Getting back into it

[FedoraDave]

It's been a couple of years since I entered a competition. I'm not sure why; I just sort of fell off it. And it's not as though I'm seriously into home-brew competitions, either. But getting feedback from knowledgable people is a good idea, so this morning I decided to look at some upcoming comps to see if anything piqued my interest.

There are a couple in the fall; one in Clifton Park, NY (near Schenectady), and one in Morristown, NJ. The New York one has a drop-off location in New Rochelle, which isn't such a far drive for me, and the New Jersey one is only a couple of towns away from my LHBS, so I can make a drop when I buy more supplies. For all I know, my LHBS might even be a drop-off site, which would be nice.

I'm going to brew a batch of South Ferry Steam Beer to enter in both of these. It was an entry in the last competition I entered, but the bottle was a gusher (which really puzzles me, because the whole batch wasn't like that. Must have just been that one bottle). But even so, I got good feedback and scored a 33 on it. So I think the recipe is solid; who knows how much better my score would have been if not for the gushing problem. And I'm really curious to get feedback on this recipe, which has always been a beer I've liked.

So wish me luck! I'll post more as the submission deadline approaches, and, of course, when the results come in.

[bpgreen]

Good luck!

[Inkleg]

Good luck Dave. Look forward to the results.

[FedoraDave]

Well, today I bought the ingredients I need for the competition batch of South Ferry Steam Beer. I also bought a case of 12-ounce bottles for it. Since I can only blame a dirty bottle for the gusher they experienced at the other competition, I figure I should start with never-used bottles, at least for the four bottles I intend to send to the comps.

I'll be brewing it next week, and to that end, I'll be kegging the Ottertoberfest I've got cold crashing in the lager fridge and putting it in the keezer to finish lagering. And I'll turn up the lager fridge to 60 degrees. The judges noted a slight plastic, phenol aroma and taste, and it could very well be that I fermented that batch too warm. Keeping it at the line between warm lager and cool ale temps may smooth it out. I'll also be cold crashing this batch (which I don't normally do) to try to get it as clear as possible. Any time I've been gigged in the Appearance category, it's been because of cloudiness. No reason to put up with that.

It's good to have the feedback I got from the other competition, so I can make these small adjustments. I'd love to get closer to 40. I'd love to get a podium spot, too! Mostly, though, I'm eager to get the comments.

[FedoraDave]

I brewed this batch on Tuesday. Got the wort chilled to around 63 before pitching the yeast. And it's been in the lager fridge, set at 60 degrees since then. Fermentation seems ... well, I don't like to call it "slow." Let's say it's "sedate." Some mild churning, a small layer of krausen, nothing bubbling through the blow-off.

I intend to keep it this way at least two weeks, to make sure fermentation is complete. Then I'll rack it to a secondary to get it off the trub, and drop the temperature to the mid-30s to cold crash completely before I bottle it. I'm not in a hurry, since the competitions aren't until October and November. But I want this to get the kid-glove treatment, and I want it to look and taste the best I can make it. I think the recipe is fairly solid (it's a little dark, but still within style, I believe). And I don't want process flaws getting in the way of recipe evaluation. There are some nice, subtle things going on in the malt bill, and I think the hops bill/schedule enhances the overall beer, but doesn't intrude on what the 40L and Chocolate bring.

[Dawg LB Steve]

Good luck with your entries. What yeast? I think you will still want to bring it up to room temp for the yeast to work on the diacetyl for a few days.

[FedoraDave]

Good luck with your entries. What yeast? I think you will still want to bring it up to room temp for the yeast to work on the diacetyl for a few days.

WLP810, San Francisco Lager Yeast. If it's fermenting at 60 or so, do you really think there will be a need for a D-rest?

[Crazy Climber]

I think it's generally advisable to let any fermentation "free rise" a few degrees as activity slows, to keep the yeast "awake" enough to do their cleanup. Even if not a full, formal D-rest, it might be worthwhile, resulting in a cleaner-tasting beer.

[FedoraDave]

Well, I'm certainly willing to give it a try. Fermentation seems very slow right now, and it probably won't get much more aggressive. But in a few days, maybe Saturday or Sunday, I'll bump up the temp on the Johnson Controller to around 64 or so. Just for three or four days. Can't do any harm.

[Dawg LB Steve]

I let my cali-common w/810 go 3 weeks at 64, after 2 more weeks in the keg it pours as clear as a lager

Sent from my XT830C using Tapatalk

[FedoraDave]

Two weeks in today. I racked to a secondary and set it in the fridge to cold crash. The FG is only 0.002 points lower than projected, and the sample tasted very good. Looked very clear, too, which pleased me. Cold crashing will get it even more so. I should be set to bottle it next week some time. Plenty of cellar conditioning prior to the first comp in October.

[FedoraDave]

I bottled it today. Two six-packs of 12-ounce bottles (I need four total 12-Oz. bottles for the competitions), and six bombers, since everything else is for my private consumption. Looks and tastes real good so far. Let's hope the judges feel the same way.

[FedoraDave]

Well, I dropped off my samples at an LHBS across the river to be sent to the first comp. I'll be registering and submitting for the second one in October.

Wish me luck! I'll be sure to post results as soon as I get them.

[bpgreen]

Good luck!

[John Sand]

Good luck.