Norwich Amateur Brewers - Brew Like A Monk (14 October 2023)

[Nottsbeer]

@MartinHaworth - thanks for organizing this

Where can I find my score sheet? I may be missing a link somewhere, or just not noticed the link on the comp page (I can only see the winners).

 

[Agentgonzo]

@MartinHaworth - thanks for organizing this

Where can I find my score sheet? I may be missing a link somewhere, or just not noticed the link on the comp page (I can only see the winners).

Go to your login. In your entries table, under actions there is a little icon to download the scoresheet

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

That's a shame. Did both judges pick up on the burnt flavours? It does sound like you did everything right. Maybe bottle a fourth next comp just in case so you can compare what they get.

(Just checking... Did you sanitise the caps too?)

I wonder if there was something ready in the beer that could have spoiled it in the few days of warm temperature and agitation whilst it was in the post that you didn't get when it was in your cooled keg?

Yes both judges though one described rubber, the other plastic. The caps were sanitised.

My kegs are stored at 14C so I’d have thought an infection in the keg would have made itself known over time but I can’t rule it out.

I am wondering about a rubber disk that bottles are pressed up against when bottling - does this not get properly sanitised through flushing and so need special attention? Does the bleed valve or even the gas path provide a haven for bugs? I’ll need to do some testing I think, maybe also strip down the tap for inspection.

 

[Deadhead]

Sucks doesn't it @Hazelwood Brewery - when the beer tastes good at home and not good at the competition.
Happened to me earlier this year Lager than Life. Same thing about the 'plastic' taste. I wasn't getting this flavour at home. (Except I bottle condition and don't fill from kegs). I was gutted. Was confused, but a couple of months after the competition, I found several bottles with mould all around the cap. Looks like the caps were faulty or not secure and leaking. So my beers probably did something funky in transit. I know they were delivered on their side, as I saw the photo from Parcelforce which showed they were. So probably lots of oxygen ingress into my bottles.

I hope you can figure it out!

 

[Agentgonzo]

Fresh sanitiser/old sanitiser? (I assume you do everything well, just trying to think of ideas for you).

I can't imagine you'd get many nasties coming in via the gas line. I assume something somewhere in the beer lines. You sanitised the tap, but how long had it been since your cleaned your beer lines when you filled? I know you run a regular regime, but wondering if you filled the bottles when the beer lines weren't totally sanitised. Something you wouldn't notice in a freshly poured glass, but could manifest itself if it sat in a bottle for many weeks (I don't know how long it was in a bottle, but given you've finished the keg I assume it was a while)

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Fresh sanitiser/old sanitiser? (I assume you do everything well, just trying to think of ideas for you).

I can't imagine you'd get many nasties coming in via the gas line. I assume something somewhere in the beer lines. You sanitised the tap, but how long had it been since your cleaned your beer lines when you filled? I know you run a regular regime, but wondering if you filled the bottles when the beer lines weren't totally sanitised. Something you wouldn't notice in a freshly poured glass, but could manifest itself if it sat in a bottle for many weeks (I don't know how long it was in a bottle, but given you've finished the keg I assume it was a while)

Always fresh sanitiser, I never store or reuse sanitiser. The itap has it’s own beer line and that gets flushed with line cleaner, sanitiser, and water immediately before bottling - every time.

 

[Agentgonzo]

The itap has it’s own beer line and that gets flushed with line cleaner, sanitiser, and water immediately before bottling - every time.

All the way back to the keg? (I don't have a keg setup so am guessing).

It's certainly a puzzler

 

[Caramel Ox]

I have one scoresheet that says spicy clove and the other says burnt matches. I wasn’t going for either really but I ferment in the house and have never had sulphur before.

Well done for the organisation though super speedy admin.

 

[Nottsbeer]

Go to your login. In your entries table, under actions there is a little icon to download the scoresheet

Thanks. Found my score, 29 for my Dubbel. Really glad to get some feedback on this. Some areas to work on for my version of this beer.

 

[nickjdavis]

Thank you organisers and judges, great job all round.

For my first comp I am pretty pleased with my score, the only thing I'm sad about is they thought my tripel was sweet and under-attenuated when it actually finished at 1.004. It was full-bodied as they said but that doesn't mean it can't be dry too, as my beer proves.

