Judging feedback

[drksky]

I just got my score sheets from a local contest and I'm wondering about the comments I got on my Brown Ale entry. It was the John Palmer's Elevenses from Northern Brewer and both judges noted that that hop bitterness was way too high. Now, this recipe calls for only .6oz of Northern Brewer and I'm wondering if something else would have contributed to bitterness not related to hops?

5 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 64.1 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 2 11.7 %
1 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 3 11.7 %
8.0 oz Brown Malt (65.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.8 %
5.3 oz Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.8 %
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 6 2.9 %
0.60 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 17.5 IBUs
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 8 -
1.0 pkg Thames Valley Ale (Wyeast Labs #1275) [124.21 ml]

 

[Yooper]

Which category did you enter? It probably isn't a Southern English Brown, so I assume Northern English brown?

The only things I can think of are a too-high mash pH if you used tap water, or the "minerally" flavor that yeast can throw and maybe be interpreted as hops bitterness in some beers.

Could it be a water chemistry issue?

 

[drksky]

Which category did you enter? It probably isn't a Southern English Brown, so I assume Northern English brown?

The only things I can think of are a too-high mash pH if you used tap water, or the "minerally" flavor that yeast can throw and maybe be interpreted as hops bitterness in some beers.

Could it be a water chemistry issue?

I entered it under Southern Brown.

It's possible that it's water or pH. Just about all I do is treat for chloramine and on this one I didn't pay any attention to pH.

 

[Yooper]

I entered it under Southern Brown.

It's possible that it's water or pH. Just about all I do is treat for chloramine and on this one I didn't pay any attention to pH.

The recipe doesn't really say "southern brown" to me, as that generally has a higher residual sweetness, and more caramel malt without nutty/biscuit tones.
You have over 11% caramel malt, so it may be on the line but it doesn't really look "Southern brown" to me.
It may have done much better as a Northern English brown. Maybe that's why it was perceived as "too bitter" even though it only had 18 IBUs. Or, the mash pH was pretty high and it came across as "bitter".