National Homebrew Club Ireland

General Discussions => Brewing Communities => Maiden City Brewers => Topic started by: beanstalk on March 02, 2019, 01:08:43 PM

Title: 2019 Nationals
Post by: beanstalk on March 02, 2019, 01:08:43 PM
Entering three into this, still stuck on the coffee oatmeal stout. Its a high ABV (6.5%), too high for the Coffee Stout Category but I'm worried that if I enter it as foreign extra the high percentage of oats will let it down!
Title: Re: 2019 Nationals
Post by: Tom on March 02, 2019, 02:18:37 PM
If the alcohol is hidden by the sweetness the judge simply won't know. If it's good, the alcohol should only dock you a couple of points, so you'd maybe do better in coffee stout. Which does it taste most like? Because coffee in a foreign extra is way off!
Not up to speed on the current style guidelines, but that's my used-to-be a judge two cents.
Title: Re: 2019 Nationals
Post by: beanstalk on March 02, 2019, 02:26:21 PM
Thanks Tom, its coffee and chocolate mostly with smooth roasts, nice balance of bitter and sweet and very silky cus of the oats.
Title: Re: 2019 Nationals
Post by: beanstalk on March 02, 2019, 02:31:18 PM
Also, I meant oatmeal stout category in the first post
Title: Re: 2019 Nationals
Post by: Tom on March 02, 2019, 04:30:33 PM
If the alcohol isn't obvious, then it'll go fine in the oatmeal category. Like I say, judges don't get issued with gas spectograph thingys.
Title: Re: 2019 Nationals
Post by: Tom on March 25, 2019, 08:53:30 PM
Anyone get any silverware?
Title: Re: 2019 Nationals
Post by: Tom on April 04, 2019, 08:56:25 PM
*tumbleweed*

Will we go after the club cup?
Title: Re: 2019 Nationals
Post by: beanstalk on April 08, 2019, 09:59:37 PM
I submitted a couple of beers, the oatmeal stout scored well and I got great feedback all round. Its a great opportunity. Have a session wheat beer just bottled, will bring to next meet
Title: Re: 2019 Nationals
Post by: Ceedee on April 15, 2019, 11:15:35 AM
Same here, submitted an Oatmeal and it scored ok, but was let down on body, as it was a bit thin. The non-BJCP judge commented that there were large bubbles in the bottle, which I thought was a  strange comment as that would depend on how it was poured.
Title: Re: 2019 Nationals
Post by: CH on April 15, 2019, 05:39:04 PM
Quote from: Ceedee on April 15, 2019, 11:15:35 AM
Same here, submitted an Oatmeal and it scored ok, but was let down on body, as it was a bit thin. The non-BJCP judge commented that there were large bubbles in the bottle, which I thought was a  strange comment as that would depend on how it was poured.

I'm gonna say something weird here and I'm not sure but there must be a chemical or taste reasoning that Prof. Davis will confirm, but force carbing or accelerated carbonation seems to result in more "aggressive" larger bubble carbonation and I've found 12psi for 2 weeks is better than 20psi for 4 days and back to 12
Title: Re: 2019 Nationals
Post by: Fatcontro11er on April 19, 2019, 10:26:01 PM
One of the ways round the size of the bubbles forming in the head ,wether carbing in keg then bottle or bottle conditioning is to use a portion of carapils in the grist!
It's pretty good for head retention but also helps to form a tighter creamier head too!