I got my score sheets back from the AFC competition: Robust Porter (25.5), Christmas Spiced Ale (31).
All the judge feedback was solid & appreciated! (And I could read their handwriting well enough!)
On the porter, both judges docked me for a 'phenolic rubber-like' aroma & flavor. One of them suggested that I should 'watch sanitation steps' and 'rack off yeast @ 2 weeks max as the yeast will start to break down and give rubberband flavors'.
I'd really like to remove this rubberband flavor from future beers, and would love to hear any thoughts on where this is coming from. I've heard from many of you that 2 weeks in primary should NOT be an issue (and I checked.. this porter was only 2 weeks in primary, then right to the bottle). So here are some details of my setup/process.
+ Plastic mash tun w/SS false bottom.
+ Plastic food-grade fermenter
+ Sanitize with Sani-Clean @ recommended 10ml/1gal H2O
+ Primary only for 2 weeks. Auto-siphon into bottling bucket w/priming sugar solution.
+ Bottles rinsed w/santizer & put on bottle tree for 20 mins prior to bottling. So, they are not bone dry, but being upside down for 20 mins. there is not really more than a drop of anything left in them.
+ I use Irish Moss in the boil, but otherwise do not clarify beyond that.
+ I use a copper IWC and drop my 5 gallon batches from boil to ~80-F in about 20 mins.
Suggestions & critiques are greatly appreciated!!
--LexusChris
