Spring Thing 2011 - I was there!

[cnelsonplumber]

Jools (Mrs CNP) and I had a great time thanks. :drunk:

 

[tubby_shaw]

Greetings to all.

First an introduction, then a request.

I'm the chap who judged the Church End recipe beer, alias "Kicking Ken", alias "Harry Porter".

I really enjoyed my first go at judging, great fun to meet everyone. Fantastic beers!

I'm writing up my experience for the Solihull Drinker. http://www.solihullcamra.org.uk Would it be alright if I scrounged a photo or two to include with the article?

Cheers,

Ken

You have my permission to use any of my photo's Ken :thumb:
And as they are in the public domain(ish) I can't really see anybody else objecting either

 

[Harry Porter]

Thanks Wez,

It's hard enough to put names to faces at the best of times. You'll be horrified to hear I think of you each time I take a :drink: from my new tankard, of which I am very proud by the way.

Watch this space for the first draft. I need to get a move on because I'm supposed to submit by the weekend. I might leave some provocative spaces for one-liners.

Cheers for now,

Ken

 

[Aleman]

Would you or the other brewers care to offer a quote?

Be very careful when logging in the back field

 

[tubby_shaw]

I have purchased one of THESE in preparation for next year :thumb:
I will be renting it out at £20 / dump between the hours of midnight and mid day :twisted:

 

[dennisking]

£20 When there are trees available :wha:

 

[Dunfie]

I have purchased one of THESE in preparation for next year :thumb:
I will be renting it out at £20 / dump between the hours of midnight and mid day :twisted:

It doesn't look much good for a double flusher.

 

[Wez]

I have purchased one of THESE in preparation for next year :thumb:
I will be renting it out at £20 / dump between the hours of midnight and mid day :twisted:

:lol: :thumb:

 

[snail59]

I have purchased one of THESE in preparation for next year :thumb:
I will be renting it out at £20 / dump between the hours of midnight and mid day :twisted:

Maximum seated weight 15st 8lbs........... Is that before or after use :whistle:

 

[dennisking]

.

Would you or the other brewers care to offer a quote?

Avoid anyone offering chilli :shock:

 

[Moley]

I have purchased one of THESE in preparation for next year :thumb:
I will be renting it out at £20 / dump between the hours of midnight and mid day :twisted:

You are JOKING! That's just a seat and a bag :shock:

I did actually contemplate bringing a camping kharsi & tent, but in hindsight Prolix would probably have blocked it and I really don't think I would have wanted to empty it afterwards.


Is it only the blokes on camping / boating holidays who get all of the best jobs? :sick:

 

[unclepumble]

This is the island I went on my last long camping trip!

Clue to the bad joke above "there are no trees left on easter island"

 

[Harry Porter]

Right. I've been typing. Please feel free to add, remove & correct. Julia the editor will trim us down to size in the end.

Crafty Contest

"I could have been a judge but I didn't have the Latin. I didn't have the Latin for the rigorous judging exams."- E.L. Wisty.

When Karl at Church End Brewery asked me to help judge the Homebrew Forum's Spring Thing, the task seemed a daunting one. Who was I, unschooled in the rigorous art of judging, to assess their good work?

On the other hand, who better? Show me to the ales.

Judging was by The National Guild of Wine and Beer Judges and, er, me. The NGWBJ has rigorous admission exams, whereas I have not. I fancied the beers in my class were going to be less rigorously examined than they deserved.

Thank you to the President, Richard Brooksbank, for giving me my instructions.

In the class I judged, the brewers were each supplied with a common sweet wort from Church End's mash tun and told to aim for Cutting Ale: 4.8% and single hopped with Centennial.

There were six more classes for other lovely beer styles. In mine, the ten entries concealed amongst them a works entry from our hosts at Church End. I felt the entrants fell into three categories, those with faults, those that reproducded Cutting Ale, and those distinguished by vivid hop character. This was a relief, because I had feared they would all turn out the same.

Considering everyone started with the same wort and hops the variety of the results was astounding.

My winner had the floral hop nose, complex palate and satisfying bitterness which bitter drinkers are forever in search. It was no coincidence that my third placed beer was entered by the same genius, Jon. My silver medallist, Rich, entered a beer which sacrificed nose and bitterness for the most sophisticated and scintillating a palate I have enjoyed in years. The scoring is weighted for flavour so it got 51 out of 65, equal in points to my winner.

