It's no secret that I hate homebrewing hoppy beers. I'm convinced that it's very, very difficult to brew good hoppy beers at home if you don't keg, and even then I'm still skeptical that they're ever at a near-commercial level. I have yet to have a good hoppy homebrew from anybody. Regardless, I still foolishly brew them because it's one of my fiance's favorite styles and, well, I'm just stubborn.
Most of my hoppy beers fall flat. They're muted and kind of blah even when they're young. I've tried water adjustments, yeast, hops, and just about everything else I can think of. This time I did a few things. First off, I found a talk from this year's NHC by Kelsey McNair who, if you don't know, has won something like 3 NHC gold medals for his IPA, Hop Fu!. He's going pro and this talk was about how to brew the perfect hoppy beer. I specifically focused on two things, the water profile he recommends and eliminating O2 which I think might be hurting my beers. The water profile was easy to hit with salts but eliminating O2 as much as possible took some thinking. I am planning on a post soon with my new (and probably crazy and unnecessary) method, but I did buy this portable CO2 cartridge dispenser to help me to purge headspace with CO2 when I sampled and bottled.
This recipe I came up with is pretty simple and focuses on two awesome hops, Citra and Nelson. I was hoping for a juicy pale ale that's crushable and really bright. I used late hopping, a hop stand and some super fresh hops from Farmhouse Supply to really drive the aroma. I like the idea of wheat in the grain bill to provide some softness. I'm not optimistic because I have yet to brew a great hoppy beer, but hopefully I'll be surprised!
Pale Ale #3
3 Gallons
74% Efficiency
5 lb 2 Row
1 lb White wheat
0.5 oz Chinook (15 min)
0.5 oz Nelson (Flameout)
0.5 oz Citra (Flameout)
0.5 oz Nelson (180F)
0.5 oz Citra (180F)
1 oz Nelson (Dry Hop)
1 oz Citra (Dry Hop)
US05 at 66F ambient. Mashed at 150F.
OG 1.054 | FG 1.011 | ABV 5.8% | IBU 59
Ca 127 | Mg 2 | Na 0 | Cl 44 | SO4 227 | HCO3 38
8/15/15: Brewed. OG 1.049.
8/20/15: Sampled for gravity, purged headspace with CO2 cartridge and added Nelson and Citra dryhop.
8/26/15: Bottled with new O2 free bottling system.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Friday, August 28, 2015
More Quick Sours!
It's been awhile since I've posted but that doesn't mean I haven't been brewing. I've been consistently been at it and now that I've got some time I plan to catch up on the blog.
I was running low on berliners/quick sours, so I fired up a 3 gallon batch with the intention of splitting it 3 ways. I followed the kettle sour method I've been using for years to make a pretty low gravity (~4%) beer that's nicely tart and clean.
For this batch, once it fermented out, I chose to split 2 gallons on fruit and 1 gallon as a gose experiment.
The first gallon was split on pineapple for an upcoming competition in my area that I actually took first and second BOS in last year (humblebrag). This pineapple berliner might not be the most overwhelmingly crazy fruited berliner that I do, but it scored a 43 on Dr. Homebrew and a buddy took my tips on this beer to the final round of NHC in the fruit beer category. I think that 1 chopped pineapple/gallon is perfect for this style. The key to a BJCP competition fruit beer is balance with the base style and at this rate, the pineapple is there, but it's definitely a berliner first and foremost. It's a really elegant blend. I have high hopes for this at the competition.
I split another gallon onto peach puree. These local peaches went on sale for 50 cents a pound so I snatched up 10 pounds. ( let them get really ripe, then took the pits out and pureed them in a food processor and froze them in 2 pound increments. I put one gallon onto 2 lbs of pureed peach. When it came time to rack off the fruit, it was an absolute mess. I left behind a lot of sludge and I'm not sure how well the peach flavor is going to present itself.
