Radically different scores at a brew comp!

[Shinglejohn]

I had a beer in a competion that was scored by two judges, one scored it at 21...yikes, the other at 35!

Im really hoping the 21 was a bad bottle. I dont dooubt the judges so...

 

[rexbanner]

I had a beer in a competion that was scored by two judges, one scored it at 21...yikes, the other at 35!

Im really hoping the 21 was a bad bottle. I dont dooubt the judges so...

Bro I had the same thing. Got a 25 and a 39. It was a Belgian IPA. What type of beer did you enter? Were they BJCP or not?

I wouldn't trust anyone without some certification unless I knew them or they had good references. Not that non-certified people can't be good judges, but there's just no way of knowing.

 

[Shinglejohn]

they were both BJCP, but i had some inconsistecy in the bottles i drank...

I need to evaluate my bottling technique. Wish i could send in kegs!

 

[rexbanner]

they were both BJCP, but i had some inconsistecy in the bottles i drank...

I need to evaluate my bottling technique. Wish i could send in kegs!

Do you force carb and then bottle, or carb naturally?

Even if you carb naturally, I highly recommend using a keg and CO2 pressure to bottle with. It's so much faster than gravity and your beer barely gets exposed to any oxygen, if that makes a difference.

 

[davesrose]

I had a beer in a competion that was scored by two judges, one scored it at 21...yikes, the other at 35!

Im really hoping the 21 was a bad bottle. I dont dooubt the judges so...

Every competition I've participated in (which hasn't been many, granted), I've noticed that one bottle is used in the flight...and then the other is reserved for later (IE best of show).

I haven't had that large a discrepency in my scores: most have been about 3 or 4 points apart. But who knows, I personally have some issues that there aren't more discernings of judges being able to just focus on those beers that they themselves like/ are familiar with.

 

[rexbanner]

Every competition I've participated in (which hasn't been many, granted), I've noticed that one bottle is used in the flight...and then the other is reserved for later (IE best of show).

I haven't had that large a discrepency in my scores: most have been about 3 or 4 points apart. But who knows, I personally have some issues that there aren't more discernings of judges being able to just focus on those beers that they themselves like/ are familiar with.

Word. I felt the same way. I brewed an almost perfect clone of flying dog raging *****, which IMO is a pretty good belgian IPA. One guy liked it but the other guy just kinda hated it, but he marked it off for just having the characteristics of a Belgian IPA. That style is not for everyone.

 

[MattHollingsworth]

Every competition I've participated in (which hasn't been many, granted), I've noticed that one bottle is used in the flight...and then the other is reserved for later (IE best of show).

I haven't had that large a discrepency in my scores: most have been about 3 or 4 points apart. But who knows, I personally have some issues that there aren't more discernings of judges being able to just focus on those beers that they themselves like/ are familiar with.

Exactly. Every competition I've judged in, the judges shared a bottle and one was saved in case the beer moved forward to another stage, best of show or whatever. So, it's very likely the judges were drinking from the same bottle, so bottle discrepancy doesn't really explain it.

 

[DBbrewing]

I don't understand the scores(that far apart) because all the comps I have sent them into and all the judges I have talked to, the scores between the judges are usually only about 5 points apart. HMMmmmmmmm.

 

[MattHollingsworth]

I don't understand the scores(that far apart) because all the comps I have sent them into and all the judges I have talked to, the scores between the judges are usually only about 5 points apart. HMMmmmmmmm.

I haven't judged in about 10 years, but from what I remember, we HAD to have our scores within 5 points of each other. I don't know if that was a rule or if we just agreed to that amongst ourselves.

 

[GoNova]

You had some judges that aren't familiar with BJCP guidelines. BJCP guidelines state very clearly that judges should collaborate and adjust scores so that they are 5-7 points from each other. I would send both judges (and competition organizer) a polite email explaining the BJCP guidelines. It was probably an honest mistake, but if these people are judging competitions, they need to know the guidelines!

And yes, the judges are supposed to pour from the same bottle. The second bottle is supposed to be reserved if you make it to best of show. Or, the second bottle can be used if the first is a gusher.

 

[twigboy2000]

On the scoresheets that you received, were there BJCP labels for the judges or did they write in their BJCP rank and ID?

If they were both BJCP ranked judges the scores should not have deviated that far apart.

For example, sheets I score at comp would have this info at the top right:

Chuck Wheat
BJCP F0528
Rank Pending