I got my exam result back – 84!
I’m pleased, and this means that after some more judging points have been acquired I can progress up the judging ranks to National level. It took quite an amount of study, but learning about beer isn’t exactly a hardship. Given the amount of study that involves sampling, it was actually quite fun.
Now I can turn my attention to the UK National Homebrew Competition which I’m organizing under BJCP guidelines.
Two of my ciders that were entered in the National Homebrew Competition (US) have placed 2nd and 3rd in their region, and so will progress to the final round. I’m really pleased!
Ales that are, well, brown, these come in a range of styles. The BJCP splits them into British and American, with British being further divided into Northern and Southern English Brown and Milds. American Brown Ales tend to be hoppier than their British counterparts, and some have even taken the approach of the Imperial Brown Ale with heavy hopping. British Browns are more common commerically in the Northern Style, which may be as a result of Northern yeast strains being less effective in fermentation and so needing a larger malt bill.
Here’s the one I brewed last weekend.
Brizzle Brown
| Selected Style and BJCP Guidelines |
10C-American Ale-American Brown Ale
| Minimum OG: | 1.045 SG | Maximum OG: | 1.060 SG |
| Minimum FG: | 1.010 SG | Maximum FG: | 1.016 SG |
| Minimum IBU: | 20 IBU | Maximum IBU: | 40 IBU |
| Minimum Color: | 18.0 SRM | Maximum Color: | 35.0 SRM |
| Recipe Overview |
| Wort Volume Before Boil: | 9.00 l | Wort Volume After Boil: | 8.00 l |
| Volume Transferred: | 8.00 l | Water Added To Fermenter: | 1.00 l |
| Volume At Pitching: | 9.00 l | Volume Of Finished Beer: | 9.00 l |
| Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: | 1.005 SG | Expected OG: | 1.058 SG |
| Expected FG: | 1.015 SG | Apparent Attenuation: | 73.0 % |
| Expected ABV: | 5.7 % | Expected ABW: | 4.4 % |
| Expected IBU (using Tinseth): | 34.6 IBU | Expected Color (using Morey): | 27.8 SRM |
| BU:GU ratio: | 0.60 | Approx Color: | |
| Mash Efficiency: | 75.0 % | ||
| Boil Duration: | 60.0 mins | ||
| Fermentation Temperature: | 18 degC |
| Fermentables |
| Ingredient | Amount | % | MCU | When |
| UK Medium Crystal | 0.113 kg | 6.6 % | 6.3 | In Mash/Steeped |
| UK Roasted Barley | 0.055 kg | 3.2 % | 32.6 | In Mash/Steeped |
| UK Black Malt | 0.055 kg | 3.2 % | 27.5 | In Mash/Steeped |
| Extract – Light Liquid Malt Extract | 1.500 kg | 87.1 % | 4.7 | Start Of Boil |
| Hops |
| Variety | Alpha | Amount | IBU | Form | When |
| UK Challenger | 6.5 % | 21 g | 32.6 | Loose Whole Hops | 60 Min From End |
| US Liberty | 3.0 % | 7 g | 2.0 | Loose Pellet Hops | 10 Min From End |
This coming Sunday at Chelsea Brewing Company, Chelsea Piers, NYC….
I have a dry mead in, which I made at the end of 2009, and we’ll see what happens. Probably won’t win anything, but I’ll get feedback from the judges.
I’m also judging on the day. I have to be there at 8.30 am, and get to start drinking tasting at 9.15 on a Sunday.
A Storm Brewing 