Discuss JBK Prize Winning Recipes

[Bopper]

Entered this into our clubs British Beer Fest ( http://www.SODZ.org ) and won first place in 8a Ordinary Bitter. Scored 40.5

Styrian Stunner
23 L
4.76 Kg Maris Otter 2-Row
51 Grams of Styrian Golding alpha 3.5 at 90 minutes
24 Grams of Styrian Golding alpha 3.5 at 15 minutes
11 Grams of Stryian Golding alpha 3.5 at 7 minutes
Irish Moss at 15 minutes

Yeast
2nd Generation of Wyeast 1469 Timothy Taylor


Edit: This just took first place in the East Region of the National Homebrew Competition in the States.

Ender

-I'm smelling a lot of IF comming offa this plan-

It does NOT work out at 8a Ordinary Bitter ??????


Styrian Stunner
Standard/Ordinary Bitter


Type: All Grain
Date: 12/02/2011
Batch Size: 23.00 L
Brewer: Bopper
Boil Size: 43.27 L Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min Equipment: Bopper's Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.76 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 100.00 %
51.00 gm Styrian Goldings ¤ [3.50 %] (90 min) Hops 21.0 IBU
24.00 gm Styrian Goldings ¤ [3.50 %] (15 min) Hops 4.6 IBU
11.00 gm Styrian Goldings ¤ [3.50 %] (7 min) Hops 1.1 IBU
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs West Yorkshire Ale (Wyeast Labs #1469) Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.049 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.015 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.48 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 26.8 IBU Calories: 90 cal/l
Est Color: 9.1 EBC Color:

[coatesg]

It does NOT work out at 8a Ordinary Bitter ??????
<snip>

Here we go.

Unless you have Ender's hydrometer readings (if you were there in Ohio in 2008) to prove he did in fact come out with an efficiency of more than 65% (which would then be technically out of 8a), then you've no way of knowing. Either way - admins, can we tidy this post and the Bopper's previous contribution out of this thread to keep it clear of clutter?

[Bopper]

Its Not clutter, i'm stating a fact, even at 62% efficiency is not 8a, you have to be using a tea strainer to achieve less than 62% efficiency? what a load of old blarney!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WishboneBrewery]

I think the Point is, This Thread is for Competition Winning Beer Recipes, NOT for discussing them.
Better to PM the original poster about his or her recipe and ask about the specifics.

[Bopper]

You don't want to know what i think!!!

[Andy]

Thread split into a "discuss" thread.

[Barley Water]

Well, I am not going to get into a discussion of the O.G. of the beer he won with however, competitions over here can get "interesting" when talking about styles like bitters/best bitters/ESB's etc. I put an American IPA into a very large competition last year with an O.G. of about 1.064 and roughly 60 IBU of bitterness (of course that was calculated, not measured). I got back scoresheets saying that the beer was not bitter enough and that it was out of style. Now, I am not an IPA expert but I believe my beer was well inside the stated guidelines but when compared to an Imperial IPA, I am sure my beer was wanting in the bitterness arena and seemed watery as well. What happens in these contests is that brewers start pushing the edges of a categroy in both the gravity as well as the bitterness of the beer they enter. Bitters end up being Special Bitters, Special Bitters become ESB's and ESB's get pretty close to being English IPA's. This also happens with German beers, Dunkels become Bocks, Bocks become Double Bocks and Double Bock's turn into malt pancake syrup (ie Eisenbocks). One of the biggest problems with contests is that there is very little credit being given overall for subtle flavors and the nuances of balance, at least over here anyway. Of course, once you have judged 8 to 10 hop bombs you probably can't taste much of anything anyway.

[flytact]

A local, but nationally recognized, homebrewer puts on his own contest thumbing his nose at exactly this discussion. His categories are session, hoppy, malty, roasty, etc... Lets judge beer on whether its good or not.
Oh, and I won two categories, but haven't posted them because I never bothered to categorize them.