All in all happy though and glad I entered.

Thanks again.

There were four of us judging the tripels and its possible that I may have been one of the judges of your beer. Residual sweetness was a common theme amongst several of the beers...so much so that we went back and resampled the "reference beer", just to make sure our taste buds were not being fooled by something. Obviously we dont know what FG a beer was (indeed its probably better that we don't know, so that it does not influence our perceptions) and can only write about what we taste.

Happy to privately answer queries/clarifications about any of the scoresheets I've written....Dubbels and Tripels were what I judged.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Thanks Nick. you weren't one of my judges unfortunately.

Don't want to seem like I'm complaining at all - I think my score was fair and I'm happy I entered.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Hi Tess. Sorry to not get back to you before now we were all out at the pub yesterday and last night for our youngest’s birthday

OK, if this is the same beer I tasted I thought you might get feedback about it being too sweet in a competition, though it’s a perfectly nice beer.

We already looked into things like mash temps, attenuation, and final gravity so unless your hydrometer is faulty I think you’re left with three things (unless anyone has anything else to add); the malt, Maillard reactions, and the balance of the beer.

I think you used Pilsner and aromatic malt. Assuming the Pilsner malt has not been mislabelled that shouldn’t be sweet. Aromatic malt / melanoidin malt is sweet though and that could contribute to the beer being sweet. You can also get sweetness from a long hard boil through the Maillard reaction. Bitterness is used in part to balance the residual sweetness in beer so if you don’t have enough bitterness you can produce a beer that is perceived as sweet even when it’s dry.

It may of course be a combination of factors. I think I suggested replacing some of the malt with candy sugar and adding some additional bitterness. Did the feedback sheets provide any other thoughts and suggestions we haven’t covered?

Thanks H.

Yes one of the judges suggested starting fermentation at a lower temp and ramping up. I think this is a good idea as it was over-banana-y lol. I love that flavour though but now I know it's not ideal for a comp

One of the judges said it was overly bitter, and too much for a tripel. The other one didn't mention it.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

I'm willing to test it for you. You know... For science

Hopefully I'll get you in the Belgian swap so you can try it.

Unfortunately I've only 4 bottles left and three of them are for the swap. We're sharing the spare one tonight

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

A while ago @Tess Tickle's Brewery (I think) started a thread about a virtual homebrew club. (Given in not a member of a club I put down thbf as my club )

Looking at the results in the thread above, I think the forum members between us had
1x1st
2x2nd
3x3rd

Which I think would have given us 22 points and put the forum virtual club in 3rd place overall!

I think it may have been Anna, not 100% sure though.

I definitely wouldn't want to put my ugly ass on camera

I also put THBF as my club

 

[nickjdavis]

Thanks Nick. you weren't one of my judges unfortunately.

Don't want to seem like I'm complaining at all - I think my score was fair and I'm happy I entered.

Wasn't thinking that at all....don't forget...us judges like to get feedback on our scoresheets....if we miss out certain things, if there is seemingly a conflict between two judges etc etc etc...it helps us improve what we do....it's why our email addresses are on every scoresheet.

 

[MartinHaworth]

Empty bottles will be used in the club. Full bottles will be used in other ways!

Awards and prizes will be out this week - will get most processed this afternoon.

 

[MartinHaworth]

Everything has been posted.

I think that this event is now closed.

Thank you all for your interest and engagement.

See you next year for 'These Ales of Wonder - Beers of Britain and Ireland'

 

[MartinHaworth]

All along our vision has been for BLAM to be the best UK homebrew competition - for Norwich Amateur Brewers to be up there leading the way on the UK scene.

Early on in our planning Rich tabled the idea of writing to all the entrants who had beer judged, giving them a personalised note and a little something.

So pleased that we have been able to implement this unique element. The feedback from entrants has already bowled us over.

We are all proud to be part of this wonderful homebrew community.

Martin, Rich, Danny, Keith

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Just wanted to say thank you for the packet of yeast you sent, it was a lovely gesture and much appreciated.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Thank you for organising it. It was my first proper comp entry. Everything went really smoothly thank you. Lovely coaster and yeast arrived