Lightly Carbonated Scotch Ale and a Contest

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DylansDad

DylansDad

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Hey Guys,
I made a Scotch Ale a couple of months ago and during the process I let it ferment too long and (according to the local homebrew shop) that's why it didn't carbonate fully; the yeast was too dormant by the time I bottled it.

So long story short, I think it's a great beer and the little bit of carbonation it has I think makes it more enjoyable. If I enter it in a contest will the lack of carbonation severely dock me in points?

Thanks,
Dave
Cheers!:mug:
 
Mouthfeel is... I want to say two points. (looks up) Damn, five (I'm not a BJCP judge yet, but I'd like to be in a few years, so I like to test myself). That includes body, though, so at most you'd be dinged 2-3 points which, when taken out of 50, won't kill you.

I entered an undercarbed (which I liked for its smoothness) irish red into AWOG and the judges didn't like it for reasons other than the mouthfeel, so the carbonation wasn't an issue.
 
Thanks, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't going to completely bomb. I might call it a little flawed since it isn't as carbed as I wanted it. However, I'm interesting seeing what they say about it as a whole. So I guess I'll enter it.

On a side note:
Anyone else entering (or entered, since entry closes on Saturday) in the Alameda County Fair Competition?
 
Sigafoos said:
Mouthfeel is... I want to say two points. (looks up) Damn, five (I'm not a BJCP judge yet, but I'd like to be in a few years, so I like to test myself). That includes body, though, so at most you'd be dinged 2-3 points which, when taken out of 50, won't kill you.

I entered an undercarbed (which I liked for its smoothness) irish red into AWOG and the judges didn't like it for reasons other than the mouthfeel, so the carbonation wasn't an issue.
Click to expand...

Mouthfeel might only be a few points, but carbonation levels will change the entire perception of a beer. It will change the flavor profile (more carbonation makes a beer taste more dry) and even the perception of complexity. It isn't just about mouthfeel. This could sink an otherwise good effort.
 
Good points. IMHO the mouthfeel on this is great because the carbonation isn't overpowering. However I am not a judge and wouldn't know where to start. I just know I enjoy drinking it.
 
Enter it. They'll tell you how far from style it is, not how good it is. Competitions are half opinion and half rules. That's about it.
 
Don't take this the wrong way, but you are American, right? The level of carbonation that you are accustomed to, and possibly expecting from your Scotch ale might well be inappropriate for the style, even though it seems very low to you. British ales are typically mildly carbed, and maybe even more so than you are assuming.

Buy a bottle of McKewan's and do a comparison?
 
DylansDad said:
Hey Guys,
I made a Scotch Ale a couple of months ago and during the process I let it ferment too long and (according to the local homebrew shop) that's why it didn't carbonate fully; the yeast was too dormant by the time I bottled it.

So long story short, I think it's a great beer and the little bit of carbonation it has I think makes it more enjoyable. If I enter it in a contest will the lack of carbonation severely dock me in points?

Thanks,
Dave
Cheers!:mug:
Click to expand...

Hey DylansDad-

Did you find your recipe on HBT? I'm interested in brewing a Scotch Ale for my next brew and have been searching through the recipe database looking for a decent recipe. Was yours Extract or AG? Would you mind sharing it?

Thanks
axr
 
Scottish ale should be low to moderately carbonated. If its flat, it might get docked. However, with scottish ales, flavor is the key. If its got the flavor of a good scottish ale, it "should" be judged properly. The problem is judges don't always have a good idea of what a style should taste like. I've judged several competitions and have judged scottish ales at least a few times, what I look for is flavor. Carbonation is a small part. If its way out of whack, the flaw could be carried over to other parts of the judging. It sounds like it might be right on style to me. Enter it and see what the judges say...
 
Laughing_Gnome_Invisible said:
Don't take this the wrong way, but you are American, right? The level of carbonation that you are accustomed to, and possibly expecting from your Scotch ale might well be inappropriate for the style, even though it seems very low to you. British ales are typically mildly carbed, and maybe even more so than you are assuming.

Buy a bottle of McKewan's and do a comparison?
Click to expand...

Exactly! I was in the same situation and I was dinged for it. Mine wasn't undercarbed at all. One comment was "severely undercarbonated". And I did compare mine to McKewen's after that. Pretty damned close. This maybe somewhat off topic, but there are too many competitions, and too few educated/knowledgeable judges out there.
 
If you have some slight "sudsing" when you poor and there is faint effervescing...but the flavor hints a slight carbonic bite...you're golden.

Competition beers tend to sit around at room temps before the judges get around to them....most judges will swirl a beer to knock down the carbonation. The combination of lower carb and warmer temps allows the judges to get a more accurate taste of the flavors and anything that may be off.

