Submitted beer to county fair...disappointed

[Maxkling]

Heres the things, you think the beer is good?

Just imagine how good your future beers will be once you start to learn and get control of brewing.

 

[Jayman931]

I guess I had a different definition of "better" in mind (you're the second person to comment on it). I was not saying that the comments were not useful, and I was not trying to whine.

Do you come from an area that gives a ribbon or trophy to everyone who signs up?

Those are great comments. Things you should take in stride and learn from. I don't want to give beer to my friends and for them to say its great...perfect..pat on the back. My friends actually would tell me how it is. Honesty is the best policy and you can learn from it...

It takes alot to put yourself out there....it takes alot to be judged. With that being said....learn from it and get back on that horse! GL

 

[the_bird]

Yeah, to reiterate on that point, a lot of the specific flavor flaws they mentioned are not things that are easy for brewers (especially new brewers) to pick up on. I have never noticed acetaldehyde until I happened to be drinking with a bunch of HBT folks and Ray McNeill, who pointed it out in someone's homebrew. People usually bitch that judges' feedback is too generic, or conflicts with the feedback of the other judges; in this case, they gave you some specifics to work with as you nail down the brewing process.

The acetaldehyde, BTW, may clean itself up as the beer conditions. It's usually a "young beer" flaw.

 

[Bierliebhaber]

One of my previous entries received a 37 and still did not medal (4th), but there were still comments for improvement. You can score very high and still get critical feedback. I've taken medals with less. It's fun to get the medals/ribbons/prizes, but the point is see how well you can hit a target with your brew. The judges go a long way in helping you figure out where and why you missed the mark. I have a lot of brews that I simply won't consider entering, because 1) they're not to style (still delicious); 2) they're too tasty to pay someone else to drink--I don't need anyone to tell me it's good. There are others that I am trying to hit a style and want to see how well I succeeded. As mentioned already, BJCP points don't necessarily equal flavor.

 

[dcummings1998]

Dude, a 40 is pretty awesome beer and you expected that with an extract fermented way too high?

I DIDN'T ACTUALLY THINK I DESERVED A 40!

I was not being serious when I said that, which I already mentioned.

It'll be a 40 when I get the fermentation temp nailed down

 

[dcummings1998]

Thats the important part!

You're absolutely correct. I've gone out of my way to make a couple beers I otherwise had no interest in making, just to keep her happy. She's more willing to be my assistant if there's a nice Blonde or Wit in the fridge for her

 

[dcummings1998]

40 is a REALLY high score, and remember... your second batch ranked better than nearly a third of the other entrants (even with a hot ferment). Sounds like the kind of good, honest feedback we all need.

I'm going to remember this. You're right- in the grand scheme, it did pretty well. Hell, a 26 is considered "good".

One judge wrote "admittedly, this isn't a style I like". Tough to woo someone with a beer they dislike. Also, I'm not sure it's actually a Belgian Wit, but no other category seemed to match.

If there's anything redeeming, it's that I beat both of the beers my buddy made, and he's all-grain and has been doing it for years.

Here's to getting back to the kitchen and working on the next entry!

 

[azscoob]

When I entered my blueberry summer ale in a competition, I wasn't sure what to put it in, since for a fruit beer you need a base style, I picked the wrong style when I entered it and I scored a collective 25 on it, all the judges stated that it was a fantastic tasting beer but that it just did not fit the base style I had it listed as and that it would have scored MUCH higher if it were correctly entered.

I scored a 25 with a great beer because I had an incorrect base style listed, the thing to remember is that judging is meant to pick out flaws and off flavors for that particular style, it is just a way to test your skill by brewing a set of style guidelines and doing it as perfectly as possible, it really has nothing to do with whether it is a great tasting beer or not.

My first competition I was hoping to get a great score, like the judges would take a sip and go into a similar rave like Ralphie's teacher (in his day dream) in 'a Christmas Story'
It turned out that it was not quite to style and I was given feedback as to why it was dinged, I learned a bit once I got over my hurt pride.

You will do better, just remember it is all about style guidelines, some of the best beers I have ever had, both homebrewed and commercial would score poorly in a comp because they were brewed to be great drinking beers, not to fit in a category.

 

[dcummings1998]

like the judges would take a sip and go into a similar rave like Ralphie's teacher (in his day dream) in 'a Christmas Story'


.

I love imagining this happening. Well said!

 

[bob1852]

I have never noticed acetaldehyde

Drink a warm Bud Light if you want to notice acetaldehyde.

 

[Hatchbrew]

Any feedback is good with me. Take it for what you will. Competition are a lot of fun...find an honest opinion about your beer from judges and critiques from your fellow brewers.

 

[dcummings1998]

Drink a warm Bud Light if you want to notice acetaldehyde.

Is that right, or are you being facetious? I'm actually curious about what these off flavors taste like.

