Competition Entry Query - IPA v. Pale Ale?

[jwbeard]

So I'm planning to enter one of my favorite beers to-date in the California State Homebrew Competition, but am riiiiiight on the line (stat wise) between an American Pale Ale and an American IPA...

Actual OG: 1.062 SG
Actual FG: 1.012 SG
Actual Apparent Attenuation: 79.7 %
Actual ABV: 6.6 %
Actual ABW: 5.2 %
Actual IBU: 47.0 IBU
Actual Color: 6.6 SRM
Actual Mash Efficiency: 64.6 %
Actual Fermentation Temp: 66 ˚F
​

(Yeah, I'm not sure what happened with my efficiency either... )

It's a delicious PA/IPA with lemongrass notes, brewed with Cascade and Belma hops for a citrus accents. All-grain with fly sparge, and temp controlled fermentation.

The IBU is juuuust over the line between a Pale Ale (30-45 IBU) and an American IPA (45-70 IBU), and it's slightly aged - it was brewed June 8 and served, but for three bottles, in August, so I'm anticipating the hops may have dropped a little. Since I only have 3 bottles, and the competition requires all three, I can't pop one open to see how hoppy it is...

Any insight from the more learned competitors on the forum? Would it have any chance of doing well as a low-end-hoppiness IPA, or would it fare better towards the top end of the range of Pale Ales?

 

[jwbeard]

I should perhaps note that it was not dry hopped, if that matters.

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

So I'm planning to enter one of my favorite beers to-date in the California State Homebrew Competition, but am riiiiiight on the line (stat wise) between an American Pale Ale and an American IPA...

Actual OG: 1.062 SG
Actual FG: 1.012 SG
Actual Apparent Attenuation: 79.7 %
Actual ABV: 6.6 %
Actual ABW: 5.2 %
Actual IBU: 47.0 IBU
Actual Color: 6.6 SRM
Actual Mash Efficiency: 64.6 %
Actual Fermentation Temp: 66 ˚F
​

(Yeah, I'm not sure what happened with my efficiency either... )

It's a delicious PA/IPA with lemongrass notes, brewed with Cascade and Belma hops for a citrus accents. All-grain with fly sparge, and temp controlled fermentation.

The IBU is juuuust over the line between a Pale Ale (30-45 IBU) and an American IPA (45-70 IBU), and it's slightly aged - it was brewed June 8 and served, but for three bottles, in August, so I'm anticipating the hops may have dropped a little. Since I only have 3 bottles, and the competition requires all three, I can't pop one open to see how hoppy it is...

Any insight from the more learned competitors on the forum? Would it have any chance of doing well as a low-end-hoppiness IPA, or would it fare better towards the top end of the range of Pale Ales?

I'm not sure what is "right on the line" about it. The gravity, ABV%, IBUs, and SRM all put it in IPA land technically per the BJCP guidelines. It's a lightly hopped IPA, but an IPA none the less.

 

[Yooper]

Most judges are looking for great examples of the style. Without it being dryhopped, and if it's not bold with fresh hops flavor and aroma, it probably won't do well as an IPA. Especially if it's low on the IBUs and OG.

It's hard to guess what it tastes like now, but I"d be inclined to enter it as an APA. No one can taste a beer and say, "Oh, that's 47 IBUs instead of 42" but if the hops aroma has faded a lot, it might taste more bitter as a result. It's hard to say, but it doesn't look like an IPA that would score well in a BJCP competition if the hops aroma isn't big.

 

[Wynne-R]

You need to guess what it’s going to be at judging. Most comps take about a month between entry and judging. Sometimes they’re stored cold, but most often refrigerated a few days before judging.

APA’s are insanely overhopped. American IPA’s are super-insanely overhopped. You still have to have balance with the bittering, but the late hops are through the roof.

It’s a tough category to judge because of palate fatigue. The more hops the better, because if yours is merely overhopped it’s going to taste like warm water compared to the hop bombs. So, fresher is better, as long as you make your carbonation.

If you have time, make a new batch. Shoot for IPA and then enter it in the APA.

 

[jwbeard]

I'm not sure what is "right on the line" about it. The gravity, ABV%, IBUs, and SRM all put it in IPA land technically per the BJCP guidelines. It's a lightly hopped IPA, but an IPA none the less.

Because, as Yooper noted, I don't think there's a judge alive who could taste it and detect that it had 2.0 IBU more than an APA. Throw in some hop degradation from aging an extra month or two before judging, and it may well taste more like a high-end-hop APA by the time the bottles are opened. It never had a screaming hop aroma, so I'm not as worried about that fading by the time for judging. SRM and FG are also squarely within both APA and AIPA ranges, though admittedly the ABV is a touch high for an APA entry. It didn't have a detectable alcohol taste, though.

I think I'll roll the dice and enter it as an APA - the heart of my question was more whether judges would tend to prefer a beer on the high end of the APA hop range, or if a low-end IPA would have any prayer. Given the hopsanity these days, I'm inclined to think anything entered in the AIPA category shy of 55 IBUs would be graded poorly.

Thanks, all!