NHC Score Sheets - Part One Saison du Permienne

Saison du Permienne scored a mediocre 25.  I opened one of my last two bottles, grabbed a box a tissues, and went over the score sheets.

Aroma: JUDGE 1: Light grainy, pear low spicy hop aroma.  Alcohol and Musty. 6/12
              JUDGE 2: Malty with some sharp alcohol notes an perhaps what could be some harsh hop aromas.  Some lighter (fuser) alcohol notes are also present.  Slight Citrusy character but lacking much of the complexity characteristic of the style.  Some spiciness but seems to me mostly alcohol derived. 5/12
              ME:  (I love judge 2).  Can't disagree.  Probably too old.  I might have scored it a bit higher. . .

Appearance:  JUDGE 1: Golden with slight orange hue.  Slight haze, low head.  Faded quickly. 2/3
                       JUDGE 2: Slightly hazy, golden orange.  Low white head is fleeting.  Huge legs. 2/3
                       ME:  I decanted so mine was crystal clear.  No head, no retention.  Yup! huge legs. (The decanting thing has me confused.  I guess the steward might have roused the yeast in the bottle.  But the steward in the with category didn't, which gave Satan some seriously low scores for Wit Willy.  Wouldn't a beer geek know to rouse the yeast in a wit?)  I would have scored it lower for the lack of head.

Flavor: JUDGE 1: Fruity, spicy, very light malt.  Dominate tart. Medium hop bitterness.  Spicy hop flavor finishes dry and tart.  Balance to bitter. Spicy dry tart sensation. 11/20
             JUDGE 2: Citric Tartness that extends into the finish making the finish juicy and citrusy. (Should be integrated not first.)  Bitterness is moderate high and seems to be largely alcohol derived.  No discernible hop flavor.  Lacks the long, dry finish characteristic of the style--tartness perhaps makes it seem drier that it is. 8/20
            ME:  Medium hop bitterness vs. No discernible hop flavor.  No wonder I hate competitions!  Me?  I don't get no hops.  (Judge 1 is an apprentice and Judge 2 is a National).  Otherwise I agree with both of 'em.

Mouthfeel: JUDGE 1:  Medium body, medium low carbonation, slight warmth. Moderate Creaminess.  Slight astringent from hops and spices. 3/5
                    JUDGE 2: Medium bodied with moderate-high carbonation and a juicy, tart mouthfeel.  Eventually significant alcohol warming in the back of the throat and into the chest. 3/5
                    ME:  no disagreements, except for the hop thing. . .

Overall Impression: JUDGE 1: Dry tart and refreshing.  Dry finish.  Overall pleasing but some musty.  Check hop freshness or spices if present or yeast health. 5/10
                                  JUDGE 2:  Alcohol Character is too much for style.  Seems to be at or above the high end of the ABV, and alcohol character dominates aroma and is too strong in the finish, Saison yeast can do well at high temperatures, but not too high. Other  strains will not tolerate high temperatures well and produce fusel alcohols and off aromas. Finish is surprisingly "juicy" for such an alcoholic beer - perhaps use harder water. 5/10
                                  ME:   I agree it has too much alcohol.  I was chasing ABV.  The next incarnation will have a lot less alcohol.

I will brew this version again, and it will be called "I Blame You Grand Cru"™.

Does This Make Me Less of a Person?

I just received the list of those who advanced to the second round of the National Homebrew Competition, and--surprise, surprise--my name is nowhere on the list.  I sure Jeffs Oberlin and Swearingen are wonderful people, but I sure get tired of seeing their names all over the place.

Now begins the long wait of getting score sheets back to see how much I suck as a brewer.

Dirktastic Tasting Notes

I finally got a bottle of Dirktastic off to NHC, but it had only been a week in the bottle.  By the time the judges taste it, Dirktastic will be about five weeks old.  Probably just about perfect.  Sadly, that means that I have to rebrew it before the first round is judged.

In the meantime, I have to get rid of this keg.

At dry hop time, I discovered I didn't have any Simcoe!  Zut Alors!  So I scrambled for a replacement.  I have a small stockpile of Citra hop pellets.  Not exactly the same flavor, but Macht's nicht, if I might be permitted to mix linguisticisms.  So I dry hopped with Citra.

Dirktastic, or Citrastic if you prefer, as a lingering grapefruit bitterness with a peachy/mango flavor.  I kinda like it.  I hope the judges do, too.

Me bairns! Me poor wee bairns!

There comes a time in every parent's life when he must let go of his progeny, and allow them to leave the safety of the nest and face the hostile world out beyond, where by their behavior, our success as a parent can be judged.

And so it is with me today.  I have sent my offspring, the fruit of my loins, as it were, off to NHC for judging.

