Hello comp vets! A few questions.

[Rictanica]

Hello fellas and fillet-ts!

I entered a local hombrew comp for the first time and have a few questions about the judging, the entries and such.

I entered 3 beers in three different catagories. I received, what was said to be good scores by two judges I had spoken with (29.5, 30.5, 32). In the scale at the bottom of the score sheet it stated the scores ranked good on 1 entry and very good on the other two. What is respectable score?

The comp had 500 entries and two brewers seemed to clean up on the awards. I spoke with one of the two, asking him how many entries he had and he replied 19. After some small talk he asked me to try the pro-am schwartsbier they had on tap of his (It absolutley kicked ass) , but I failed to ask what catagories he entered. Do most brewers blanket catagories? I should have asked the overall top dawg, most points awarded and best of show winner some questions, but I didn't.

A few of the judges comments had me a little confused as well. Taste is subjective, but I found myself questioning some of my processes. I received a comment that one of my entries was brilliantly clear and the other judge stated hazy. Also, two commented on two different beers "fill line too high" with no problems with carbonation stated. Hugh? I did counter pressure fill all but 1 entry and could have had a difference in the three bottles I filled for each entry because I did receive a comment on one about oxidation, but I didn't get any oxidation in the kegged beer. I received a comment about DMS and that one really threw me off. I don't claim to have a sensative palate, nor do I get any feedback from folks with trained palates, but a can certainly detect DMS at moderate levels.

All that said I had a great time in a great place to drink beer ( yes in Utah), tried Bam Bier for the first time (My wifes new favorite), and saw some folks I haven't seen in 20 + years. I will certainly be entering alot more comps! That was fun!

[brewinhard]

It sounds to me like you had a successful first competition. Judging can be quite subjective, but if you continue to enter the same beer in several comps then the feedback and scores given will help you better understand how "stylistic" your entries truly are. You may not place every comp you enter, but if you enjoyed yourself and recieved helpful feedback then a good day was had.

For ex., if you entered that same beer iwith the supposed DMS into another comp and those judges also mentioned it, then you might be more inclined to look at your recipe and boil lengths/intensity and chilling setup. Just an example of course. I have experienced that the more comps I entered with different styles and recipes the more I learned about the brewing process as well as what makes a "great" example of the style.

[linuxelf]

I've also found that not every judge brings a flashlight to properly see the clarity of the beer. They're looking at the beer, usually through plastic cups, and sometimes in less than ideal lighting, so it's very possible for one judge to see the beer as crystal clear, and another to see it as hazy. Also, did you by any chance bottle condition? If so, it's possible that the judge that saw it as clear got the first pour, and the judge that saw it as hazy poured after the sediment at the bottom of the bottle got stirred up.

As for scores, that also is kind of subjective. Some judges give fewer points than others, and I've had the same beer win in two competitions with 5 points difference in the score. I would not be disappointed at all with a 30's beer. Sounds like you're absolutely on the right track. Isn't competing fun?

[Rictanica]

It sounds to me like you had a successful first competition. Judging can be quite subjective, but if you continue to enter the same beer in several comps then the feedback and scores given will help you better understand how "stylistic" your entries truly are. You may not place every comp you enter, but if you enjoyed yourself and recieved helpful feedback then a good day was had.

For ex., if you entered that same beer iwith the supposed DMS into another comp and those judges also mentioned it, then you might be more inclined to look at your recipe and boil lengths/intensity and chilling setup. Just an example of course. I have experienced that the more comps I entered with different styles and recipes the more I learned about the brewing process as well as what makes a "great" example of the style.

I would count it as successful, not knowing what to expect from the experience.

I've also found that not every judge brings a flashlight to properly see the clarity of the beer. They're looking at the beer, usually through plastic cups, and sometimes in less than ideal lighting, so it's very possible for one judge to see the beer as crystal clear, and another to see it as hazy. Also, did you by any chance bottle condition? If so, it's possible that the judge that saw it as clear got the first pour, and the judge that saw it as hazy poured after the sediment at the bottom of the bottle got stirred up.

As for scores, that also is kind of subjective. Some judges give fewer points than others, and I've had the same beer win in two competitions with 5 points difference in the score. I would not be disappointed at all with a 30's beer. Sounds like you're absolutely on the right track. Isn't competing fun?

You know, I think it was the entry that was bottle conditioned that had the disperity in comments about clarity. I was pretty happy with the scores, but I wasn't sure what to change to make them better for the next time. I used a base beer that I would have considered slightly uninteresting for an entry into the fruit beer catagory and entered the base beer as an american wheat. The fruit beer was admittedly a little on the sweet side, so maybe some balance on that one. But I made a saison that I was very proud of, and thought it was a great representation of the style. The rest of it is still serving it's purpose as an after work treat, so I can't be unhappy with it. It suits my taste buds! Yes I had great time and hope to further my knowledge of brewing great beer. I just can't believe I waited 17 years to enter a comp.