Jon explained to me that the difference between his two brews was in the timing of the addition of the hops to the boil. But I was already on my eleventh beer of the morning and was no longer paying attention. It's wonderful how the little sips add up.

Needless to say, I enjoyed meeting the brewers and official judges very much. The effort embodied in those hundreds of bottles and the organisation of the event itself must have been huge. Wez, the organiser said,"
:clap:
"

In the increasingly blind tasting, I had failed to identify the works beer. "39 out of 65. Well balanced, but under hopped," I
had written in the notes.

"I agree," said a despondent Karl.

In order to gain readmittance to the Brewery Tap, let me offer two points. It is one thing to analyze a thimbleful of hop essence, another to quaff a foaming bumper and feel like a second helping. Furthermore, my gold medal choice which went on to overall victory in the show, did start with the Church End wort.

I learned from Rich that craft brewers need to use a higher hop rate in their recipies than the commercials and they certainly enjoy pitching them in. This is a wonderful thing if you like your bitters zesty.

Are we to conclude that we want our beers mashed in big vessels and boiled in small ones? Clearly more research is required. Now where did I put my curly wig and drinking gavel? I feel almost qualified to use them.

Find out more about craft brewing at:
http://thehomebrewforum.co.uk/ and about judging the results at
http://www.ngwbj.org.uk/

- Harry Porter

 

[unclepumble]

Right. I've been typing. Please feel free to add, remove & correct. Julia the editor will trim us down to size in the end.

Crafty Contest

"I could have been a judge but I didn't have the Latin. I didn't have the Latin for the rigorous judging exams."- E.L. Wisty.

When Karl at Church End Brewery asked me to help judge the Homebrew Forum's Spring Thing, the task seemed a daunting one. Who was I, unschooled in the rigorous art of judging, to assess their good work?

On the other hand, who better? Show me to the ales.

Judging was by The National Guild of Wine and Beer Judges and, er, me. The NGWBJ has rigorous admission exams, whereas I have not. I fancied the beers in my class were going to be less rigorously examined than they deserved.

Thank you to the President, Richard Brooksbank, for giving me my instructions.

In the class I judged, the brewers were each supplied with a common sweet wort from Church End's mash tun and told to aim for Cutting Ale: 4.8% and single hopped with Centennial.

There were six more classes for other lovely beer styles. In mine, the ten entries concealed amongst them a works entry from our hosts at Church End. I felt the entrants fell into three categories, those with faults, those that reproducded Cutting Ale, and those distinguished by vivid hop character. This was a relief, because I had feared they would all turn out the same.

Considering everyone started with the same wort and hops the variety of the results was astounding.

My winner had the floral hop nose, complex palate and satisfying bitterness which bitter drinkers are forever in search. It was no coincidence that my third placed beer was entered by the same genius, Jon. My silver medallist, Rich, entered a beer which sacrificed nose and bitterness for the most sophisticated and scintillating a palate I have enjoyed in years. The scoring is weighted for flavour so it got 51 out of 65, equal in points to my winner.

Jon explained to me that the difference between his two brews was in the timing of the addition of the hops to the boil. But I was already on my eleventh beer of the morning and was no longer paying attention. It's wonderful how the little sips add up.

Needless to say, I enjoyed meeting the brewers and official judges very much. The effort embodied in those hundreds of bottles and the organisation of the event itself must have been huge. Wez, the organiser said,"
:clap:
"

In the increasingly blind tasting, I had failed to identify the works beer. "39 out of 65. Well balanced, but under hopped," I
had written in the notes.

"I agree," said a despondent Karl.

In order to gain readmittance to the Brewery Tap, let me offer two points. It is one thing to analyze a thimbleful of hop essence, another to quaff a foaming bumper and feel like a second helping. Furthermore, my gold medal choice which went on to overall victory in the show, did start with the Church End wort.

I learned from Rich that craft brewers need to use a higher hop rate in their recipies than the commercials and they certainly enjoy pitching them in. This is a wonderful thing if you like your bitters zesty.

Are we to conclude that we want our beers mashed in big vessels and boiled in small ones? Clearly more research is required. Now where did I put my curly wig and drinking gavel? I feel almost qualified to use them.

