Competition Question - How much is clarity weighted on stouts?

[Lazer Wolf Brewing]

So I recently discovered there is a homebrew competition close by and entries are 5 bucks. I will have a stout ready in a couple weeks - exactly when submittal time is, so I figured I should just enter it and see what comments I get. This will be my first competition submission.

My question is for judges and people with competition experience...how much is clarity considered in final scores of stouts? My system provides pretty good chill haze and I haven't fined with gelatin yet because I don't care much about clarity. That being said, do you think it's worth my time to try gelatin for the very first time on this batch? Is the risk of adding something new to my process worth the reward of a few more points on my score sheet? I do want to start using gelatin, but not sure if my first shot should be on a very dark stout in which I'll barely be able to tell a difference

Thanks!

 

[Brad2287]

Appearance is only 3 of the 50 potential points if it is a BJCP competition. Haze in a stout won't be that apparent. With that said a beers appearance can possibly skew ones perception of the other catagories. If you want to compete in larger competitions and have a chance you want to nail as many aspects as possible per the style guidlines.

 

[Yesfan]

Appearance is only 3 of the 50 potential points if it is a BJCP competition. Haze in a stout won't be that apparent. With that said a beers appearance can possibly skew ones perception of the other catagories. If you want to compete in larger competitions and have a chance you want to nail as many aspects as possible per the style guidlines.

Ok, theoretical question.

Let's say OP has two beers entered. One his stout, and two, a cream ale (or any other light ale for that matter). On the light ale, he hits every nail on the head, except for clarity. Score: 47 out 50. Haze dinged him from nailing that elusive 50.

The stout is the same way. It's the perfect example of that style. Does he still get a 47, or would there be the chance he could score higher since haze in a stout, or other black beer, wouldn't be apparent?

I'm guessing 50 is one of those scores that's impossible to get, even if Jesus brewed it, in a BJCP comp. I've yet to enter any of mine in a competition, so don't know. It's just a guess on my part. If so, I'm just entertaining thoughts on how clarity is approach for a beer like a stout.

 

[CA_Mouse]

Other than Whirlfloc, I don't use anything to clarify my beers (don't ever use Whirlfloc in a beer with wheat in it). I've never worried about the clarity for any competition. Of course that said, I've not ever brewed or entered a lager, so that may make a difference in perception.

 

[Yesfan]

Other than Whirlfloc, I don't use anything to clarify my beers (don't ever use Whirlfloc in a beer with wheat in it).....

Why not? Is it a BJCP issue if entering a beer or does it have an effect on the finished beer itself?


I used whirlfloc on the last beer I brewed (10 gallons of American Wheat). Wasn't thinking when I pitched the tablet in the kettle.

 

[MattyIce]

Stouts are relatively trouble free in that regard. An opaque stout is still true to style. Even if it is not dark enough to be opaque, the beers with darker/roasted malts tend to clear up quickly on their own in my experience.

 

[NTexBrewer]

I just did a quick look at the 2015 style guides and it looks like all stouts can be opaque and should not be faulted. As others have noted appearance is a total of 3 points. You should be assigned 1 point each for Color, clarity and head. If they match the style.

 

[CA_Mouse]

Why not? Is it a BJCP issue if entering a beer or does it have an effect on the finished beer itself?


I used whirlfloc on the last beer I brewed (10 gallons of American Wheat). Wasn't thinking when I pitched the tablet in the kettle.

I meant to say that *I* never use Whirlfloc on my beers with wheat in them. I don't want them dropping all the proteins out of a wheat beer, especially since a wheat beer is expected to be hazy.

 

[Yesfan]

I meant to say that *I* never use Whirlfloc on my beers with wheat in them. I don't want them dropping all the proteins out of a wheat beer, especially since a wheat beer is expected to be hazy.

That's what I was wondering, so thought I would ask. I saw your post and thought maybe an "uh-oh" on my last Brewday.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

If you want to improve clarity but don't want to go with gelatin, you can just cold crash for a day or two before bottling. This will improve clarity. That said, gelatin isn't rocket science.