The last gallon I made into a Margarita gose. I highly salted it (6 g sea salt/gallon) and then added the zest of 2 limes in secondary. I took a sample to see how it was coming and I was BLOWN away. The flavor is absolutely nailed. I haven't been this excited with a beer in awhile. At bottling the flavor was still there so I'm really excited to try it properly carbed.
I always love making berliners because they're so easy to make (mash one day which takes an hour, then boil the next day for 15 mins, and they are low OG so they ferment quickly) and fun to experiment with. I actually have a 5 gallon batch planned for this upcoming beer fest which I plan on fruiting (tropical fruit: dragonfruit, passionfruit, mango, guava) and serving during the people's choice portion of the fest.
I was running low on berliners/quick sours, so I fired up a 3 gallon batch with the intention of splitting it 3 ways. I followed the kettle sour method I've been using for years to make a pretty low gravity (~4%) beer that's nicely tart and clean.
For this batch, once it fermented out, I chose to split 2 gallons on fruit and 1 gallon as a gose experiment.
The first gallon was split on pineapple for an upcoming competition in my area that I actually took first and second BOS in last year (humblebrag). This pineapple berliner might not be the most overwhelmingly crazy fruited berliner that I do, but it scored a 43 on Dr. Homebrew and a buddy took my tips on this beer to the final round of NHC in the fruit beer category. I think that 1 chopped pineapple/gallon is perfect for this style. The key to a BJCP competition fruit beer is balance with the base style and at this rate, the pineapple is there, but it's definitely a berliner first and foremost. It's a really elegant blend. I have high hopes for this at the competition.
I split another gallon onto peach puree. These local peaches went on sale for 50 cents a pound so I snatched up 10 pounds. ( let them get really ripe, then took the pits out and pureed them in a food processor and froze them in 2 pound increments. I put one gallon onto 2 lbs of pureed peach. When it came time to rack off the fruit, it was an absolute mess. I left behind a lot of sludge and I'm not sure how well the peach flavor is going to present itself.
The last gallon I made into a Margarita gose. I highly salted it (6 g sea salt/gallon) and then added the zest of 2 limes in secondary. I took a sample to see how it was coming and I was BLOWN away. The flavor is absolutely nailed. I haven't been this excited with a beer in awhile. At bottling the flavor was still there so I'm really excited to try it properly carbed.
I always love making berliners because they're so easy to make (mash one day which takes an hour, then boil the next day for 15 mins, and they are low OG so they ferment quickly) and fun to experiment with. I actually have a 5 gallon batch planned for this upcoming beer fest which I plan on fruiting (tropical fruit: dragonfruit, passionfruit, mango, guava) and serving during the people's choice portion of the fest.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Saison Notes
I wanted to post these here for posterity. They are notes from the king of saisons, Shaun Hill of Hill Farmstead. He gave these notes back in 2007, so they might be a little outdated, but they serve as a fantastic outline of general saison brewing. In particular I take away the sulfate levels as well as the acidification of the sparge water, which I've never done, but will most definitely be doing when I do my 4th iteration of my saison.
Yeast/Fermentation: A great saison begins with the brewer's choice of yeast. A likely candidate is the Dupont culture (WLP 565, WY3724). This will always produce the peppery/estery/earthy characteristic that seems to define the style. Many brewers have reported difficulties achieving desired levels of attenuation while using this strain and are thus forced to finish the fermentation with a second strain of yeast. I have never encountered this dilemma but highly suggest that when using this strain it is necessary to maintain a very warm fermentation temperature - in the range of 75° to 90° F (24° to 32° C) and to use a yeast nutrient. Due to this occasional lack of attenuation, it may be more advisable to choose a more predictable and reliable yeast strain. Chouffe (WLP550, WY3522), Fantome (WY3725), Blaugies (WY3726) or any myriad of the wit/wheat yeasts (WLP400, WY 3463) available from White Labs and Wyeast are capable choices. The Blaugies strain (WY3726) is reputedly less finicky than the Dupont strain and has a very similar flavor profile (likely due to the relationship between the two breweries at Blaugies' startup). If choosing the Chouffe yeast, beware the "flavor bomb." Higher temperatures with this yeast can result in excessive phenolic/ester development. Pay particular attention to the suggested temperature profiles - but don't be afraid to experiment. Being cautious and living by the rules doesn't breed an inspired saison!
