I entered my first brew into a contest to get some feedback. The judge said it needed to be ballanced.? Does that just mean adjusting ingredients to achieve the gravity, bitterness and color for the beers style? Or is there more? Tbe beer wasa Belgian Wit style.
Beer needs to be ballanced
- Thread starter bruceb07
- Start date
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homebrewmike
Well-Known Member
Well when I hear balance when referring to beer I think of the OG-IBU's ratio. When I brew a beer that I think I will send to a competition, I usally check my BJCP handbook for style references, and try to aim in to those parameters. That is what he probably meant.
beergolf
Well-Known Member
^^^
He is right. Here this should help
http://www.madalchemist.com/chart_bitterness_ratio.html
Understanding the BU:GU ratio is very important when brewing. If you just use IBU's the ratio might not be right. Just using the style parameters may still get you an unbalanced brew. For example if you brew a beer that is low on the OG side of the guidelines and hop to the high end of the guideline the balance could be off. Some styles are more sensitive to the proper ratio than others.
He is right. Here this should help
http://www.madalchemist.com/chart_bitterness_ratio.html
Understanding the BU:GU ratio is very important when brewing. If you just use IBU's the ratio might not be right. Just using the style parameters may still get you an unbalanced brew. For example if you brew a beer that is low on the OG side of the guidelines and hop to the high end of the guideline the balance could be off. Some styles are more sensitive to the proper ratio than others.
Pie_Man
Well-Known Member
I agree with the above posts. Did the comments mention specifically what was out of balance? Too much bitterness or hops, something like that? If you want to post your recipe, we might be able to give more guidance as to fixing the issue.
The recipe is a Blue Moon clone.
Belgian Ale - Recipe
Extract - Partial Mash
5 Gallons
6 lbs Briess Pilsen LME
4 lbs Pale Wheat
1/2 lb dark Munich Malt
2 oz Kent Goldings 5% AA
Wyeast 3944 Liquid
1/2 lb flaked oatmeal
1 oz sweel orange peel
1 oz bitter orange peel
1 oz Coriander seed
OG 1.056
FG 1.014
Steep grains 60 min @
155F, Remove grain and
sparge at 175F.Combine
add LME, at boil start add
1 oz of hops. At 45 min add
zest and coriander. At 58
min add 1 oz hops.
Bottled 2/20/12
Scored 29/50 at Binnys '12
Also attached is the score sheet from the judge.
Belgian Ale - Recipe
Extract - Partial Mash
5 Gallons
6 lbs Briess Pilsen LME
4 lbs Pale Wheat
1/2 lb dark Munich Malt
2 oz Kent Goldings 5% AA
Wyeast 3944 Liquid
1/2 lb flaked oatmeal
1 oz sweel orange peel
1 oz bitter orange peel
1 oz Coriander seed
OG 1.056
FG 1.014
Steep grains 60 min @
155F, Remove grain and
sparge at 175F.Combine
add LME, at boil start add
1 oz of hops. At 45 min add
zest and coriander. At 58
min add 1 oz hops.
Bottled 2/20/12
Scored 29/50 at Binnys '12
Also attached is the score sheet from the judge.