 

[bob1852]

Is that right, or are you being facetious? I'm actually curious about what these off flavors taste like.

It's true. I never noticed it until someone else pointed it out...

Here's Palmer's list of off-flavors & causes if you haven't already seen it.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

 

[Germelli1]

Man this is exactly why I havn't enter any competitions yet (plus by the time I find them on google it is usually too late). My beers, especially the first few, are like my babies. To get a score lower than you expect is like a teacher telling you that your kid is a *******. They may be in the better position to judge it, but you still never want to hear it

 

[starrfish]

I got a 28 on what me and my buddies thought was the best beer (smoked imperial Porter) I ever made. I put in in the porter category... scored a 28. had I put it in experimental may have done better. all faults where "out of style". could have scored higher in another category. have a truely excellent APA on draft now fermented way high. lots of pear and apple. will be a crowd pleaser but not a competition beer. I'm from SC and rarely enter a summer brew for competition, as I LIKE a good fruity ester in a pale ale. and brew them session style all summer long for general consumption.

 

[dcummings1998]

It's true. I never noticed it until someone else pointed it out...

Here's Palmer's list of off-flavors & causes if you haven't already seen it.

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

For all the time I've spent reading that, I'm still amazed at how many sections I've never seen. This is really helpful. Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

For all the time I've spent reading that, I'm still amazed at how many sections I've never seen. This is really helpful. Thanks!

I can't believe how much of the book I'm still reading! The "real" book is updated, with even more information and I still use it often.

I know you didn't ask, but your score was actually good!

The breakdown is like this:

45-50 Outstanding. World class example of style. (VERY rare score!)
38-44 Excellent. Exemplifies style well.
30-37 Very Good. Generally within style parameters, some minor flaws.
21-29 Good. Misses the mark on style and/or minor flaws
14-20 Fair. Off flavors or aromas, or major style deficiencies.

I've judged a number of competitions. Most beers fall under 29. A rare beer may score 40. A winner may score in the high 30s.

 

[starrfish]

A+ yooper was just looking for that same info to encourage this newb! really want to do the beer judge thing. but need to concentrate on finding another real job!

 

[dcummings1998]

I've judged a number of competitions. Most beers fall under 29. A rare beer may score 40. A winner may score in the high 30s.

Hey, thanks for the encouragement!

In terms of judging, what's it like? When I entered the beer they asked if I'd want to judge, as entering and judging beers are, according to them, great ways to learn about the different styles, as well as beer as a whole.

So yeah...what's it like to judge? How valuable has it been?

 

[Yooper]

Hey, thanks for the encouragement!

In terms of judging, what's it like? When I entered the beer they asked if I'd want to judge, as entering and judging beers are, according to them, great ways to learn about the different styles, as well as beer as a whole.

So yeah...what's it like to judge? How valuable has it been?

Believe it or not, it's a lot of work! Remember that you're not judging the beer to see if you like it- you're judging it next to a standard set of guidelines.

I've had more than a few awful beers, like infected or otherwise rotten. But I've still done my best to judge them according to the style guidelines and give good feedback for improvement. The best competitions will have suggestions for improvement, and explanations on how they arrived at their scores.

I'm a very good judge, and I've learned so much from other more experienced judges to get there. It's a wonderful learning experience! If you get the chance to judge in a good competition where you are a novice and you'll have an experienced BJCP judge with you, you'll learn more than you can imagine.

 

[starrfish]

still want to get there for just pure enjoyment of the judge arena. I know I may need to take some of the strange catagor's but it's ok I've brewed smoked and & soured. all fun!

 

[the_bird]

Drink a warm Bud Light if you want to notice acetaldehyde.

... but... but... but then I'd be drinking warm Bud Light?!?

**** that, I know what a green apple tastes like!

 

[mrkartoom]

I'm going to remember this. You're right- in the grand scheme, it did pretty well. Hell, a 26 is considered "good".

I was going to say that even with your mistake you scored higher than a big percentage of those folks, so I'd say you should be pretty proud. This gives me hope that my 1st batch in the primary right now will turn out pretty good, especially since I started my fermentation a good bit above the desired temp.

 

[dcummings1998]

Does anyone have a style guide I can read? I have been trying to find one online, but all I can find is a guide for tasting, not for what should be in the profile of each type of beer.

EDIT: Just found http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2008_stylebook.pdf

 

[emjay]

Does anyone have a style guide I can read? I have been trying to find one online, but all I can find is a guide for tasting, not for what should be in the profile of each type of beer.

EDIT: Just found http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2008_stylebook.pdf

I also have an app on my phone called BJCPDroid which is extremely handy.

 

[dcummings1998]

I also have an app on my phone called BJCPDroid which is extremely handy.

BJCP Styles on the iPhone. Thanks!

 

[kevokie]

BJCP Styles on the iPhone. Thanks!

Sweet! Thanks for sharing.