Primary: 1-3 weeks
Secondary: 2 weeks
Bottle Conditioning: 2-3 weeks, minimum
Cellar Indefinitely - three-year-old bottles still taste brilliant!
Water: Depending upon the profile of your water source, you may want to try and boost your sulfate levels into the range of 100 to 200 ppm through the addition of calcium sulfate (gypsum, CaSO4). This will benefit the perceived dryness of the final product and accentuate the hop character. If the pH of your source water is much above 6, you may choose to treat with food grade acid (lactic or phosphoric) to bring the pH of mash and sparge water into the 5.2-5.4 range
Grist: Feel inspired. Begin with a base of Pilsen malt. 2 row pale will work if you don't have access to Pilsen malt. This should contribute at least 50% of extract value. Try adding in Munich, Vienna, wheat, spelt, oat, or rye malt. Candy sugar, dextrose, and other sugars (1-10%) will add fermentability to the wort and boost attenuation
Mash: Infusion mash, unless you have the ability/desire to step. Mash temperature should be guided by your desired end result - the lower the temperature, the higher the level of attenuation and fermentability. Try mashing somewhere in the 146° to 152° F (64° to 67° C) range. Adjust as necessary
Boil/Hopping: 90 minute boil. 20-40 ibus. Noble hops are preferable. Try Styrian Golding, East Kent Golding, Hallertauer, Saaz, or try adding an American twist to your saison by using Mount Hood, Amarillo, or any other spicy variety. It's all up to the chef. Add bittering hops at 60 minutes (20-30 ibus); add remaining bitterness in the last 15-20 minutes of the boil. Finishing addition at the end of the boil should be in the range of 1-2 ounces per 5-gallon batch
Spicing: Star anise, coriander, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, peppercorns, orange peel, ginger, figs, cumin, dates, etc. Minimal
Yeast/Fermentation: A great saison begins with the brewer's choice of yeast. A likely candidate is the Dupont culture (WLP 565, WY3724). This will always produce the peppery/estery/earthy characteristic that seems to define the style. Many brewers have reported difficulties achieving desired levels of attenuation while using this strain and are thus forced to finish the fermentation with a second strain of yeast. I have never encountered this dilemma but highly suggest that when using this strain it is necessary to maintain a very warm fermentation temperature - in the range of 75° to 90° F (24° to 32° C) and to use a yeast nutrient. Due to this occasional lack of attenuation, it may be more advisable to choose a more predictable and reliable yeast strain. Chouffe (WLP550, WY3522), Fantome (WY3725), Blaugies (WY3726) or any myriad of the wit/wheat yeasts (WLP400, WY 3463) available from White Labs and Wyeast are capable choices. The Blaugies strain (WY3726) is reputedly less finicky than the Dupont strain and has a very similar flavor profile (likely due to the relationship between the two breweries at Blaugies' startup). If choosing the Chouffe yeast, beware the "flavor bomb." Higher temperatures with this yeast can result in excessive phenolic/ester development. Pay particular attention to the suggested temperature profiles - but don't be afraid to experiment. Being cautious and living by the rules doesn't breed an inspired saison!
Primary: 1-3 weeks
Secondary: 2 weeks
Bottle Conditioning: 2-3 weeks, minimum
Cellar Indefinitely - three-year-old bottles still taste brilliant!