I am sending Saison du Permienne, Bugeater's Winter-Warmerized Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Amber, Dirktastic, Pecan Porter, Shadow Warrior and Belgo-Wiezen.  And they are being sent in an eBeaver beer shipping box.  I highly recommend them.

I was going to also send an Oatmeal Stout, but it went bad in the bottle, and a Coconut Oatmeal Stout, the same oatmeal stout that went bad with a couple drops of coconut extract in each bottle.

So now my legacy is on their way to Dallas where my worth as a human being will be judged based on the tastes of these 6 beers.  But, I can handle it!  I know the depression from losing will only last a few months.

Dirktastic Concerns

I kegged Dirktastic, and I had some issues.  Lately that seems to always be the case.

First, the beer is cloudy.  It's a bright yellow, opaque beer.  A milk-like, cloudy opacity.  Okay, I thought, Maybe if it sits in the cooler a week and carbonates, it will clear.  And if it doesn't I can filter it.


So I filled the keg, put some CO2 on it, and let it sit for an hour.  When I took the keg out to the beer fridge, I noticed that the lid hadn't sealed.  So I re-pressurized the keg, and watched as beer bubbled out around the lid.

Fuck!

So I checked a couple other keg lids, and none of them worked.  Although I did get one to hold pressure while the gas was on.  So it's sitting in the fridge, hopefully carbonating.  I will check it Friday, and if I need to, I'll filter it.  Then I have to re-carbonate it to have it ready to ship to Nationals by Monday.

Check back.

Dry-hopping Dirktastic

It's been a crazy week, and it included a 13-hour round trip to Oklahoma for a dear friend.  I finally was able to sit down and gather myself and dry hop Dirktastic.  I needed one ounce of Challenger, a half ounce each of Centennial and Simcoe.  So I went through the bag of hops left over from the Brew Masters Warehouse order.  No Simcoe.

I went into the massive "Bag of Poor Math Skills", a large ziplock bag of all my leftover hops.  I thought I might have a Simcoe in there, but no.  I had used it to dry hop Saison du Permienne.  Looking at my array of hops, I spotted Citra.

In true Macht's Nicht spirit, I measured up half an ounce of Citra and added it, with the other hops, to the fermenter for a 7 day dry hop.  Then I said a few "Hail Ninkasi"s.  I have to keg it next Sunday, and force carbonate it for bottling on March 20, so I can ship it March 21.

No pressure.

Dirktastic - Brewing for Nationals

Dirktastic, my version of Tasty APA, is a beer that is all about the hops.  Since I want it to be at its peak when it's judged, I have to brew it next weekend.  I checked Austin Homebrew Supply and they were missing some hops, so I thought I would try BrewMastersWarehouse.com.

I created an account and entered the recipe below into the BrewBuilder™, rounding up the partial ounces of grains.  Once I save it, all I had to do is click "Buy Recipe" and all of the ingredients were put in my cart.  I also added a recipe for a barleywine, just to build up my recipe book.  I was going to enter Shadow Warrior, but I couldn't find flaked grains.

My package arrived today, and everything was inside (always a good sign).  I had such high hops for the hops, though.  I wanted Brew Masters Warehouse to group my hops by addition time.  Instead they came in individual ounce packages.  Sigh.

Oh well, it doesn't matter!  I will be brewing again, and that's the important thing!

Dirktastic v2

American Pale Ale

 

Type: All Grain	Date: 2/27/2011
Batch Size: 6.00 gal	Brewer: Jeff Holt
Boil Size: 8.38 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min	Equipment: Jeff's Brew Pot (15 Gal) and Igloo Cooler (10 Gal)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0	Brewhouse Efficiency: 58.00
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU 9 lbs 12.7 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 61.54 % 3 lbs 10.8 oz Pilsner (2 Row) UK (1.0 SRM) Grain 23.08 % 1 lbs 3.6 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 7.69 % 9.8 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 3.85 % 9.8 oz White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 3.85 % 0.24 oz Chinook [13.00 %] (90 min) (Mash Hop) Hops 2.0 IBU 1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops - 0.50 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops - 0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 7 days) Hops - 0.24 oz Warrior [15.00 %] (60 min) Hops 10.8 IBU 0.24 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (20 min) Hops 5.7 IBU 0.24 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] (10 min) Hops 3.7 IBU 0.24 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (10 min) Hops 2.2 IBU 0.24 oz Centennial [10.00 %] (1 min) Hops 0.3 IBU 0.24 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (1 min) Hops 0.4 IBU 2.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (0 min) Hops - 0.50 tsp Gelatin (Secondary 5.0 hours) Misc 0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc 1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [Starter 1000 ml] Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.055 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.60 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 25.1 IBU	Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 6.5 SRM	Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge	Total Grain Weight: 15.91 lb
Sparge Water: 6.12 gal	Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE	Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge Step Time Name Description Step Temp 60 min Mash In Add 19.89 qt of water at 165.9 F 154.0 F
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar	Volumes of CO2: 2.4
Pressure/Weight: 4.5 oz	Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 60.0 F	Age for: 35.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F
Notes
Added this recipe to BrewmastersWarehouse.com.
Created with BeerSmith

It's Never Too Early to Be Thinking About Nationals

The bombers are for me.

