So first competion is in the books.

[dstockwell]

Hogtown Brew-off

Average score for the two score sheets 34.5

Wholly smokes, it's astonishing the differences in comments from two different judges.

Judge#1 no DMS
Judge #2 pours DMS

clarity both the same,

Judge 1 Toffe/Caramel/bisket flavor
Judge 2 no bready malt, mostly caramel.

On judge says bitterness isn't what I would expect for style.. I can't figure out that one..

There are a couple things I can do to make this better, need to up the malt profile, and a little less carbonation.

Here was the recipe.

Recipe Type: All Grain BIAB
Yeast: Wyeast 1335
Batch Size (Gallons): 3.25
Original Gravity: 1.045
Final Gravity: 1.011
IBU: 36
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 12 SRM
ABV: 4.4
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 Days at 68 degrees
Brew House 70%

Grain Bill
90% Pearl
4% Flaked Barley
4% Amber
2% Carafa 2 (for color)

Mash

BIAB Single Infusion mash for 75 minutes at 152 degrees.

Boil & Hops
.5 oz. Palisade 8% @ 60 min.
.5 oz. Palisade 8% @ 5 min.
.5 oz. EKG 5% @ 5 min.

 

[jekeane]

What is the style you entered?

 

[dstockwell]

11B Best Bitter..

 

[Pappers_]

Congratulations, that's a great score.

The recipe doesn't matter, the judges don't have access to the recipe, they are trying to describe the beer in front of them with no information other than the style it was entered in.

DMS is a compound that some have greater sensitivity to than others, some people perceive it at lower levels than others. I also think that at lower levels, it can dissipate relatively quickly after pouring.

As for the bitterness, it could be an issue of perceived bitterness - for example, two beers with the same IBUs may not seem to have the same bitterness if one is underattenuated.

Again, congrats on your scores!

 

[dstockwell]

Thanks..

 

[jekeane]

Ok well I didn't judge it then : p

Bitters are an interesting category to enter and have judged. I feel like it is one of the more misjudged categories. Unfortunately just because someone is a judge doesn't mean they know everything there is to a style. I have heard certified judges say "this should be ipa bitter" when judging them.

All I can tell you is when entering comps you have to enter a beer more than once to get a true idea of it's score.

Last year I had a bitter that I brewed judged a 31 at one comp and at the next comp the same beer won a silver with a 39. I could see on the first comps scoresheet where the two judges were wildly apart in score and the low judge "28" talked the high judge "39" dow to a 33. Ironically it was a certified judge that got talked down by a non recognized judge.

It happens... comps and judges are far from perfect. You just need to enter regularly and take what you can from the scoresheets when you can.

as far as your recipe is concerned it might be that you need to drop the and get your color from adding some c120 or c77 alone with some aromatic malt. I personally would also consider a 20 minute flavor addition on my hop bill.

Also 34.5 isn't all that bad realistically it's just outside of getting a push to 2nd round. It's the scores below 30 when you get started in comps that should be getting you bummed in my opinion.

 

[dmtaylor]

when entering comps you have to enter a beer more than once to get a true idea of it's score.

I totally agree with everything jekeane said, especially the point copied ^^^ here. I always say you need to enter each beer into AT LEAST THREE competitions before you REALLY know how good your beer is. Otherwise it's a total crapshoot. It does sound though like you got some reasonably average feedback, with one judge probably being much better than the other. If you had more scoresheets to compare to, you could figure out which ones to keep and which to pitch into the recycle bin / burn barrel / choose-the-form-of-the-destructor. Keeper to garbage ratio is not far from 50/50 across all competitions. I say this, and I myself am BJCP Certified. We have good and bad days. Some just have mostly bad days.

 

[Brownalemikie]

Sounds like you brewed a beer to be proud of, but IMO, the only "judge" that matters is you.....if you like it, that's all that counts.

 

[jekeane]

Sounds like you brewed a beer to be proud of, but IMO, the only "judge" that matters is you.....if you like it, that's all that counts.

I don't disagree with this mindset. However if you have a desire to enter beers into competition then that line of thinking goes out the window.

 

[mwilcox]

The comment on bitterness would be fine if they also explained in what way it wasn't what they expected from the style. Almost all my feedback is style-related if there isn't an obvious overwhelming flaw.