Water: Depending upon the profile of your water source, you may want to try and boost your sulfate levels into the range of 100 to 200 ppm through the addition of calcium sulfate (gypsum, CaSO4). This will benefit the perceived dryness of the final product and accentuate the hop character. If the pH of your source water is much above 6, you may choose to treat with food grade acid (lactic or phosphoric) to bring the pH of mash and sparge water into the 5.2-5.4 range
Grist: Feel inspired. Begin with a base of Pilsen malt. 2 row pale will work if you don't have access to Pilsen malt. This should contribute at least 50% of extract value. Try adding in Munich, Vienna, wheat, spelt, oat, or rye malt. Candy sugar, dextrose, and other sugars (1-10%) will add fermentability to the wort and boost attenuation
Mash: Infusion mash, unless you have the ability/desire to step. Mash temperature should be guided by your desired end result - the lower the temperature, the higher the level of attenuation and fermentability. Try mashing somewhere in the 146° to 152° F (64° to 67° C) range. Adjust as necessary
Boil/Hopping: 90 minute boil. 20-40 ibus. Noble hops are preferable. Try Styrian Golding, East Kent Golding, Hallertauer, Saaz, or try adding an American twist to your saison by using Mount Hood, Amarillo, or any other spicy variety. It's all up to the chef. Add bittering hops at 60 minutes (20-30 ibus); add remaining bitterness in the last 15-20 minutes of the boil. Finishing addition at the end of the boil should be in the range of 1-2 ounces per 5-gallon batch
Spicing: Star anise, coriander, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, peppercorns, orange peel, ginger, figs, cumin, dates, etc. Minimal
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Scrappy Hound House Saison #3
Round 3! My first and second attempts at a delicious saison went surprisingly well. I really enjoyed each iteration and felt that there was nothing wrong with the two beers, but they could also be improved on. In this version, I'm sticking to the same general grain bill, but with a little big more emphasis on wheat.
My big change from the past two versions is that I'm introducing a new yeast this time. In the past I've used French Saison Wyeast 3711 and although I love how vicious that yeast rips through a beer (down to sub 1.005 in no time), the flavor profile isn't exactly what I'm looking for. I got in touch with the 2014 saison winner and he uses a split of 3711 and the Belgian saison strain, Wyeast 3724. I had heard stories about the Belgian strain being finnicky, so I had shied away from it, but I think that with some 3711 in there, it'll have no problem ripping through the wort. I aimed to pitch the yeasts in a 50/50 ratio (I built up starters, and eyeballed how much I pitched), so hopefully we'll get the Belgian profile with the fermenting capabilities of the French strain (in a perfect world). Oh, and as far as the last batch where I messed with the water profile, I'm keeping it pretty plain this batch, but I am adding some NaCl to see what that does.
Additionally, as much as I love plain saisons, my Fiance isn't the biggest fan, and since she's mainly the other one who drinks these beers, I'm going to split this batch. I'm thinking that I'll do 1 gallon straight, 1 gallon on some fruit (she suggested Mango, might do Apricots since they're in season) and I think we're going to sour a gallon and maybe pitch some brett. All in due time.
Scrappy Hound House Saison #3
3 gallons
74% efficiency
60 min boil
3 lb Belgian Pils (67%)
1 lb White Wheat (22%)
0.5 lb Vienna (11%)
0.75 oz Tettnang (60 min)
Wyeast 3724/Wyeast 3711 (50/50) @ 65F ambient. Mash at 148F.
OG 1.042 | FG 1.006 | ABV 4.7% | IBU 26
Ca 41 | Mg 2 | Na 56 | Cl 87 | SO4 80 | HCO3 38
6/21/15: Brewday. OG 1.040. 3+ gallons into fermenter. Cooled overnight and pitched in morning.
6/22/15: Visible fermentation by night.
7/1/15: Down to 1.001. Temperature bumped to 70F
7/11/15: Bottled 1 gallon.
7/19/15: Added 2 packages Goya Mango puree to 1 gallon, dry hopped another with 1 oz. Nelson.
7/1/15: Down to 1.001. Temperature bumped to 70F
7/11/15: Bottled 1 gallon.
