First brew ever = Best of Show!!!

[Beehemel]

My first brew ever just took best of show at Cincinnati Octobersbest over the weekend. I was so surprised, I thought my friend was joking when he called me to tell me. I entered it in two categories, 23 as an India Brown Ale, and 14 as an American IPA. The recipe was supposed to be a black IPA, but it came out brown instead of black so I just rolled with it and changed the name! Still can't believe it won out of 150 beers! I'd say this is a good start to my new favorite hobby. If it weren't for all the reading and research I had done on this site, it would not have happened! Thanks for making this community so helpful and informative! :rockin:

 

[ChshreCat]

Sweet! Any details on the beer? AG or PM?

 

[Beehemel]

Sweet! Any details on the beer? AG or PM?

Here's the recipe:

9.9 lb Light LME
1 lb Crystal 60
1 lb Carafa III
2 oz. Chinook - 60 min.
2 oz. Simcoe - 10 min.
2 oz. Amarillo - 10 min.
1 oz. each Simcoe and Amarillo - Dry Hop in secondary for two weeks
Wyeast 1056


Not really sure how it came out brown instead of black, other than I added two cans (6.6 lb) of LME at the beginning of the boil, so maybe it caramelized and lightened it up a bit.

 

[HoppyDaze]

Here's the recipe:

9.9 lb Light LME
1 lb Crystal 60
1 lb Carafa III
2 oz. Chinook - 60 min.
2 oz. Simcoe - 10 min.
2 oz. Amarillo - 10 min.
1 oz. each Simcoe and Amarillo - Dry Hop in secondary for two weeks
Wyeast 1056


Not really sure how it came out brown instead of black, other than I added two cans (6.6 lb) of LME at the beginning of the boil, so maybe it caramelized and lightened it up a bit.

First off, CONGRATS! thats a great accomplishment that no one can take away from you...

Based on what I see in the recipe I would expect this beer to be brown and not black. Only one pound of 60L and a pound of carafa will definately darken the beer substantially, but using that along with nearly 10 lbs of light LME definitely insures a brown beer as opposed to a black beer.

anyway...don't listen to me; Ive never won best in show or even first place for that matter! so what do I know??

 

[Weizenheimer]

Congrats that is awesome! I might have to give your recipe a try. What is the batch size?

 

[ChshreCat]

hehehe I love that. An extract with steep recipe! You CAN use extract to make GREAT beer!

But then again, the asterisk is that this was in Cincinnati... what do they know about beer?

I kid! I kid!

 

[Beehemel]

Congrats that is awesome! I might have to give your recipe a try. What is the batch size?

Batch size was 5 gallons, although after racking and such my final volume was 4 gallons. OG was 1.070, can't remember what the FG was right off the top of my head, but I'm thinking it was around 1.018.

 

[Beehemel]

Only one pound of 60L and a pound of carafa will definately darken the beer substantially, but using that along with nearly 10 lbs of light LME definitely insures a brown beer as opposed to a black beer.

I think if I ever try this again, I'm going to use dark extract instead of light. I also want to try to make a regular IPA with the same hopping schedule to see how that turns out! So much fun experimenting!

 

[Beehemel]

hehehe I love that. An extract with steep recipe! You CAN use extract to make GREAT beer!

But then again, the asterisk is that this was in Cincinnati... what do they know about beer?

I kid! I kid!

From what I hear, the best of show judging was done by national BJCP judges ( I have a friend who judged some categories, none that I entered, he filled me in), so the Cincinnati effect shouldn't have been too strong

 

[Weizenheimer]

Batch size was 5 gallons, although after racking and such my final volume was 4 gallons. OG was 1.070, can't remember what the FG was right off the top of my head, but I'm thinking it was around 1.018.

Whoa you lost a whole gallon from racking? How much water did you start your boil with?

 

[humann_brewing]

great job, that looks like a great beer!