Cold crash for 24 hours. Then heat a half packet of Knox gelatin in a cup of water to 160F for 15 minutes and dump it in. Give it another 24 hours and bottle. It adds no flavor. The one thing to be aware of is that it can do a good enough job at settling yeast out that it can take longer to carb. Normally not an issue unless you have a deadline (like a competition). You can bypass that issue by adding a little yeast at bottling.

 

[Lazer Wolf Brewing]

If you want to improve clarity but don't want to go with gelatin, you can just cold crash for a day or two before bottling. This will improve clarity. That said, gelatin isn't rocket science.

Cold crash for 24 hours. Then heat a half packet of Knox gelatin in a cup of water to 160F for 15 minutes and dump it in. Give it another 24 hours and bottle. It adds no flavor. The one thing to be aware of is that it can do a good enough job at settling yeast out that it can take longer to carb. Normally not an issue unless you have a deadline (like a competition). You can bypass that issue by adding a little yeast at bottling.

Thanks for that. I will force carbing in keg and bottling with a gun so the yeast won't be an issue. I think I'll keg it, see what it looks like, and decide whether or not to use gelatin from there.

 

[LBussy]

I just did a quick look at the 2015 style guides and it looks like all stouts can be opaque and should not be faulted. As others have noted appearance is a total of 3 points. You should be assigned 1 point each for Color, clarity and head. If they match the style.

They can be - but if there's three otherwise identically scored stouts and one is clear - guess which one moves on?

 

[Lazer Wolf Brewing]

They can be - but if there's three otherwise identically scored stouts and one is clear - guess which one moves on?

This was the heart of my question. I think I'll add gelatin, thanks guys!

 

[Homercidal]

Ideally the beer would be judged against ONLY the BJCP Style Guidelines, and not against another beer.

AND

Clarity, being a separate characteristic from the others, should not affect the other characteristics. Except, that there is one called "Overall Impression". Even though most judges I know would not fault a hazy stout, it might subconscious cause them to award slightly fewer points at the end.

And of course if it scores equal to another beer and only one will move on, they will have to do a direct comparison.

Bottom line is it's probably better to do what you can without sacrificing in the more important characteristics.

 

[passedpawn]

If it's chill haze, you should be looking at 1 point max for a stout. That's well within the normal 3-5 points of fudginess in scoring. If it's yeast still in suspension, different story since you can taste that (at least I do), and you might get knocked for off-flavors, especially on lighter stouts like oatmeal and dry.

 

[AK7007]

I'm guessing 50 is one of those scores that's impossible to get, even if Jesus brewed it, in a BJCP comp.

Pretty much. The actual ceiling for many beer styles is below 50. The best example I have of this comes from a scoresheet that Gordon Strong posted for Anchor Steam. The beer that you are supposed to shoot for - in what I considered the most narrowly defined style (seriously, the 2008 guidelines essentially said "clone anchor) - scored a 41 according to Gordon Strong. The main complaint was that it could be fresher, but he only knocked off two points. Meaning the cap was really 43, not 50.

The only scoresheet I ever remember seeing a 50 on was Pliny

http://www.bjcp.org/course/ClassicStyles.php

 

[Spartan1979]

I just did a quick look at the 2015 style guides and it looks like all stouts can be opaque and should not be faulted. As others have noted appearance is a total of 3 points. You should be assigned 1 point each for Color, clarity and head. If they match the style.

I don't interpret that opaque means it can be cloudy. I interpret opaque to be so dark you can't see through it. It's a small difference but still a difference.

Cloudiness is generally one point, but appearance is 3 total and if I had a terribly cloudy Pilsner, for example, I would consider taking more points for cloudiness in such a case. It could also affect my overall impression score.

So I could see a beer that is supposed to be clear, and is very very cloudy losing 3 or 4 points (and that's if what is causing the cloudiness doesn't have any effect on flavor or mouthfeel). But that would be rare. In general, it is only a point.