[coatesg]

Nice one flytact - post up the recipes! If they won a prize, stick them up - most of us couldn't give a toss about categories - they are after all only there to help the judges out (and so you don't get hundreds of bitters of all strengths to have to pick through!), and even then, they are only *guidelines*. Sounds like a fun competition

All this "discussion" seems a little pointless anyhow - we've no idea what the efficiency was (no sparge), and I doubt that a judge could tell if a beer was 3 or 4 points over top gravity anyhow (and as noted, styles often drift anyway - and there are *guidelines*). Either way, unless the judge had a palette like old boot leather, it would think it would have been an excellent beer that deserved to win.

Andy - thanks for splitting this out.

[weiht]

All this interesting discussion ahead of the national homebrew competition?

[Barley Water]

March and April both will be a busy months for judging beer over here. In March we have the Bluebonnet which according the hype is the biggest single site contest here in the states. Right after that, the DFW area is judging one region of our national homebrew contest which I think will have around 750 entries just in this region alone. I know I will be expected to judge in the Bluebonnet and probably get roped into judging the national contest as well. Incidently, I know I can't tell the difference between a few gravity points one way or the other but if I think a beer is too big or if it's way too hoppy for the style it's entered in, I will start docking points. The older I get, the more I appreciate the lower gravity, quaffing beers with subtle flavors and good balance. I just don't know how people sit around and drink a beer with an O.G. of over 1.070 which is so bitter you could pull paint off the side of a barn. A couple of months ago, I was invited to a vertical tasting of a bunch of barley wine. Before things got out of hand as they tend to do at events like that, we were treated to a really nice bottle of mild (does Black Cat ring a bell with you guys?). Anyway, I thought that it was the best beer I tasted all evening and if somebody has a decent clone formulation I would love to take a look at it.

[verno]

I brewed the Bombay IPA a few weekends ago. Its still conditioning but it smelt fantastic and the post fermentation taste was also great. I would say its the best homebrew I have tasted at that stage of the process.

I have high hopes and will keep you informed.

[Bopper]

Styrian Stunner

I was not trying to cause friction, all i was doing was stating a fact! Someone doing a first AG, might not be able to get his/her head round the recipe, because there is no figures..mash time, boil time or mash temp. I did put into Beersmith software which it might help someone..eg hop utilisation, efficiency and Original Gravity, prior to this post!! Richard.......

[BitterTed]

flytact what comp was that? I would like to enter that one! I find it very funny that Brits are having an arguement over the silly BJCP guidelines.
But if this beer in question came in @ 1.049 as someone claims, it doesn't surprise me that it won an award in 8a, just go back through past winners in the National Comp and you will see many examples of beers that don't fit the so called guidelines. But please keep this discussion going as it is almost as good as the one talking about the Barclay & Perkins blog!

[Ender]

Ha! This is pretty funny. Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but my computer crashed awhile ago and I came back here to see if I could find the recipe again. Found this thread too. You guys are correct, it's isn't technically a ordinary bitter, actually in no way shape or form. But that wasn't what I made it as. I made it and entered it in a few comps as an ESB. It always came back as "good beer, but should be an Ordinar bitter" Final straw for me was the Upper Mississippi Mashout saying the same thing. Entered it in the british beerfest and the NHC of that year and did well in both. Advanced in the NCH to the second round, but didn't win there.

What can I say, you can make a beer as one thing, but fits something else better. I've had conversations with Gordon Strong about this subject. He says the judges don't see the recipes so enter it however you want. So that BS about the BJCP not being happy is not true. Gordon pretty much defined the styles and is (I think) the highest and only judge in that class in the US.

So, brew what you like and drink it!

I have to say with an O.G of 1.049.. That beer dosen't meet 8A Ordinary Bitter.
It's over Original Gravity to be a Best/Special Bitter.

So all of the arguments in this thread are moot points.
BJCP wouldn't be happy having this beer in the 8A category.
So I think there's a lot of Hot Air going on in this thread and it isn't the Bopper.