 

[HoppyDaze]

I think if I ever try this again, I'm going to use dark extract instead of light. I also want to try to make a regular IPA with the same hopping schedule to see how that turns out! So much fun experimenting!

I would use the same extract but just use darker steeping grains personally....using a different extract would completely changet the beer and with a BIS I wouldnt mess with it too much. Now, steeping with black malts to get the color where you want it would have much less affect on the actual taste of the beer.

 

[DRoyLenz]

Wow! Congratulations! Keep it up, you're obviously off to a great start!

 

[IrregularPulse]

Picture of this Best of SHOW in a glass?

 

[HairyDogBrewing]

To get color without too much flavor, try using some (unmalted) black barley.
Munton's version is 675 lovibond.
Start with between 2 to 4 ounces.

 

[Beehemel]

Whoa you lost a whole gallon from racking? How much water did you start your boil with?

I lost more like 3/4 gallon from racking. My siphon kept getting clogged and I eventually just got hacked off and let the rest go because there was so much trub at the bottom and I couldn't keep a good siphon. I could have probably gotten about 1/2 gallon more but it had already taken so long I just left it. only about 4.75 gallons made it into primary (started my boil volume lower than I should have, first batch, live and learn).

I would use the same extract but just use darker steeping grains personally....using a different extract would completely changet the beer and with a BIS I wouldnt mess with it too much. Now, steeping with black malts to get the color where you want it would have much less affect on the actual taste of the beer.

I'm definitely going to keep the recipe as is for now, probably formulate a new one for a true Black IPA. Anything that changes is now a new recipe.

Picture of this Best of SHOW in a glass?

I'll try to get a pic up later today, I'm at work now and don't have any with me.

 

[-TH-]

Nice job man. With 8oz of hops in a 5 gallon recipe, you really can't go wrong!!!

 

[Marshach]

I think if I ever try this again, I'm going to use dark extract instead of light. I also want to try to make a regular IPA with the same hopping schedule to see how that turns out! So much fun experimenting!

Don't change anything, my friend. You won best of show!!!!

Congrats!

 

[Stoopidwon]

Don't change anything, my friend. You won best of show!!!!

Congrats!

I would agree if its a winner leave it alone.....If you want a darker beer great but I would deffinatly hang on to that one.

Congrats:rockin:

 

[ChshreCat]

+1 on renaming this recipe and making a whole new one for a black ipa. Then enter them both in the next comp and let 'em fight it out for supremacy!

 

[Prime]

Congrats!! That is awesome.

I went to school in Cincy. There is some good beer there.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Congrats!! Now THAT is hitting the ground running!!!

 

[Beehemel]

Here's a (slightly blurry) pic:

 

[mc_eric]

Congrats!! Now THAT makes me thirsty...

 

[conpewter]

Did it win in the IPA category or specialty?

 

[Brewin06111]

Picture of this Best of SHOW in a glass?

Oops.. see it above.. looks awesome

 

[BillTheSlink]

I am in Cincinnati and will be joining the Bloatarians as soon as I make it to a meeting. I am assuming that's whose contest you won as the meeting was Friday. The other club in town is the Cincinnati Malt Infusers; they are more centered on the East side of town. Either way congratulations!

PS: Be sure to try to make it down to Bock Fest in the early Spring. There's a parade, costumes, and everything. Here's a link to last year's pics: http://www.bloatarian.org/index.php...=com_gallery&Itemid=30&include=view_album.php

 

[-TH-]

humor me...

partial or full boil?
tap water or bottled or other? any water adjustments?
aeriation method (if any)?
what was the fermentation schedule?
controlled fermentation temps?

 

[motobrewer]

Congrats!

Since you seem to be a natural - may I ask what you did for your christmas ale? I'd like to brew one this weekend...

 

[McKBrew]

Congrats. First beer and a contest winner. I've made several batches but never had the time (or more likely the courage) to enter them in a contest.