Brew Dudes Homebrewing Blog

Beer Judging Score Sheets

On August 21, 2008

I received my score sheets back from the 2008 Sam Adams LongShot Homebrew Competiton earlier this week. In my last post, I photographed the sheets for the maple porter that I entered. Here are the sheets for my American pale ale.

Since each beer was judged by at least two separate judges, I have two sheets to share. The first one shows the nice note about this “wonderful beer”. Unfortunately, it was deemed out of style.

This sheet points out that I need to ramp up my bitterness to make this beer a true APA.

Lessons Learned

I learned some things from entering a couple of beers into the LongShot competition:

Entering a beer into a competition allows you to get constructive feedback from judges who know beer styles
This feedback is valuable to help you make great beer, or at least beer that will do well in other competitions
Sometimes this feedback just reinforces what you have already deduced about your beer

Homebrewing Competition Tips

After participating in a few competitions, I have a few tips for homebrewer who really want to compete:

Brew often. The more you brew, the more data you will be able to collect to perfect your recipes and techniques
Once you feel like you have perfected a few styles, enter them into competition
Some successful competition winners enter many beers. Sometimes a beer for every style
Some successful competition winners enter many different versions of the same beer style
Either way, competition success is aligned with quantity. More is more!

I think experience plays a big part of it. You have to take the time to learn beer. You have to take the time to take your learnings and put them into your brewing. You have to take time to brew and brew and brew.

It’s no wonder this hobby becomes an obsession so easily.

LongShot Competition Results

By John Krochune

On August 19, 2008

In General

So I finally got the results of my Sam Adams LongShot entries. I got the package yesterday and I was happy with the reviews for the most part. I took a few photos of the review sheets:

The first photo is the letter from Jim Koch.

The second photo is the high level score for the Maple Porter that I entered into the specialty beer category.

The third photo is an actual judgment sheet of the Maple Porter.

Overall, this beer got an ok score. I received comments that other people who tasted the beer said. There needs to be more Porter in my Maple Porter.

I will post the APA sheets next along with my thoughts about the whole experience. Stay tuned.

Check out my post about my Longshot competition submission.

Baltic Porter Style Profile

By John Krochune

On August 13, 2008

In Style Profiles

I have ignored this category of post for too long. It’s time to get back into examining beer styles. Today I am writing about the alluring Baltic Porter. Being of Baltic descent (I’m 1/4 Lithuanian), I have had an interest in this beer for a while.

I’m a quarter Irish too…for what it’s worth.

The Baltic Porter was bred in England. Back in the 1700 and 1800s, England brewers were producing barrels and barrels of stouts and porters. When they wanted to expand their customer base, they took to the seas and shipped their beers east. To survive the long journey, the beers were brewed strong…increasing the amounts of malt and hops they would normally use. The results: Imperial Stouts and Baltic Porters.

Baltic Porters have sweet malty flavor profiles. Complex notes of raisins and licorice dance on the tongue. Coffee and bitter chocolate are sometimes present too.

From what I read, hops play a small role in this malt party. These beers are high in alcohol and it can be a prominent part of their aroma and flavor.

Smoothness was a defining character of these beers. I can imagine a velvety mouthfeel for these beers.

One last thing I found interesting, and probably is related to the call for smoothness, is the use of lager yeast for this style. With Porters, I assume they are all ales. Some, if not most. Baltic Porters are brewed using lager yeasts and techniques.

Thanks for reading. Please read our other beer style profiles.

Now someone go get me a Utenos Porter.

Brewing With Brettanomyces

By John Krochune

On August 11, 2008

In Experiments, Ingredients

The Brew Dudes went out for beer last Thursday night. I twittered about it. Mike didn’t know we tweet. I said I didn’t know we did either.

I also told him we are now friends with Charlie P. on Facebook. He didn’t know that either. Dude, the world is shrinking….and these were the subjects we discussed during the first beer.

The second beer we had was a Cantillon Kriek Lambic and it was tremendous. I have had some Lambics before, but this Kriek was great. Not sure if a master of pairing beer with food would have approved of my Kriek/BBQ Cheeseburger combo…but oh well. It worked for me!

Cantillon-Kriek

Lambics are traditionally fermented with wild yeast, including our friend Brett (Brettanomyces). Not sure if this Kriek was fermented with Brettanomyces but it had a light body. It also had a sourness that may have come from cherries or bacteria or both, but it definitely did not taste like “beer”. The range of flavors you can get from different kinds of beers is amazing…and I am glad I am still amazed to this day.

The wild yeast that live in Senne valley of Belgium give lambics have their signature taste. This concept gives me a few thoughts.

1. What would wild yeast that live in my neighborhood make my beer taste like? They would probably bring in da noise and bring in da funk…and not in a good way…but it might be a good experiment. Put that one on the ever-growing list of experiments that the Brew Dudes need to conduct.

2. Would I ever attempt to brew a lambic? You can get strains of Brettanomyces from White Labs. It might be interesting to give it a go. My hesitation comes from the fact that Brett is usually seen as an off-flavor in other beers…which brings me to thought number 3.

3. When is someone’s off-flavor someone else’s on-flavor?

I would like to get input from readers who have brewed with Brett. What has your experience been?

Sam Adams Patriot Homebrew Contest

By John Krochune

On August 7, 2008

In General

A couple of things –

I finally got an email that said the scoresheets to my LongShot entries will be arriving in the next week or so. The good, the bad, and the ugly will be posted here once I get them.

Information about the 2009 Sam Adams Patriot Homebrew Contest is now available on the Sam Adams site. Looks like submissions are being accepted starting Dec. 8th through Dec. 19th.

I will update the competitions page with the details.

Brew On.