I love my Scottish Ales on the lower carb'd...warmer side. The malts just come through much better.
 
Laughing_Gnome_Invisible said:
Don't take this the wrong way, but you are American, right? The level of carbonation that you are accustomed to, and possibly expecting from your Scotch ale might well be inappropriate for the style, even though it seems very low to you. British ales are typically mildly carbed, and maybe even more so than you are assuming.

Buy a bottle of McKewan's and do a comparison?
Click to expand...

Well I didn't find (maybe I didn't look hard enough) a McKewan's but I did get a Moylan's Kilt Lifter and it seems spot on. Now I can't wait to see what the results are.
 
DylansDad said:
Well I didn't find (maybe I didn't look hard enough) a McKewan's
Click to expand...

That is because those bastards at Heineken bought McEwans late last year and decided to stop shipping it to the US. I was pissed about this because McEwans Scotch Ale is one of my all time favorite beers. Some suppliers still have some in-stock but they are running out.
 
Christian said:
That is because those bastards at Heineken bought McEwans late last year and decided to stop shipping it to the US. I was pissed about this because McEwans Scotch Ale is one of my all time favorite beers. Some suppliers still have some in-stock but they are running out.
Click to expand...

Damn! that's why I haven't seen it in about 8 months. I was wondering. I thought all the places around here stopped carrying it because it didn't move quickly. That was the only WH sold in this state.
 
World Market was my source. There is a chance they will still carry it as they don't seem to be supplied by regular distributors. (That's just a guess though)

BTW I apologise for my previous crappy spelling of McEwan's with a K.....There was a guy in my school called Ewan McEwan! I shoulda known better!!! :drunk:
 
brewon said:
Scottish ale should be low to moderately carbonated. If its flat, it might get docked. However, with scottish ales, flavor is the key. If its got the flavor of a good scottish ale, it "should" be judged properly. The problem is judges don't always have a good idea of what a style should taste like. I've judged several competitions and have judged scottish ales at least a few times, what I look for is flavor. Carbonation is a small part. If its way out of whack, the flaw could be carried over to other parts of the judging. It sounds like it might be right on style to me. Enter it and see what the judges say...
Click to expand...

This thread is about a scotch ale, not a scottish ale and according to BJCP (and my experience with commercial products) the former is typically more carbonated than the latter.
 
remilard said:
This thread is about a scotch ale, not a scottish ale and according to BJCP (and my experience with commercial products) the former is typically more carbonated than the latter.
Click to expand...

The BJCP says for a Scotch ale:- Low to moderate carbonation. So low is acceptable. Low means low.
 
WOOOOOOOOOT!

I haven't seen the comments yet but the results are up:

(I'm the second guy)
Table 4 - English & Scottish Ales (8 Entries)
Steven Van TassellMad Zymurgists Livermore,CA 9D Irish Red Ale 1
David West San Ramon,CA 9E Strong Scotch Ale 2
Mary WielerDraught Board Hayward,CA 9E Strong Scotch Ale 3

Thanks guys for all the encouragement!
 
Christian said:
That is because those bastards at Heineken bought McEwans late last year and decided to stop shipping it to the US. I was pissed about this because McEwans Scotch Ale is one of my all time favorite beers. Some suppliers still have some in-stock but they are running out.
Click to expand...

OOPS, din't see this, BAAASTAAARDS!
 
DylansDad said:
WOOOOOOOOOT!

I haven't seen the comments yet but the results are up:

(I'm the second guy)
Table 4 - English & Scottish Ales (8 Entries)
Steven Van TassellMad Zymurgists Livermore,CA 9D Irish Red Ale 1
David West San Ramon,CA 9E Strong Scotch Ale 2
Mary WielerDraught Board Hayward,CA 9E Strong Scotch Ale 3

Thanks guys for all the encouragement!
Click to expand...


Congrats!!! And Well done!! HBT has been vindicated by judges that know their business! :D :D

I've just this second been thing about carbonation. I did 2 batches of bitter carbed with DME as I was out of corn sugar. That worked out badly for me. The bubbles were too silky smooth, and it was very malty, too much for what I wanted. However, DME would have been perfect for a scotch ale. When I get around to brewing a scotch I will definitely be trying the DME again!
 
COLObrewer said:
This is interesting, my recent strong scotch ale is conditioning now so too late to try DME for it. What flavour, etc. was the DME you used?
Click to expand...

Just light DME. I'm no expert at describing flavours and stuff. I can only say that the texture and flavour would have been perfect for a scotch.:drunk:
 

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