Find out more about craft brewing at:
http://thehomebrewforum.co.uk/ and about judging the results at
http://www.ngwbj.org.uk/

- Harry Porter

Excellent write up not just a Beer Judge But a Beer Writer to Boot :thumb:

UP

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

This is the island I went on my last long camping trip!

Clue to the bad joke above "there are no trees left on easter island"

looks great Uncle, which one did you hug? :lol:

BB (Little pud)

 

[unclepumble]

This is the island I went on my last long camping trip!

Clue to the bad joke above "there are no trees left on easter island"

looks great Uncle, which one did you hug? :lol:

BB (Little pud)

Your not getting jealous are you Little Pud?

UP

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Missing you, it's been 10 days now.

 

[unclepumble]

Missing you, it's been 10 days now.

They all miss the Girth of the Cheshire Black pudding :shock:
You will get over it in time :P

UP

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Missing you, it's been 10 days now.

They all miss the Girth of the Cheshire Black pudding :shock:
You will get over it in time :P

UP

I won't, it was wonderful, the best ever.... Thanks' for showing me it and letting me touch it

BB

 

[Muddydisco]

Just a little admission to correct in red thats all I can see, Great write up :clap:

Right. I've been typing. Please feel free to add, remove & correct. Julia the editor will trim us down to size in the end.

Crafty Contest

"I could have been a judge but I didn't have the Latin. I didn't have the Latin for the rigorous judging exams."- E.L. Wisty.

When Karl at Church End Brewery asked me to help judge the Homebrew Forum's Spring Thing, the task seemed a daunting one. Who was I, unschooled in the rigorous art of judging, to assess their good work?

On the other hand, who better? Show me to the ales.

Judging was by The National Guild of Wine and Beer Judges and, er, me. The NGWBJ has rigorous admission exams, whereas I have not. I fancied the beers in my class were going to be less rigorously examined than they deserved.

Thank you to the President, Richard Brooksbank, for giving me my instructions.

In the class I judged, the brewers were each supplied with a common sweet wort from Church End's mash tun and told to aim for Cutting Ale: 4.8% and single hopped with Centennial.

We had to brew our own from a given recipe, would have been nice for us all to have the exact same starting wort though As all homebrewers know if we each brew the exact same recipe not one will taste the same

There were six more classes for other lovely beer styles. In mine, the ten entries concealed amongst them a works entry from our hosts at Church End. I felt the entrants fell into three categories, those with faults, those that reproducded Cutting Ale, and those distinguished by vivid hop character. This was a relief, because I had feared they would all turn out the same.

Considering everyone started with the same wort and hops the variety of the results was astounding.

My winner had the floral hop nose, complex palate and satisfying bitterness which bitter drinkers are forever in search. It was no coincidence that my third placed beer was entered by the same genius, Jon. My silver medallist, Rich, entered a beer which sacrificed nose and bitterness for the most sophisticated and scintillating a palate I have enjoyed in years. The scoring is weighted for flavour so it got 51 out of 65, equal in points to my winner.

Jon explained to me that the difference between his two brews was in the timing of the addition of the hops to the boil. But I was already on my eleventh beer of the morning and was no longer paying attention. It's wonderful how the little sips add up.

Needless to say, I enjoyed meeting the brewers and official judges very much. The effort embodied in those hundreds of bottles and the organisation of the event itself must have been huge. Wez, the organiser said," It was the easy we're making it bigger Next year :rofl: :clap: "

In the increasingly blind tasting, I had failed to identify the works beer. "39 out of 65. Well balanced, but under hopped," I
had written in the notes.

"I agree," said a despondent Karl.

In order to gain readmittance to the Brewery Tap, let me offer two points. It is one thing to analyze a thimbleful of hop essence, another to quaff a foaming bumper and feel like a second helping. Furthermore, my gold medal choice which went on to overall victory in the show, did start with the Church End wort.

I learned from Rich that craft brewers need to use a higher hop rate in their recipies than the commercials and they certainly enjoy pitching them in. This is a wonderful thing if you like your bitters zesty.

Are we to conclude that we want our beers mashed in big vessels and boiled in small ones? Clearly more research is required. Now where did I put my curly wig and drinking gavel? I feel almost qualified to use them.

Find out more about craft brewing at:
http://thehomebrewforum.co.uk/ and about judging the results at
http://www.ngwbj.org.uk/

- Harry Porter