Berliner Weisse question

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Stevesauer

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I recently made a Berliner for a competition. It is a BJCP competition and is only accepting entries from a limited amount of categories, so experimental or specialty is out. I have to stay within the confines of European sour ale. I've never competed in BJCP before. The beer tastes good and absolutely meets all the vital statistics, but it feels like something is missing. I took the usual 50\50 pilsner malt and wheat, 3/4 oz of hersbrucker hops, kettle soured with lacto delbrucki, then fermented with US-05. I know traditionally this beer is served with raspberry syrup or other fruit. If I were to rack it onto some raspberry or add a subtle amount of some type of fruit zest, would I be wandering too far out of style? Would judges typically penalize harshly for that? It just seems too boring brewing to a pre-determined set of numbers. Trying to find some way to stand out. Any opinions? Thanks.
 
The most important thing with this style: is it very sour? If you soured early, I would be concerned that it might not be sour enough. If not, consider adding some more bacteria or lactic acid. This will ensure a good score. Berliner weisse is not a super complex beer; it's just a very tart but clean light ale. Don't add any fruit unless there's a separate fruit category; otherwise the judges will get PO'd even if it tastes good with the fruit.
 
The comments in the guidelines mention use of woodruff or raspberry syrups, but do not allow for it anywhere in actual beer description. With that in mind, I wouldn't add anything to it if you want to enter as a standard Berliner. As said, the principle component is acid, with a soft malt depth. They're not complex, just tart and refreshing.
 
I do have a question about BJCP rules generally. Suppose I want to enter a stout containing cocoa nibs. Would that be 34, specialty beer? Would it be accurate to say that anytime you add something that is not listed in the style guidelines for that particular category, it would be specialty; with the exception being the spice, herb, vegetable category? If this is the case, it seems that a lot of beers Would be entered in 34. Not quite clear on all this.
 
Don't just go on the name. Read the guidelines. Cocoa nibs puts it in the spice/herb/vegetable range. If you oak it, it goes wood aged. If you add fruit, it goes fruit beer. If you add bugs, it goes wild ale. There's actually not much that actually belongs in the "experimental" category any more. There's even a category for mixed styles now (which is where I would put a smoked chili pepper beer, or something along those lines). My understanding, part of the revision between 2015 and 2008 was to get rid of the massive clusterf*** that was Category 23 Specialty Beer.
 
Thanks for the quick reply. That spells it out pretty well. Perhaps I was viewing things too narrowly. So if it's some off the wall adjunct that isn't a spice, herb, etc, then it would be 34? For example, last year I brewed a stout that used several pounds of pretzel crushed and added to the mash. Thinking that would go 34.
 
Hmmm...that's a good question. To me, pretzels are a combo of grains and spices. I'd probably still go spice/herb/vegetable personally, but that's a good question. I'd say yes, if you're going truly off-the-wall, 34C would be the place to go. I can think of many things that could go in 34A or 34B, but hard to think of something that would genuinely belong in 34C and not belong somewhere else.
 
I think you need to examine the final product and pick the category it will place best in.

For example of the pretzel stout:
- If it graininess of the pretzels really comes through, put it in 31A. Alternative Grain Beer
- If the salt on the pretzels shines, put it in 30A. Spice Beer
- If it just tastes like a stout, put it in whatever stout category it most resembles

Even with the Chocolate Stout, if the chocolate does not stand out, put it in a regular stout category. I made a molasses IPA once thinking I would use molasses instead of crystal malt and put it in the 31B. Alternative Sugar category, but some judges in my club tried it and said the molasses did not stand out enough to be judged as a "Molasses Beer," it wasn't dry enough to be an IPA, and the category it would probably do best in was American Pale Ale.

The judges are trained to rate beers against the category descriptions, so adding pretzels to a beer might not satisfy the 31A. desriptor of: "The specific character depends greatly on the character of the added grains," but it might satisfy the 20B. Descriptor of: "Low to medium
malt sweetness."
 
That added clarification is very helpful. As I said earlier, I tend to view things too narrowly. It never occurred to me to think pretzel as a grain. Or cacao nibs as a spice. Looking at things in a different light will help me answer my own question next time. Appreciate the insight guys.
 
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