Homebrew Alley XIV

[FedoraDave]

Scored a 33 with my Sunbonnet Lemon Wheat. No podium spot, but I honestly wasn't expecting one. I entered this more to see what the judges thought about a beer that I enjoy making and drinking in the summer.

Scoresheets aren't available yet, but when I can download them, I'll update here.

[Beer-lord]

Congrats!

[berryman]

Congratulations Dave, Good deal.....

[FedoraDave]

I got the scoresheets. Actually not a bad reception from both judges.

They thought the base style was well done, and the lemon zest addition achieved a balance pretty well. Just minor flaws, and one judge remarked that his comments were more tweaks than overhauls. They both thought it was a refreshing, drinkable beer, which is all I want for this recipe. It was made with the intent to be a light summertime beer. The ABV is a little high for a lawnmower beer, but I think it's a great session beer for cookouts or just summer evenings. So the comments are in line with my intent, and that's just fine with me.

I'm a little disappointed in the score of 33, but I don't know what any of the other entries scored, so perhaps 33 in this comp would have been a 37 in another comp. Who knows. The numbers don't matter to me as much as the comments.

The only disturbing thing noted by both judges was a green pepper vegetal taste in the finish, which is something I don't notice at all when I drink it. Any ideas what would cause this? I assume it's something in the process, rather than the recipe itself, but I don't know where it would happen.

[mashani]

What hops are in it? And when did you add them?

Also are you being really careful with your lemon zest to be sure it's pith free? That would add a bitter vegetal kind of flavor, maybe mixed with hop stuff could be interpreted as green pepper like bitter. IE Sorachi Ace can give you a dill herbal vibe that mixed with the lemon some people think of as cilantro like, mixed with bitter pith, who knows... might taste green peppery.

If you happen to be using Sorachi Ace, my biggest suggestion as far as something to try is to DRY HOP with it only, do not use any of it late in the boil. Late in the boil it gives off those dill/herbal flavors, dry hop it's more just pure lemon.

IE Brooklyn Brewing "A Sorachi Ace" saisons clean lemon vibe is achieved with a massive dry hop, not late boil additions.

If not, then I dunno, but knowing the hops might give me or someone else a clue bat.

[MadBrewer]

The only disturbing thing noted by both judges was a green pepper vegetal taste in the finish, which is something I don't notice at all when I drink it. Any ideas what would cause this? I assume it's something in the process, rather than the recipe itself, but I don't know where it would happen.

Cascade hops can come off with a green pepper character at times, I never noticed until someone pointed it out to me. But what comes to mind most is oxidized hops. Sometimes it can be a very subtle character but that's all it takes to notice it (to me it's more of a grassy thing, but vegetal in nature)...I think judges kind of just grab on to common terms when they are describing things like this. Or...they could just be full of shit...take their comments with a grain of salt.

Are you drinking this beer from the keg, or are you drinking the same bottles you sent in as samples?

[FedoraDave]

Mashani, I use Mt. Hood, just 0.25 oz. each at the 60, 22, and 7 minute points (this is for a 3-gallon batch). No dry hop. Both judges mentioned very low hop influence in both aroma and flavor, and that's what I was aiming for. They seemed fine with it, stylistically. Interestingly, one of the judges suggested a more citrusy hop strain, and mentioned Sorachi Ace specifically. I'm as careful as I can be with the lemon zest, but that's not to say I wouldn't get any pith in it. I zest with a cheese grater, through wax paper, to maximize my yield. It works very well, and I tend to leave some yellow on the lemons, but again, I can't say no pith at all.

MadBrewer, I don't keg my competition entries; I bottle the whole batch (another reason why I don't do fivers when I'm brewing for a comp). So I've been drinking the exact same thing the judges were tasting. Same batch, and I'm careful to send bottles from the middle of the bottling session, so I'm avoiding trub in the entries. I do this by starting with a couple bombers, then doing about 8 12-oz. longnecks, and finishing up with a couple more bombers. And not that it makes a difference in this case, but I batch prime, so what I'm drinking is about as consistent with the entries as it can get.

Again, I don't notice anything grassy or peppery or vegetal, but my taster isn't as honed as a certified BJCP graduate, which both of these judges are. Well, who knows. I like this beer, so I'm not going to change it. It's a good summertime session beer, and I was curious what kind of reaction I'd get in a competition. Now I know. I was just curious if it was caused by ingredients or process.

Thanks for the comments, fellas.

[MadBrewer]

Well, those are solid practices and with that little hop content and the variety you used it's hard to see that as being a culprit. In all honesty, like you said some of these judges are pretty good and have learned how to pick out these things over the average drinker. It may have been one little thing one of them noticed and they figured that's all they really had to run with, so they mentioned it. Maybe sometimes they feel they have to find something to justify judging the beer. Either way, sounds like it wasn't a major issue and you like the beer as it is, then it's all good.

[FedoraDave]

Yeah, I genuinely did not expect a podium spot with this entry; I was just curious because I like this recipe a lot and wondered what a BJCP judge would think of it. They complimented it pretty well, saying I did right by the base style, and that the fruit addition was well done, too. So I can't complain. It was only that one comment from both of them that made visible cartoon question marks shoot out of my head.

I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it, though.