AHA National Homebrew Comp. entries due 4-11-08!

[BrewMasterBrad]

Got my score sheets back today. Let me just that I am disappointed. My Oktoberfest scored a 23. That recipe has placed in several other comps and scored a 40 at the Pac Brewers Cup last year. Both judges said that the beer was astringent. Whatever, I have never had that comment before on any beer I have made.

My Bonde Ale scored a 31.5. It scored a 42 at Pac Cup. One judge said that it was too bready and the other said it was too fruity. Go figure.

I don't think most judges actually know what diacetyl smells like. My American Amber was criticized for having too much diacetyl. I don't know where that comes from. Could it be that they are mistaking the caramel notes of the crystal 120 malt for diacetyl?

The best one was my Special Bitter. Judge #1: "Clean beer, but hop flavor dominates. Lacks a nice malty backbone". Judge #2: "Nice beer decrease the crystal malt and increase the hop bitterness." It scored a 30 even though the judges were tasting entirely different beers.

Some judges did provide some very good feedback, so it is not all bad news. It just seems like most them were very inconsistent with each other. Just makes you wonder if it's worth spending $9/beer to get feedback that does not help you brew better beer.

I find that to be the case at most competitions anymore. The well done score sheets are few and far between, I kind of disregard them anymore and take solice in the fact that if I do place, all the other beers in that category were up against the same judges. So, if you get mediocre judging, it means everyone else did too.

Not the best way to look at it, but hey, given lemons... right?

Right. The funny thing is that the last couple comps I have entered (Pac Cup 2007 and IEB 2006) the score sheets were great, even on my beers that didn't place. It's also odd that all the NHC judges were at least certified since all my score sheets had their BJCP numbers on them. You would expect more from someone that has at least taken the BJCP exam (in theory).

[backyard brewer]

None of my score sheets say a place anywhere, so I doubt it. My Blonde Ale scored a 31.5. My Cream Ale scored a 35. My Schwarzbier scored a 33. Those would be the only ones that I think would have a chance of placing.

I got mine too. Strong Scotch Ale (1st @ Mayfaire) received a 39.0 and my Schwartzbier got 35.5, so if your schwartz placed Brad, it got a second or third

My score sheets were pretty good actually. They were consistent at the very least. I know there are a ton of entries, but I'm always more comfortable when there are at least three judges per. Both of mine were two.

[BrewMasterBrad]

The Cal Common entered by Lyn scored a 37 and took 1st.

[backyard brewer]

The Cal Common entered by Lyn scored a 37 and took 1st.

How do you know?

[Rezzin]

The Cal Common entered by Lyn scored a 37 and took 1st.

Serious???

WOOHOO! GOOD JOB LYN!

[BrewMasterBrad]

The Cal Common entered by Lyn scored a 37 and took 1st.

How do you know?

Just talked to Lyn.

[spkrtoy]

Thanks, though I will not accept the accolades as their all Rezzin's. I sent his beer in with mine to save on the $$$$ entry fees. He should be proud for such a simple grain bill but I WILL take credit for informing him to cold lager it for a month to see what happens, so it worked well otherwise, we'd have had that beer on tap at SCHF! Great job Rez!

The scoresheets have the cover sheet and a place where it say's "PLACE" and mine had a 1 in the box.

I'm seriously disappointed in the judging too. I entered my Belgian Strong Dark in 18E and as an Old Ale 19A and it got a 27.5 in 18 and a 31 in 19 so go figure . I got dinged in 19 because I did not have enough MALT and TOO much carbonation and in 18 for TOO much HOPS and not enough CARBONATION. Hmmm, beers filled at the same time via Mike's beer gun.

[brahn]

Well, I didn't place. The RIS got a 36 and American Stout got a 27. The Am Stout was the one I debated between entering as a dry stout or american stout and I think I made the wrong choice. Both scoresheets said that an american stout should be bigger, it was at the very low end for that style. I thought it was funny that they also both knocked it for being sour saying it was contaminated. Unless it got infected in the bottle, the sourness is an intentional thing that I get from the yeast. I haven't tried it recently, but I've got a few bottles in the fridge so I'll try it later tonight. Oh well...

I got very good and consistent feedback on both beers, so I'm happy with that.

[backyard brewer]

Mine didn't have a cover sheet Oh well. THey're good scores anyway. I think this will be the first year in 4 that I didn't place at least one.

People are brewing better beer.

[bwarbiany]

I entered, knowing that I was moving, and put the new address. So all my score sheets are (I assume) at my new place, and I'm at my old place.

So I won't know until this weekend

[brahn]

That's a tough category if 39 didn't place. That's still a really good score, nice work.

[backyard brewer]

That's a tough category if 39 didn't place. That's still a really good score, nice work.

Thanks.

My bad, there were cover sheets, I just wasn't paying attention. The "place" boxes are empty.

[hjw]

It was a hard event to judge as we had no poor beers and I dont think they had enough judges as there were 30 or so judges for several hundred beers. The good news was my Peach ale got 371/2 for third place. I will bring some when Patrick does the beer flavor kit.

[dhempy]

Received my score sheets for the strawberry melomel ... 34.5 and did not place. Oh well.

Dan

[backyard brewer]

man that's tough too!