7/19/15: Added 2 packages Goya Mango puree to 1 gallon, dry hopped another with 1 oz. Nelson.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
German Pilsner
Ruh roh. As if I didn't have enough things to work on in my brewing skill set, I decided I needed to tackle lager brewing. I recently gave up on hoppy beers (spoiler alert, that beer is drinkable but mediocre at best) and have enough sour beer in the house to kill someone, so I didn't know what to brew for a summer drinker. I had a bit of a falling out with my kolsch last time I brewed it, so I didnt want to do that. I nixed a wheat, thought about a blonde/golden but then started reading about quick lagers (Tasty McDole first brought this to my attention on the Brewing Network) and thought, why not?
So I'm leaving ales behind for a batch and jumping into lagers. I think this comes from the desire to have a super crushable beer for the summer. Oh and it doesn't hurt that I had Firestone Walker Pivo Pils for the first time and fell in love. Now I'm off to create something in a similar vein.
I want this beer to be crisp, lower ABV, and slightly hoppy. Something you could put away a few of. I'll be following the following quick lager profile:
-Pitch massive starter into 50F wort.
-Bump the temperature up 5F every 12 hours once 50% attenuation is hit until you reach ~68F.
-Diacetyl rest
-Cold crash, gelatin fine, bottle.
I'm expecting this to take a few weeks. I'm not in a rush so I have no problem with this taking longer, but I would like to see how fast I can turn around a decent beer for future reference.
German Pilsner
2.5 Gallons
74% efficiency
90 minute boil
4.5 lb Best Malz Pilsner
0.25 lb Carapils
0.5 oz Tettnang (60 min)
0.5 oz Spalter Select (15 min)
1 oz Tettnang (Flameout)
0.5 oz Spalter Select (Flameout)
Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager @50F. Mashed at 148F.
OG 1.050 | FG 1.010 | ABV 5.2% | IBU 29
Ca 70 | Mg 2 | Na 0 | Cl 90 | SO4 26 | HCO3 38
5/17/15: Brewday. Pitched 2L starter next morning after cold crash. OG 1.049. Mash pH 5.35.
5/21/15: Gravity down to 1.024. Bumped ambient up to 58F.
5/22/15: Bumped ambient to 68F.
5/26/15: Gravity down to 1.007. Began ramp down to <50F to gelatin fine/lager.
6/1/15: Gravity down to 1.004. Lagering at 40F.
6/11/15: Bottled
So I'm leaving ales behind for a batch and jumping into lagers. I think this comes from the desire to have a super crushable beer for the summer. Oh and it doesn't hurt that I had Firestone Walker Pivo Pils for the first time and fell in love. Now I'm off to create something in a similar vein.
I want this beer to be crisp, lower ABV, and slightly hoppy. Something you could put away a few of. I'll be following the following quick lager profile:
-Pitch massive starter into 50F wort.
-Bump the temperature up 5F every 12 hours once 50% attenuation is hit until you reach ~68F.
-Diacetyl rest
-Cold crash, gelatin fine, bottle.
I'm expecting this to take a few weeks. I'm not in a rush so I have no problem with this taking longer, but I would like to see how fast I can turn around a decent beer for future reference.
German Pilsner
2.5 Gallons
74% efficiency
90 minute boil
4.5 lb Best Malz Pilsner
0.25 lb Carapils
0.5 oz Tettnang (60 min)
0.5 oz Spalter Select (15 min)
1 oz Tettnang (Flameout)
0.5 oz Spalter Select (Flameout)
Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager @50F. Mashed at 148F.
OG 1.050 | FG 1.010 | ABV 5.2% | IBU 29
Ca 70 | Mg 2 | Na 0 | Cl 90 | SO4 26 | HCO3 38
5/17/15: Brewday. Pitched 2L starter next morning after cold crash. OG 1.049. Mash pH 5.35.
5/21/15: Gravity down to 1.024. Bumped ambient up to 58F.
5/22/15: Bumped ambient to 68F.
5/26/15: Gravity down to 1.007. Began ramp down to <50F to gelatin fine/lager.
6/1/15: Gravity down to 1.004. Lagering at 40F.
