I think I have the competition blues??

[drkwoods]

As Yooper stated, competition is all about conforming to style. If your stuff is "out of the box" you are already behind the ball. There are a bunch of people who brew just to enter into competition....you can't compete with that if you are doing "unique" beers.

Well I'll give you an example. I have a Pliny the elder clone that several people think is very very close and in fact a couple friends think its better (fresher I think) anyhoo I entered it in this comp as a 14c. I mean common you nail PTE shouldn't that win something? Or are we at the point where IPA Is so progressive that if you snuck a real bottle of PTE in it wouldn't impress anymore? I dont have any scores yet so i don't know but just sayin

 

[drkwoods]

Well I know how you feel. Last year I entered an amber ale into a local comp and thought it was pretty good. I don't know what happened but a BJCP Grand Master gave it a 13!!! A 13!!! I was depressed for days. Flash forward to the Hangar 24 Comp this year...somehow I was able to pull off a Silver for my Kolsch and a Bronze for my Green Chile Blonde. I think there is still a bit of luck involved with winning contests, but what is more important is the judges comments.

Congrats!! I got the silver in light hybrid last year. Entered the same beer again (fresh batch) and got blanked. I guess this is def a Learning experience as I try to figure out what these guys want. I said earlier I'm a little out of the box. But not with my recipes I'm usually to style if it enter anything from category 1-19

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Judging is a crapshoot. Sometimes you get quality judges and you read the feedback (good or bad), and you can tell they know what they're talking about.

Other times, you get a big fat joke. I competed in the San Diego fair a couple years ago with a Belgian IPA in 16e, and the judge told me to "check my hot-side aeration" -- among other completely off-base notes. This guy really thinks he can taste beer well enough to detect HSA -- something usually associated with long-term shelf stability -- in a beer that was maybe 5-6 weeks old? Yeah. I'll believe that!

 

[AngerManagement]

I feel your pain, I didn't win sh*t at H24 either.

 

[AmandaK]

I swore off competitions after getting my scoresheets back from the AHA competition and the judges dinging me for qualities in the beer that were clearly stated in the BJCP as being part of the style. Pissed me off.

I've met a few, let's call them "cocky", judges that refuse to give a beer that is within style a good score if it is not within their "personal idea" of the style. For example: if a dopplebock was light in color, he specifically stated he would give it a 13. Dopplebocks actually have two versions: light and dark. Both are discussed in the BJCP. The light version should not receive a 13 based on color alone.

Sh*t like that really pisses me off, especially from "high ranking" judges. I studied very hard for my BJCP exam, nearly got a Master score on the first try, I review the guidelines and keep an open mind when judging. I am often looked down upon by these same "cocky" judges just because I'm new to the ranks.

When I judge a beer, I always keep in mind how I would feel if I got this score sheet back. It is always completely filled out. The scores generally match the comments. The Overall Impression score is usually an average of the other scores. I never assume what ingredients or processes were used in the beer, but I can say, "If xxx was used, try this..." I won't ever just say, "Too much Pilsner". That is unfair to the entrant who paid good money to enter and most likely ship their entries to the competition.


That being said, I would email the judge directly. I've done that several times, especially when the Flavor section ended in "Alcohol warmth is...". YIKES.

 

[phoenixs4r]

Some folks get way too serious about beer.

 

[BigfootCounty]

Well I'm no Sam Caligione or Jim Koch but my stuff is unique and slightly out of the box.
Not losing grip here, I think I'm expecting too much that's all

You entered some categories that I would think would be stiff competition.

Not even Babe Ruth hit a home run every time.

Like other people mentioned earlier there are people who are willing to invest substantial money based on their ability of your skill.