Buddy's Amber NHC Scores

Buddy's Amber has a particularly interesting history. Version 1 of this beer (linked to above) scored 35 at the New England Regional home Brewing Competition in 2008, and a 28 at Dixie cup that year because it didn't have enough malt. Version 2 scaled back the hops from 42 IBUs to 25 IBUs, got a 39 at Bluebonnet and advanced to the second round where the beer had turned bad and scored a 24. At NHC last year that beer scored a 17. Version 3 scored a 29, mainly because I was talked into entering it as Category 23 - Specialty Beer instead of American Amber Ale. Judge One, a certified BJCP judge said it needed more hops. *sigh* He also suggested it go into the Spice beer category instead. Judge Two said the same thing, and noted some plastic aromas.

So it looks like Version 4 will be hoppier and entered in American Amber and the spice beer category.

Aud's No Scufflin' Ale NHC Scores

In the Dixie cup last year, I entered Aud's No Scufflin Ale as an American Barleywine because, well, the recipe called it an American Barleywine. It scored a 26 and earned a comment that it was a good English Barley wine. So this year, I entered in Category 19B. This time it scored a 33. Judge One, a Certified BJCP judge had a couple of complaints. First it was overcarbonated. He mentioned that in every category of judgement. Second, it appears it was too hoppy. I can't tell for sure. He said the hop flavor lasts into the finish in the flavor category and scored 12 out of 20. There's nothing else to indicate why I got deducted 8 points. Judge Two, another certified judge, said it was a good beer, if one-dimensional. He also agreed the carbonation was too high. He further added that while the beer itself was dry it had a clyoingly sweet mouthfeel. What ever that means, he gave me 2 out of 5.

Saison D'Hiver NHC scores

I got my scores from NHC and while my average scores are rising, I still suck. Saison D'Hiver, if you will recall, scored rather low at Alamo City Cerveza Fest because I entered it in the Christmas beer category. Beers is that category should be based on English strong ales only. This is not specified in the style guidlines, but is enforced on the competition level. At least, if my scores from ranked BJCP judges are any indication.

Saison D'Hiver scored 30 points overall. Judge One, a BJCP recognized judge and a pro brewer, said it had an "adhesive strip" aroma, and concluded by saying the beer wasn't dry enough, but the cinnamon was "well-played." Judge Two, another pro brewer but not a BJCP judge, said the aroma was slightly spicy and the cinnamon was well-balanced, and gave me 10 of 12 for that. Judge One gave me 5 of 12. They flip-flopped on the taste scores. Judge Two did put his finger squarely on the problem with the beer, as I see it: The cinnamon was too overpowering

Decisions, Decisions

In December of 2008, I brewed Buddy's Amber for Nationals. It turned out really well, and even scored a 39 in the first round of The Bluebonnet Brew Off in March of 2009. However, the beer only lasted for about three months before it went south. Hell! It turned between the first and second round! At Nationals, my once 39-point beer became acidic and nasty, and only scored 17 points. I sampled each of the bottles I was holding for the second round, and sure enough, it was bad. So I assumed the beer had a shelf life of three months.

I haven't rebrewed the beer for a number of reasons, not the least of which are: my tendancy to get easily distracted (Ooo! Look! A new shiny thing!); a desire to brew different things; and a fundamental dislike of American Amber Ales. I find them to have a prickly, spicey, brushy flavor, with metallic notes. I've read the BJCP guidelines for American Amber Ales and haven't found those descripters being used, but almost every amber I have had tastes like that. So, as a general rule, I don't drink Ambers.

But the highest score in a competition I've ever gotten was for the Amber. Go figure.

The reason I bring it up, it's time to think about Nationals again. If I brew Buddy's Amber, I need to brew it as close to the entry deadline as possible to give it 2-4 weeks to age. Since the deadline is April 1, I need to brew around March 1. And if the shelf life is three months, I might have to brew it again should it advance to the second round.

Then I have to drink the rest of the keg. . .

Brother Spuds Oatmeal Stout Tasting Notes

Back in November, Satan and I made Brother Spuds and Peppercorn Rye Bock. In January, I returned to Midland and brought home 8 bottles of Brother Spuds and almost a case of Peppercorn Rye Bock.

