19 replies to this topic

[SchwanzBrewer]

https://www.reddit.c...kdown_20042014/

 

Interesting findings on what tends to win.

 

 

• In hoppy beers, complex hop bills were almost exclusively used (No single hop beers won)
• Also in hoppy beers, Simcoe and Amarillo are almost always in the winning beer. Centennial and Cascade a close second. A lot had all 4.
• For big ABV beers, a complex malt bill was frequently used (>6 grains)
• Almost every Fruit beer that won used extract at bottling and not real fruit
• There are certainly categories that seem to win more often. You have a better chance of getting gold with a RIS than an American Stout (6 wins vs 1)
• Ingredients matter. For example, british style beers almost exclusively had british malts, yeast and hops.
• Don't even try to win gold with an IPA/DIPA because this guy Kelsey McNair or something has won the last 3-4 years with virtually the same recipe. (Kelsey, you out there? Want to trade? )

 

[denny]

I find the fruit beer comment particularly interesting.  It matches my experience and observations as well as the advice I usually give people.  But most homebrewers are amazingly resistant to the concept.

[MyaCullen]

I find the fruit beer comment particularly interesting.  It matches my experience and observations as well as the advice I usually give people.  But most homebrewers are amazingly resistant to the concept.

I can understand why we are resistant, we, by and large as All Grain brewers, like doing thing ourselves, and extract feels like cheating.

 

Orange extract actually works nicely in Witbier, Raspberry is great too, havn't tried any others.

[positiveContact]

I'd like to see some info on percentages of specialty grains, particularly crystal.

[denny]

I'd like to see some info on percentages of specialty grains, particularly crystal.

 

IMO, "rules" about how much crystal to use are pretty bogus.  It is a tool and like any tool it needs to be used correctly.  Whether that's 3% or 18% depends on the recipe and your intent.

[neddles]

IMO, "rules" about how much crystal to use are pretty bogus.  It is a tool and like any tool it needs to be used correctly.  Whether that's 3% or 18% depends on the recipe and your intent.

Stop making sense.

[denny]

Stop making sense.

 

 

Sorry...sometimes I accidentally do that.

[denny]

I can understand why we are resistant, we, by and large as All Grain brewers, like doing thing ourselves, and extract feels like cheating.

 

Orange extract actually works nicely in Witbier, Raspberry is great too, havn't tried any others.

 

 

When I started brewing, I steadfastly refused to use pellet hops.  Hey, I'm from hop country and I use the real thing dammit!  Then, the guy who;s easily the best brewer in our club started extolling the virtues of pellets.  I resisted for a couple years, then started adding pellets into my repertoire.  Now, I use pellets almost exclusively.  It's funny how so many homebrewers make up their minds about something without actually trying it.  I'm working hard on no longer being "that guy".

[MyaCullen]

When I started brewing, I steadfastly refused to use pellet hops.  Hey, I'm from hop country and I use the real thing dammit!  Then, the guy who;s easily the best brewer in our club started extolling the virtues of pellets.  I resisted for a couple years, then started adding pellets into my repertoire.  Now, I use pellets almost exclusively.  It's funny how so many homebrewers make up their minds about something without actually trying it.  I'm working hard on no longer being "that guy".

I use pellets mostly as well, but tat's because I'm thrifty, and pellets are much better storage wise

[positiveContact]

IMO, "rules" about how much crystal to use are pretty bogus.  It is a tool and like any tool it needs to be used correctly.  Whether that's 3% or 18% depends on the recipe and your intent.

 

I'm not sure if you are directing this at me or what.  I have no rules other than that I'm a big wuss about rehydrating dry yeast. the science tells me I should do it!  I'm going to do my best to not rehydrate next time though

 

I'm more interested that a lot of people seem to be fairly anti-crystal beyond a pretty low percentage and I'm curious if the results of the beer comps agree or disagree with that.

Edited by TheGuv, 14 September 2014 - 01:11 PM.

[MyaCullen]

 

 

I'm more interested that a lot of people seem to be fairly anti-crystal beyond a pretty low percentage and I'm curious if the results of the beer comps agree or disagree with that.

me too

[denny]

I'm not sure if you are directing this at me or what.  I have no rules other than that I'm a big wuss about rehydrating dry yeast. the science tells me I should do it!  I'm going to do my best to not rehydrate next time though

 

I'm more interested that a lot of people seem to be fairly anti-crystal beyond a pretty low percentage and I'm curious if the results of the beer comps agree or disagree with that.

 

Nope, not directed at you.  Just a general statement prompted by your post.  I figured your purpose was more curiosity.

[positiveContact]

Nope, not directed at you.  Just a general statement prompted by your post.  I figured your purpose was more curiosity.

 

 

I just ran out of RIPA and no time to brew lately!

[denny]

 

I just ran out of RIPA and no time to brew lately!

 

Bummer!  I'm out, too.  I've been so busy brewing test batches of my American mild that I haven't brewed much of anything else.  Hope to correct that this week.

[positiveContact]

Bummer!  I'm out, too.  I've been so busy brewing test batches of my American mild that I haven't brewed much of anything else.  Hope to correct that this week.

 

how many have you done?

[denny]

how many have you done?

 

2 test batches so far and I know where I'm gonna go for the 3rd.  If that one turns out like I'm hoping it should only take 1 or 2 more to get what I want from the beer.

[Big Nake]

I'm more interested that a lot of people seem to be fairly anti-crystal beyond a pretty low percentage and I'm curious if the results of the beer comps agree or disagree with that.

I always have crystal around: 40, 60, 80, 120, British Crystal, CaraMunich and a number of other CaraSomethings. I think my MLPA is where I use the most crystal which is a pound which comes to 11%. I use it sparingly and the more I brew the more sparingly I use it but I still use it.

[Deerslyr]

I find the fruit beer comment particularly interesting.  It matches my experience and observations as well as the advice I usually give people.  But most homebrewers are amazingly resistant to the concept.

My experience with real fruit is fairly well documented here.  And the only reason I used those plums was because the tree in the backyard produced a few hundred pounds of the fruit... and I felt the need to do "something" with them.  After all, there's only so much plum jam one can make.I will never brew with fruit again, unless its something like orange or lemon peel.  If I ever have the desire, I'll just use the extract... but I can't imagine a situation in which I would want to try brewing such a beer.  I'm usually fine with having one every now and then, but I could not imagine having 5 gallons of the stuff on hand.

[HVB]

I find the fruit beer comment particularly interesting.  It matches my experience and observations as well as the advice I usually give people.  But most homebrewers are amazingly resistant to the concept.

I would still have a hard time using extract in a sour beer.  As I posted in the recipe section I plan to make a peach sour and for some reason, extract just seems wrong to me in that beer. 

[positiveContact]

I would still have a hard time using extract in a sour beer.  As I posted in the recipe section I plan to make a peach sour and for some reason, extract just seems wrong to me in that beer. 

 

is the fermentation of the fruit part of the beer flavor profile in your case?  when using extracts they are there just to add flavor and not fermentables to the best of my knowledge.