What BJCP category does my beer belong in? THE OFFICIAL THREAD

[Will_D]

What about the grain bill though? It has only 10% pale in it. The rest is vienna & some spciality malts. This wasnt brewed or designed to fit in category 10A (but it might make sense to enter it as that instead of category 23). Do judges get a sheet with all the info on it such as grain bill, SG, FG, etc or do they just judge & score by taste?

Judges are told the category and subcategory.

The look, smell and taste - thats it!

They judge on correctness to style as well as the overall intangibles. They particular look for flaws & faults. We ceratinly cannoy measure ABV! or SRM or even IBU to any great accuracy but if any are significantly off the mark then yes it will be detected. Bear in mind however that for some styles the guidlines have fairly wide bands.

Some styles of the fruit or spiced beers and cider suggest you inform the judges as to what you have added and also what the base syle is.

[Bubbles]

This wasnt brewed or designed to fit in category 10A (but it might make sense to enter it as that instead of category 23).

I don't think it matters. If the judges decide your beer tastes like a regular pale ale, but you've entered it in Cat23, it will be marked down. The BJCP guide says this:

No beer is ever "out of style" in this category, unless it fits elsewhere.

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style23.php

Categorise the beer according to what it tastes like to you, and not what the recipe implies. I tripped up on this on one of my beers in last years competition. 

[Hop Bomb]

10A it is then! Cheers for the clarification guys.

[mr hoppy]

What category do I enter a gose in? I've seen 21 and 23 suggested on homebrewtalk, but looking at the guidelines for 21 I'm tending toward 23.

[Rossa]

What category do I enter a gose in? I've seen 21 and 23 suggested on homebrewtalk, but looking at the guidelines for 21 I'm tending toward 23.

I'd say 23. Spices are not a huge part of it. Interestingly, the BA have  included gose in their updated guidelines 2012 AFAIK.

[irish_goat]

Send me a bottle and I'll let you know. Haven't had a goze in a few years. 

[barkar]

I have one - where would a soured stout fit in ? over killed on acid malt  so its perfectly soured and tart but a stout !

[Will_D]

Certainly NOT in cat 13 (stouts)

So it is cat 23 Special:

You declare the base style as a Stout and sub cat depending on the recipe.

You then have to explain the sourness! "Over kill on the acid-malt" would probably not gain any kudos!

Say instead "an experiment to fuse the acidic refreshing style of Gueze into an Irish stout"

getting my vote already

[Kieran the Human]

I have a Robust Porter with pecans in it; I assume that goes into Cat 23: Specialty???
Also where do black ipas fit in?

[Rossa]

Both 23 I'd think. Bipa could  get its own  category but it depends on how many we get.  Same for other emerging styles if there was enough demand.

[Ciderhead]

Does this need to go into 2014 comp area as well?

[Kieran the Human]

Raspberry & Chocolate Milk Stout - 23A??? Surely 23A

[Rossa]

Raspberry & Chocolate Milk Stout - 23A??? Surely 23A

Offhand,  yep.

[Shanna]

What  category does a baltic porter aged on French oak chips fit into? 23 or 12c.

Shanna

[Will_D]

What  category does a baltic porter aged on French oak chips fit into? 23 or 12c.

12C is clearly a Baltic Porter category: If it looks/tastes/is a BP the maybe it is a BP! (Oak Chips: an adjunct)

22C: A wood aged beer: Have you aged on wood? (Thrown in a few oak chips?: maybe the answer is NO)

23: Speciality: Anything goes! (Is it that special NO; Its just a great 12C)

If I was you I'd enter it as 12C

The judges may or may not pick up on the French Oak.

Any one eaten a Louis XV sideboard recently?