Brother Spuds Oatmeal Stout

Appearance (0-3): Pours up inky black with a thick brown head that dissipates quickly, leaving no lace behind. 2 points

Aroma (0-4): Slightly sweet oat aroma, some bitter roast aroma. 3 points

Taste: Hop/malt balance (0-4): Starts off with a slightly sweet malt flavor, hint of oatmeal cookie about midway through and a bit of roast in the finish. I did not detect hops. This reminds me of Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, which was Satan's target beer. 4 points
Aftertaste (0-3): Hop bitterness and roast bitterness mingle subtly in the finish at the back of the throat. Leaves a sugary coating on my lips.3 points
Mouthfeel (0-3): Silky and creamy mouthfeel with a slight carbonation tingle. Very nice! 3 points

Overall Impression (0-3): This is very close to Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout. Low carbonation and all. Naturally, the judges will hate the low carbonation. But this is an excellent beer. And I got to stir the mash! 3 points

Total: 18 points.

You can be sure this is going to Nationals again!

All-Grain Peppercorn Rye Bock - Tasting Notes

Before I left Midland, Satan gave me a case of our Peppercorn Rye Bock that we brewed back in November. Tonight I sampled it. It poured up a hazy brown with a dense off white head, and some ruby highlights. The aroma is malty with some spice aromas. Starts off with a sweet malt flavor that finishes with pepper in the back of the throat and a strong carbonation tingle on my tongue.

It's over-carbonated, but good. I put the bottles in the fridge at lunch. When I came home from work, two bottles had exploded.

We're entering this in the Bluebonnet Brewoff and in Nationals. We'll get dinged for the carbonation, but it tastes really good.

I also got some of Satan's Old Colonial Porter and Brother Spuds Oatmeal Stout. More on those later.

Brewing for Nationals

By the time you read this, Satan and I will be doughing in our first batch. Probably Wit Willy, whose recipe even I don't have. This one a gold medal at the Cactus Challenge, so Satan thought it might do well in the National Homebrew Competition. We're also going to brew a hefeweiss. That one should be easier so we're saving that for Sunday.

Buddy's Amber Kegging Day

Mid December, I rebrewed the Peppercorn Amber Ale recipe that I have dubbed Buddy's Amber. This time I scaled back the hops to get 25 IBUs, instead of 42 IBUs of the original. Judges at the Dixie Cup found it too bitter.

I kegged it on January 3. The OG was high (1.030), but still manged to taste dry. I added corn sugar so it will naturally carbonate. We'll see how this comes out in three weeks.

NHC Scores for Welton's Wild Cow Dunkelweiss

Since Satan entered the dunkelweiss, he got the score sheets last week. Since we didn't place, we were wondering how did.

33, 34 and 29. Oxidation knocked us in the ass all of them said it was too dry. We would have been at the end of it’s lifespan, so we were probably right on. Need to brew this one two to three weeks before round 1.

I responded, "And rebrew 2-3 weeks before round 2?"

I can't believe the Russian judge gave us a 29!

Hubert Wolters' West Texas Wheat Scores

This performed better than the Rye-Bock, scoring a 27 out of 50. One judge thought it phenolic and astringent, and that it had rye in it. He did say it was a drinkable beer. The second judge also thought there was rye, and that it finished a little cloying.

My two beers were brewed with concentrated wort boils, hence the cloying finish. Still, it was better than mediocre.

Peppercorn Rye-Bock scores

Got my score sheets back for the peppercorn rye-bock. Both judges said it wasn't a bock. I think that hurt me more than anything, One judge noticed green apple in the aroma, which I discovered a few weeks ago when Satan and I sampled a bottle. The other judge picked up something phenolic which can have peppery overtones. I assume it didn't smell peppery, though.

Sadly, that's the beer everyone loved, and I got a 20 out of 50.

Welton's Wild Cow Dunkelweiss Scores

I have always said this beer is our best. What started out as a weizenbock turned out to be, thanks to a miscommunication, a tasty dunkelweiss. It scored 32 out of 50 and placed third which advances to the next round.

The first judge thought it was a likable beer with some astringency, and thought it finished too bitter for the style. The second judge agreed and thought it also finished too dry and the body was a little low. He also thought the beer tasted "husky." Well, it is a wheat, for crying out loud!

I had the last one of my stash the night the results were posted. It was really good. It will be even better in a few weeks. It should do well. But I'm keeping the expectations low.

So we move on the Nationals, which means Satan and I have to sit through the awards presentation after the banquet on Saturday night. Last year we bailed. Out in California, meanwhile, Jamil Zanisheff, Mr. Malty himself, placed first with his dunkelweiss.

We're doomed.

My uncle asked us to save him a bottle, but it's all gone. We were storing the beer at the lab where Satan works. One of his coworkers asked if he could have some beer. Satan said he could have a six-pack. He took the whole half case we were saving for other competitions.