Norwich Amateur Brewers Homebrew Competition

[MartinHaworth]

Ready steady..

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

Hi @belfleet Brewery
Just catching up with this. THere are quite a few beers caught up in the Royal Mail strike. If beers arrive with us SAturday morning, we will do our best to judge them.

Ah, thanks for that. However, as soon as I knew they wouldn’t arrive on Friday I cancelled the collection and so still have them here

 

[MartinHaworth]

Afternoon judging begins

 

[MartinHaworth]

Score sheets live on comp site in 2 minutes

 

[Stu's Brews]

Score sheets live on comp site in 2 minutes

Still says that results will be announced at 8pm for me. Not sure whether there's a setting that needs changing to let them be seen before that?

 

[MartinHaworth]

Hopefully you have all seen your scores and judging sheets on the compo site, three results presentation is available on that comp site and the steam on our Facebook

 

[MartinHaworth]

.. After party time..

 

[MartinHaworth]

Well, a long lovely day. At Norwich Amateur Brewers we set out with the target of getting feedback to brewers 'same day'.
We are delighted to have achieved our aim, and had fun along the way.

For those interested, all minibos was led by probrewers, supported by 'fresh palates' not involved in entering or initial judging. BOS was all pro brewers.

 

[Stu's Brews]

Well, a long lovely day. At Norwich Amateur Brewers we set out with the target of getting feedback to brewers 'same day'.
We are delighted to have achieved our aim, and had fun along the way.

For those interested, all minibos was led by probrewers, supported by 'fresh palates' not involved in entering or initial judging. BOS was all pro brewers.

Superb effort today, thanks very much for organising. Really good to get scores and feedback so quickly.

 

[Broken Toe]

Amazing effort, and with such rapid turn around time! Fair play

 

[Braumeister]

Hopefully you have all seen your scores and judging sheets on the compo site, three results presentation is available on that comp site and the steam on our Facebook

Much appreciated. Was not expecting feedback to be available on the day itself. My first competition and I’m very happy with the feedback, really useful and interesting. Pleased with my score of 36. Been brewing 5 months so far so hopefully plenty of room for improvement for future brews.

 

[stripeyjoe]

Great turnaround for getting the judging sheets scanned and uploaded so quickly. Chuffed to bits to have come second in the American Pales!
Thanks to the judges & organisers.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

No winners for me on this occasion.

My pale ale scored 24/24 and my IPA 29/30. Having looked at the feedback it looks like the yeast became stressed during secondary fermentation with the pale ale affected to a greater extent. I was a bit worried about this because I’d primed the bottles and left them in a warm bedroom while we went to Cornwall for three weeks. What I didn’t know was that at home the sun would shine brightly into that room for pretty much the whole time overheating the beer and stressing the yeast. Damn!

It’s a shame because these beers are nice from the keg, the IPA especially.

 

[Stu's Brews]

No winners for me on this occasion.

My pale ale scored 24/24 and my IPA 29/30. Having looked at the feedback it looks like the yeast became stressed during secondary fermentation with the pale ale affected to a greater extent. I was a bit worried about this because I’d primed the bottles and left them in a warm bedroom while we went to Cornwall for three weeks. What I didn’t know was that at home the sun would shine brightly into that room for pretty much the whole time overheating the beer and stressing the yeast. Damn!

It’s a shame because these beers are nice from the keg, the IPA especially.

Damn - that is a shame!

I scored 29/31 for my Hazy Pale. Got marked down for diacetyl, which now that I'm looking for it you can smell/taste, albeit as the judges acknowledged it is quite low level. In hindsight, I was rushing the beer out of the fermentor specifically to get it carbonated in time for this competition - lesson learned!

Happy with the overall comments though as it seems I'm mostly on the right path and it also looks like I've addressed the oxygenation issues I had when bottling from keg.

 

[James_turney]

Thanks to all involved in the competition and for sending over the score sheets so promptly.
Main reason i do these is to get constructive criticism and improve my brewing.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Damn - that is a shame!

I scored 29/31 for my Hazy Pale. Got marked down for diacetyl, which now that I'm looking for it you can smell/taste, albeit as the judges acknowledged it is quite low level. In hindsight, I was rushing the beer out of the fermentor specifically to get it carbonated in time for this competition - lesson learned!

Happy with the overall comments though as it seems I'm mostly on the right path and it also looks like I've addressed the oxygenation issues I had when bottling from keg.

Yes, the point to these competitions is the feedback you need to improve the beer. Winning is great but not everything.

I think I’ve got the timing about right for competitions but the heat level was a bit more challenging when I’m not here.

Unfortunately the beers for Brewcon were in the same bedroom while we were away so I expect the feedback will be similar.

Onward and upward - Scottish Nationals next…

 

[nickjdavis]

Onward and upward - Scottish Nationals next…

You not doing the "Heart of England" comp??

https://www.hearthbc.co.uk/
though it is a bit late if you are not....seemingly it is now full....sorry!!!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

You not doing the "Heart of England" comp??

https://www.hearthbc.co.uk/
though it is a bit late if you are not....seemingly it is now full....sorry!!!

No, I don’t brew red ales and I wasn’t sure my Imperial would be ready.

I’ve focused more on bitters and now I’ve won a few awards for them I’m starting to focus a bit more on IPAs. I might well get a bottle of Impy to the Scottish Nationals though

 

[Broken Toe]

I learnt the lesson of ensuring that beer is entered into the right category. Feedback was kind and I kind of knew it was coming.

 

[nickjdavis]

I learnt the lesson of ensuring that beer is entered into the right category. Feedback was kind and I kind of knew it was coming.

If its any consolation the judges thought that my American Pale Ale would have done well as a Belgian Blonde!!!!!!