NHC results for my entry

[eppo]

Did better this year (second time) with my ESB, my high score of 21 last year is a 32 this year.
I havent gotten to read it yet, I had my wife tell me some stuff over the phone, but one thing that i got from both judges is that it "lacked complexity"
I basically brewed the ESB from Brewing Classic styles, but changed the hop additions a bit.
What can i do to it to add complexity for next year?

 

[Bobby_M]

Try a different judge.

 

[bob1852]

What can i do to it to add complexity for next year?

Hope the judges are different?

Seriously though; don't be so quick to tinker with recipes based on comments like that, as there are so many factors that go into judging (individual judges tastes/experience, bottle treatment before the comp, serving temp, order in flight, other beers in the flight, etc...).

Now if there's specific comments like "lacks the caramel maltiness expected in the style" those are ones to focus on.

Just my opinion, of course...

Congrats on the 31!

EDIT: Bobby beat me too it!

 

[helibrewer]

As soon as someone can define complexity, you'll have your answer. Nice job on the score.

 

[eppo]

Thanks for all the input guys. the other judge gave me a 25, and said it lacked carbonation.... REALLY?
Just incase anyone wanted to know, this is from Pittsburgh.

 

[CastleHollow]

Nice job improving the score! Not sure I would make too many modifications to just please those judges.

My two cents and a partial rant: this is my 5th (?) year of entering NHC, going back to 1997, and I have to say that I am most disappointed in the Pittsburgh judging. Two of my beers--different categories--happened to be evaluated by the same two judges: one was an Apprentice, the other non-BJCP. Their scoring did not match their comments (only positive remarks on flavor in the brown ale, including "true to style" but scored 11/20 and 9/20? seriously?) And their comments on both beers were almost exactly the same. Not worth the $20 I spent.

 

[duboman]

Generally I find that the higher ranked judges offer more detailed, specific comments that are pertinent. the lessor ranked judges are a little more ambiguous and less helpful. Remember that the judging is really subjective so before you go tweaking recipes read through all the comments as you are drinking the beer and see if you can pick up anything that they are critiquing.

Great job on the scores, at least you got your a$$ in gear and got in the game, I fell asleep at the wheel this year...............Cheers!

 

[eppo]

Generally I find that the higher ranked judges offer more detailed, specific comments that are pertinent. the lessor ranked judges are a little more ambiguous and less helpful. Remember that the judging is really subjective so before you go tweaking recipes read through all the comments as you are drinking the beer and see if you can pick up anything that they are critiquing.

Great job on the scores, at least you got your a$$ in gear and got in the game, I fell asleep at the wheel this year...............Cheers!

Good idea, I'm going to to drink one while reading the score sheet.

 

[eppo]

not sure if i should just ask this in a new thread, but...
one problem that i know i had with this beer is that for some reason the yeast didnt attenuate as much as they should have, It went down to around to 1.020, where it should have gone down to about 1.012. Since then i've been using O2 to aerate, and my beers have been attenuating the way they should. so my question is, what flavors will come out when i get the FG where it should be? would i be right in saying:
more noticeable hop bitterness.
Less sweetness
more malty character. (i did have some comments about the maltyness, and i'm hoping this would fix it)

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I don't think an ESB is really supposed to have that much complexity. It's right above a session beer. It shouldn't be overloaded with either too many hops or too many specialty malts. Sounds like bad judging.