6/11/15: Bottled
Friday, May 8, 2015
Scrappy Hound House IPA #1
Homebrewed IPAs. My nemesis. I've brewed quite a few, I've tasted quite a few, and they're always lacking something from top tier commercial examples. It's a brightness, a cleanness, something that I can't ever achieve in a homebrew setup. It's happened so much that I'm convinced you can't homebrew a top tier commercial quality IPA (and you DEFINITELY can't if you bottle condition).
That being said, I'm an idiot and stubborn and tried to brew one. I was shooting for a Hill Farmstead style IPA. High mineral content, back loaded hops to produce a very light bitterness, and a smooth drinking experience. I also took a page out of Noble Ale Work's Shower series which I believe are 100% golden promise malt, or at least they lean heavily on it.
This might be my last hoppy beer for awhile. I'm tired of being disappointed, these beers aren't cheap and there are a ton of locally available hoppy beers that will quench my thirst.
IPA #1
3 gallons
74% efficiency
60 minute boil
7 lb Golden Promise (100%)
0.5 oz Chinook (60 min)
0.25 oz Citra (15 min)
0.25 oz Amarillo (15 min)
0.25 oz Centennial (15 min)
1.75 oz Citra (Whirlpool)
0.75 oz Amarillo (Whirlpool)
0.75 oz Centennial (Whirlpool)
1 oz Citra (Dry Hop)
1 oz Amarillo (Dry Hop)
1 oz Centennial (Dry Hop)
Wyeast 1318 @ 66F. Mashed at 150F.
OG 1.063 | FG 1.011 | ABV 6.9% | IBU 58
Ca 176 | Mg 2 | Na 62 | Cl 110 | SO4 254 | HCO3 203
4/18/15: Brewed
4/29/15: Gravity down to 1.018. Cold crashed and added gelatin.
5/4/15: Dryhopped
5/10/15: Bottled. FG 1.011. 6% ABV.
That being said, I'm an idiot and stubborn and tried to brew one. I was shooting for a Hill Farmstead style IPA. High mineral content, back loaded hops to produce a very light bitterness, and a smooth drinking experience. I also took a page out of Noble Ale Work's Shower series which I believe are 100% golden promise malt, or at least they lean heavily on it.
This might be my last hoppy beer for awhile. I'm tired of being disappointed, these beers aren't cheap and there are a ton of locally available hoppy beers that will quench my thirst.
IPA #1
3 gallons
74% efficiency
60 minute boil
7 lb Golden Promise (100%)
0.5 oz Chinook (60 min)
0.25 oz Citra (15 min)
0.25 oz Amarillo (15 min)
0.25 oz Centennial (15 min)
1.75 oz Citra (Whirlpool)
0.75 oz Amarillo (Whirlpool)
0.75 oz Centennial (Whirlpool)
1 oz Citra (Dry Hop)
1 oz Amarillo (Dry Hop)
1 oz Centennial (Dry Hop)
Wyeast 1318 @ 66F. Mashed at 150F.
OG 1.063 | FG 1.011 | ABV 6.9% | IBU 58
Ca 176 | Mg 2 | Na 62 | Cl 110 | SO4 254 | HCO3 203
4/18/15: Brewed
4/29/15: Gravity down to 1.018. Cold crashed and added gelatin.
5/4/15: Dryhopped
5/10/15: Bottled. FG 1.011. 6% ABV.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
2015 NHC First Round Results
I entered my first NHC this year. I finally got my results and scoresheets back and found out that I sent one beer through to the final round. I'm happy, but kicking myself because I think with a few tweaks or changes I could have done better. I guess that's why you should do a few competitions to fine tune your beers before a big competition like NHC.
My thoughts on the results:
Russian Imperial Stout - 13 F - Second place, 41.5/50 The notes on this were great to see, especially because I designed this beer specifically for competitions. That gives me confidence that I can brew competition worthy beers (I see this as a different skill set to brewing good beers). It scored well in most categories, probably worst in the aroma section. I was happy to see this advance, but I'll need a little luck to medal with this as I'd have to imagine 41.5 isn't going to get it done.
