UK National Homebrew Competition 2024

[Stu's Brews]

A pretty good evening for the Home Brew Forum then - well done @aolcot and @nickjdavis.

Feedback sheets are now up on the website -great turnaround from the organisers.

 

[Deadhead]

Well done @aolcot and @nickjdavis!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Congrats to @Deadhead on your brilliant first place and HM in the best of show. Great result!

Congrats too to @YeastFace , @Stu's Brews , @aolcot , @Nick

Thanks to everyone for the mention, I was out last night and had no connectivity so reading your mentions is how I learned I’d been placed!

@samale my 3rd place English Porter scored 36. They were complimentary about the flavours and advised it needed a bit more body and a bit more carbonation. The carbonation I get but I thought it had good body (FG was 1024 against BJCP range 1008-1014) so I’m unsure about that one. Maybe I need to adjust the water profile

I just realised this sounds like some kind of awards acceptance speech

…thank you and good night.

 

[nickjdavis]

Well done to all who placed.

My Biere de Garde (HM) got 38 points which i was happy with as I only bottled it less than two months ago....it will hopefully develop further and will make an appearance at the 12th Hungarian International comp https://competition.elsosor.hu/ in May.

My Belgian Dark Strong also got 38 but that's never going to be enough on a table of other BdS's and Imperial Stouts....but it is only 6 months old and given the fermentation regime it probably still has a good deal of ageing to go....so maybe I'll give the guys at the LAB Open a chance to sample it in May.

My American Amber has perhaps suffered slightly with age...in retrospect I wanted a 2nd opinion after it got rather bashed at the Scottish Open, scored better this time round (33) with more generous comments.

 

[dave_77]

Great results to everyone who placed @Hazelwood Brewery @Stu's Brews @aolcot @Deadhead @YeastFace .

My Belgian pale only got 29 points.. apparently the yeast character wasnt expressive enough so not to style. No faults which was good as the same beer in the Scottish got 24 pts and they said it had old ingredients and stale will go back to my old wyeast favourite next time.


American IPA had good comments but not hoppy enough and got 28 pts for the effort..had higher hopes for that one..not sure I will enter again or maybe rebrew as APA..it had 11.5g/l dry hop and a whirlpool so not throwing anymore hops at it

On to the next comp

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

American IPA had good comments but not hoppy enough and got 28 pts for the effort..had higher hopes for that one..not sure I will enter again or maybe rebrew as APA..it had 11.5g/l dry hop and a whirlpool so not throwing anymore hops at it

On to the next comp

Thanks Dave.

Maybe try a keg hop?

 

[dave_77]

Thanks Dave.

Maybe try a keg hop?

Hmm , good suggestion. Plenty hoppy enough for me out of the keg so think just pick another style for the next comp.

 

[samale]

Hmm , good suggestion. Plenty hoppy enough for me out of the keg so think just pick another style for the next comp.

Would keg hopping effect clarity

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Would keg hopping effect clarity

Not if you use leaf hops. Not sure about pellet because I’ve never used pellet hops in the keg - afraid of hop debris fouling the poppets.

 

[stripeyjoe]

American IPA had good comments but not hoppy enough and got 28 pts for the effort

Mine scored 33 with similar comments, I think there’s a tendency for judges to now expect NEIPA levels of hop aroma in both Hazy IPA and AIPA categories, leaves little space for a more traditional West Coast IPA.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

I was pleased to score 37 for my American Light Lager - my highest ever score (I've only sent about 6 beers off to comps), and it did 8 points better than the original recipe at last years competition. Doubling the amount of yeast really helped as I only used one packet last year while fermenting at 12°C.

 

[Deadhead]

Mine scored 33 with similar comments, I think there’s a tendency for judges to now expect NEIPA levels of hop aroma in both Hazy IPA and AIPA categories, leaves little space for a more traditional West Coast IPA.

I know that BCJP has had to create new categories over time in IPAs as the style evolves. Wonder if there is a need for an evolution again in BCJP categories to put West Coast IPAs into it's own category? It's a wonder thing, rather than an opinion thing. I honestly don't know, I'm not a beer judge - would wonder what our forum BCJP judges and competition organisers think?