure to mention Star Anise tastes like licorice; don't assume the judges will know.

3. 21A is very much a category about balance. It's judged considering how well the base beer tastes according to style, and how well the specialty ingredient is incorporated. It should be present, without being completely overpowering.

scottland said:

Make sure to mention Star Anise tastes like licorice; don't assume the judges will know.

Click to expand...

This is great advice for any specialty ingredient that isn't run of the mill.

[Yates takes notes for future beer entires]