Guide=1011, My Fg=1009. Reject Beer?

[gunbrew]

1st attempt to brew to the style guide so I could enter a beer into a comp.
The style guide says final gravity 1011 - 1015.
Looks like my mash temp was too low as my beer went to 1009.
Bringing me to my next problem.
Style guide says Alc 5%-6%
My beer is at 6.7%

Anyone got any sneaky fixes?
Is there any point even entering this beer into a comp now?
Seem to recall seeing something saying out of style beers will not be judged.
Does the alcohol and final gravity get tested before beers are judged?
Questions, comments, flamings?
Thanks.

 

[peas_and_corn]

Just enter it. Messing around with it now could do more harm than good, and it's unlikely the judges would notice the difference.

 

[earle]

Send me a few bottles for testing and I'll let you know :drinks:

 

[Florian]

Seem to recall seeing something saying out of style beers will not be judged.

This refers more to entering e.g a pilsener as a stout. Most beers will have components that are not 100% within style guidelines, and that's where you get points deducted, but you might still get good results.
Alc and FG don't generally get tested, so it may well be that no one notices.

Enter it into the comp if you have nothing else and use the feedback to tweak your recipes.

 

[brett mccluskey]

All else being good,enter it.Gravity isn't checked before judging and 2 g.p's is bugger all difference.The worst that can happen is that you're marked down a couple of points for 'body'.I doubt very much any judge will be able to tell the diff between %6 abv and %6.7 abv.Go for it,and good luck :icon_cheers:

 

[tallie]

I haven't heard of any competitions where FG is actually tested before judging. Not to say it definitely can't happen, but for the amount of stuffing around it would involve for the stewards/judges, I'd be extremely surprised if it ever did happen. Besides, it's a style guide, not a specification, and 2 points difference in gravity is bugger all when you take hydrometer accuracies in to account. It's more important that it matches up with the descriptions given for the aromas, flavours, etc., so if you're in the ballpark there, you're good to go! :beerbang:

Based on my own personal experience, I can strongly recommend putting your hand up to help out with stewarding for a competition. It doesn't require any special skills and it'll give you a great insight in to what goes on behind the curtains. It certainly removed the mystery and uncertainties I had when I first started entering comps.

Cheers, and good luck!
tallie

 

[Bribie G]

I've brewed an Irish Red to style guide so went for a lower mash temperature and added 300g of da sugaz to the fermenter to try and achieve a dry finish to style. I got stuck into it last night from the keg and it tasted suspiciously sweet (I hadn't checked the FG, it's a style I'm familiar with and I generally just know when it's done) - so I degassed a sample and checked. Bloody thing was 1004 :blink: and according to my calculations now has an ABV of nearly 7% and that's why I was seriously seedy today after about 5 pints of the stuff last night h34r:

In the new yeast book they digress a bit and state that the mash high for sweetness principle is very much a myth. They quote examples of commercial beers that are noted for malt sweetness but mashed very low. And dry beers mashed high. It's more to do with the choice of malts, as dextrins themselves are not particularly sweet. Says Jamil and Chris anyway and I tend to agree if my I.R. is anything to go by.

I'll enter it anyway because IIRC some alcohol heat is acceptable, and I've got the hops about spot on. Plus the judges only have a teeny glass to sip.

 

[argon]

I've certainly heard Jamil bang-on about alcohol having some sweetness... so maybe that's what you are getting last out of the Red.

 

[Bribie G]

Probably that 1004 was also an "apparent" FG or whatever they call it, for the shame reashon. I've only had two pints so far and I'm definitely getting under the affluence of incohol. :icon_cheers:

 

[haysie]

Just enter it Gun, all the o/g and f/g has imo been a bit of a myth only but moreso a guideline. The judging table doesnt have a hydrometer.
There has been cases of out of style, one comes to mind Vicbrew last year when the beer served is sent to the wrong table but in general yeah dont enter a pilsner as a stout or vice versa

 

[gunbrew]

Nice answers everyone.
Will enter it as my 1st comp beer.
Thanks to all who replied.
Have a great weekend.

 

[Jazzafish]

Gunbrew,

For all you know the hydrometer may be different to the one the guy writing the BJCP's. All the best with the comp.

 

[Bribie G]

I think I've just invented Irish Malt Liquo'

Ran the figures through the calculator:



No wonder I was in a coma after 5 pints. I takes me hat off to me urn

 

[Wolfy]

Anyone got any sneaky fixes?
Is there any point even entering this beer into a comp now?
Seem to recall seeing something saying out of style beers will not be judged.
Does the alcohol and final gravity get tested before beers are judged?
Questions, comments, flamings?

If you think it is a good beer, enter it.
Comp judges do not get to see your OG/FG info, even if you enter it on the entry form, there is no 'testing' of gravity/alcohol at any of the comps I have helped with.

However, the judges may notice that your beer falls outside the guidelines and as a consequence may deduct some points - this happened in the last comp I was stewarding at, the (very perceptive and experienced) judges correctly picked that a beer was too 'strong' for the category (I was able to check the entry details after their scores were submitted).
So, it may be that the judges notice something similar with yours.

 

[Bribie G]

In the Nats, in the low alcohol section you are required to enter OG and FG to declare that the entry is <4% ABV, but AFAIK there are no hydrometers at the judging tables.

 

[haysie]

In the Nats, in the low alcohol section you are required to enter OG and FG to declare that the entry is <4% ABV, but AFAIK there are no hydrometers at the judging tables.

what a crock that is, taking brewers for stupidity that dont know the difference between a <4% and >4%. Its only sums and a rediculous inclusion that you must submit. What of all the real good brewers who dont use hydrometers or those other fancy fractometers.