Off flavors due to over-carbonating?

[avibayer]

I submitted an ESB to a homebrew competition, and the scoresheet said that there was a harsh bitterness aftertaste, possibly due to overcarbonating.

how does that happen?

 

[Newbeerguy]

ESB are supposed to be very low carbed. Carbonic bite is most likely what they are refering too. I entered my ESB into HBT 2009 contest and got a 37, but the judge said if mine was carbed lower it would be in the 40's. He stated it had too much of a carbonic bite.

 

[avibayer]

I got a 34 and 36, with harsh bitterness due to over carbonating as the main comments.
what is carbonic bite then?

and how does judging work? One of the score sheets was lowered by a couple points (scores were erased and rewritten), and i was wondering if one judge was influencing the other.

 

[Yooper]

I got a 34 and 36, with harsh bitterness due to over carbonating as the main comments.
what is carbonic bite then?

and how does judging work? One of the score sheets was lowered by a couple points (scores were erased and rewritten), and i was wondering if one judge was influencing the other.

Carbonic bite comes from the carbonic acid produced by carbonation. In overcarbed beers, or very newly carbed beers, it's present as a harshness.

Judges do talk to each other, and influence each other, especially in the case of a tie. If there is a fairly big discrepency in scores, they'll talk about it and try to come to a consensus.

 

[brewmonk]

I think that the scores all have to be within about 7 points of each other (or pick a different number, here).