Golden Brett - 16E - DNP - 29/50. I knew this beer wouldn't do well. Thinking back now, I wonder why I even entered it. I think because I'm so proud of this beer as just a normal drinking beer, that I hoped somehow it would translate to competitions. That just wasn't meant to happen though as this beer doesn't fit in a category and the comments showed that. I got "the brett overwhelms the beer", "hard to judge", "blend well together, very pleasant". At least I don't have to save 3 bottles for the final round!
Passionfruit Berliner - 20 - DNP - 30.5. This probably surprised me most of all. I purposefully sent my passionfruit version over my raspberry version after a taste test because the raspberry was very fruit forward and my understanding of the fruit beer category was that you want the base beer to be present, and the fruit to compliment it. Boy was I wrong because I was dinged for a lack of fruit character. "A nice berliner, wish there was more fruit character" and "no detectable passionfruit, base beer style well done". I was very disappointed in how this scored.
Gose - 23 - DNP - 32.5. When I entered this in the specialty beer category I said a gose style beer (historic) with sea salt and coriander added. A good gose is basically a tart, salty beer to me. Coriander is traditionally added, but I can't normally pick it out as a flavor component because the sourness and salt are so forward. See Westbrook's Gose for a good example. Naming coriander as an ingredient was my downfall. I should know better that once you name an ingredient you damn well better be able to taste it. The coriander is a light, orange-y background note, not an upfront flavor. The judges murdered me for this saying, "very good version of style..not enough coriander to detect...salt level was great" and "really refreshing beer..lacks coriander flavor"
I'm looking forward to the Final Round in June, but I'm not holding out any hopes that my RIS medals. I do think that I'm going to spend the next year fine tuning these recipes, adding a few others (saison), entering some smaller competitions and taking another shot at a NHC medal in 2016.
My thoughts on the results:
Russian Imperial Stout - 13 F - Second place, 41.5/50 The notes on this were great to see, especially because I designed this beer specifically for competitions. That gives me confidence that I can brew competition worthy beers (I see this as a different skill set to brewing good beers). It scored well in most categories, probably worst in the aroma section. I was happy to see this advance, but I'll need a little luck to medal with this as I'd have to imagine 41.5 isn't going to get it done.
Golden Brett - 16E - DNP - 29/50. I knew this beer wouldn't do well. Thinking back now, I wonder why I even entered it. I think because I'm so proud of this beer as just a normal drinking beer, that I hoped somehow it would translate to competitions. That just wasn't meant to happen though as this beer doesn't fit in a category and the comments showed that. I got "the brett overwhelms the beer", "hard to judge", "blend well together, very pleasant". At least I don't have to save 3 bottles for the final round!
Passionfruit Berliner - 20 - DNP - 30.5. This probably surprised me most of all. I purposefully sent my passionfruit version over my raspberry version after a taste test because the raspberry was very fruit forward and my understanding of the fruit beer category was that you want the base beer to be present, and the fruit to compliment it. Boy was I wrong because I was dinged for a lack of fruit character. "A nice berliner, wish there was more fruit character" and "no detectable passionfruit, base beer style well done". I was very disappointed in how this scored.
Gose - 23 - DNP - 32.5. When I entered this in the specialty beer category I said a gose style beer (historic) with sea salt and coriander added. A good gose is basically a tart, salty beer to me. Coriander is traditionally added, but I can't normally pick it out as a flavor component because the sourness and salt are so forward. See Westbrook's Gose for a good example. Naming coriander as an ingredient was my downfall. I should know better that once you name an ingredient you damn well better be able to taste it. The coriander is a light, orange-y background note, not an upfront flavor. The judges murdered me for this saying, "very good version of style..not enough coriander to detect...salt level was great" and "really refreshing beer..lacks coriander flavor"
I'm looking forward to the Final Round in June, but I'm not holding out any hopes that my RIS medals. I do think that I'm going to spend the next year fine tuning these recipes, adding a few others (saison), entering some smaller competitions and taking another shot at a NHC medal in 2016.
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