About to submit my homebrew for competition...

[momobono]

I've brewed a pumpkin ale that I'm quite proud of, and I'd really like to submit it to a competition. The competition is following BJCP 2008 guidelines, and obviously my pumpkin beer would be titled under Style 21: Spice, Herb, Vegetable Beer.

Although I'm excited to enter this brew, I'm unsure what "classic style" forms the base of this beer. According to the BJCP, this classification must be specified when entering competition. I need some help characterizing it, and anyone would like to voice their opinion. The recipe follows:

0.5lb Chocolate Malt
0.5lb CaraMunich
6.0lb Light Dry Malt Extract
1oz Willamette Hops (60min, bittering)

I used ale yeast to ferment this around 65F.

Anyone have ideas?

 

[hopsalot]

what ale yeast was used?

 

[Yooper]

It could go under English brown, I think. I'm not sure if it's Southern or Northern, probably Northern, but if has an underlying sweetness to the taste then it would be Southern. (Northern English is 11c, while the Southern version is 11B). Taste the beer. If it's carmelly underneath, with an OG of 1.042 or less, it's Southern. If it's drier, with a nutty flavor instead of sweetness with an OG of up to 1.052, I'd enter it as Northern.

If it's got a roasty undertone, it'd be better as a brown porter, though.

 

[Spartan1979]

From the BJCP Guidelines:

THE ENTRANT MUST SPECIFY THE UNDERLYING BEER STYLE AS WELL AS THE TYPE OF SPICES, HERBS, OR VEGETABLES USED. IF THIS BEER IS BASED ON A CLASSIC STYLE (E.G., BLONDE ALE) THEN THE SPECIFIC STYLE MUST BE SPECIFIED. CLASSIC STYLES DO NOT HAVE TO BE CITED (E.G., “PORTER” OR “WHEAT ALE” IS ACCEPTABLE).

I take this to mean that just "Brown Ale" would be acceptable.

 

[hopsalot]

It could go under English brown, I think. I'm not sure if it's Southern or Northern, probably Northern, but if has an underlying sweetness to the taste then it would be Southern. (Northern English is 11c, while the Southern version is 11B). Taste the beer. If it's carmelly underneath, with an OG of 1.042 or less, it's Southern. If it's drier, with a nutty flavor instead of sweetness with an OG of up to 1.052, I'd enter it as Northern.

If it's got a roasty undertone, it'd be better as a brown porter, though.

I was thinkin brown porter

 

[scottland]

Just state it's an 'Amber Ale' or something of that sort. As stated above, you don't have to pick a classic style.

Here's the little secret about categories 21 and 23. You get to tell the judges what your beer should taste like

Be descriptive about what makes it a pumpkin ale, so say something like:

"This beer is an amber ale. Pumpkin meat went in the boil as well as pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, cloves, allspice). Hop aroma and flavor are absent to allow the pumpkin character to shine through. etc, etc, etc"

That's just an example, but be as descriptive as possible. Tip #2. Anything you describe, they will be looking for.

 

[Hex]

Uh, pumpkin is a fruit.