Poor Form or Accepted ? - Entering Outside of Guidelines

[KingKong]

I've read with interest people having success entering beers they acknowledge are well outside of the style guidelines accepted for the style they entered their beer in.

Examples being ale yeast in a lager and OG's / FG's well outside of style.

Is this accepted, or poor form? Opinions welcome.

 

[vortex]

Completely acceptable. I just entered a German Pilsener in 3 categories, as I feel it matched characteristics of all 3, and Munich Dunkel into two categories, for the same reason.

Judges only judge what they have in front of them, they have no specifics of the yeast used or the gravities, so they become largely irrelevant if the finished product matches a particular style. If the beer has characteristics of the style it's entered into, who cares?

 

[Toper]

Yep,Judges know nothing about how the entry was brewed,whether it was a K&K,or full mash,dry yeast or liquid.The entry is judged on whether it comforms to style guidelines when it's poured and tasted,not when it's brewed.Completely acceptable

 

[manticle]

Your $5 and your beer - you can enter whatever you like. It's bad form on the judges' part to make assumptions about things they don't know.

 

[QldKev]

Enter it as many times as you can, the more trophies you have the better brewer you are. :unsure:

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Enter in a class no one else is in....

 

[MartinOC]

Enter in a class no one else is in....

Chances????

 

[tallie]

Yep,Judges know nothing about how the entry was brewed,whether it was a K&K,or full mash...

or FWK, or a de-labelled, re-capped commercial bottle h34r: :lol:

 

[MartinOC]

re-capped commercial bottle h34r: :lol:

Anyone who does that is a low-life, dirt-bag scum that deserves to be caught-out & publically flogged with birch-twigs tied-together in bundles of 5, then hung, drawn & quartered, then burned & have the ashes flushed to Werribee..

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Bet it would catch a few judges out

 

[warra48]

or a re-capped commercial bottle h34r: :lol:

You are making a major assumption that a commercial brew is better than our homebrewed products.

Who says ??

Why not test it next competition and see if you are correct?
I have no interest in doing that, but you might.
Just think how good the trophy would look on your shelf.
And every time you look at it, you proudly think "I didn't brew that"!

 

[Toper]

I've sort of suggested this a few times,put a 'ringer' in now and then to keep the judges on their toes.If it's done with the knowledge of the organisors it wouldn't be an issue,but if it's a fake entry it's pathetic,no joy in 'winning' by cheating.

 

[NickB]

BABBs has occasionally entered commercial beers in the Mini Comps. From memory, none have won, and very few have placed.

 

[tallie]

Uh, definitely not condoning it or suggesting anyone try it. In fact, in these days where some competition winners get the chance to have their recipes brewed commercially, it increases the chances of getting caught out, so you'd be silly to try and get away with it.

There was a very deliberate juxtaposition in my response that might be missed by those who haven't been in the related debate.

 

[Toper]

Chances????

Depends what the entry is I suppose,but if a brewers goal is to win comps, then being a big fish in a small pond is the way to go.There's a few cats that don't get many entries,Berliner Weisse as an example.If a brewer masters that sort of cat,the (gold medal )world is his oyster.

 

[MartinOC]

Depends what the entry is I suppose,but if a brewers goal is to win comps, then being a big fish in a small pond is the way to go.There's a few cats that don't get many entries,Berliner Weisse as an example.If a brewer masters that sort of cat,the (gold medal )world is his oyster.

If there were prizes for Sub-Style (in your analogy), yes. Per CATEGORY, probably not. There's no prizes for Sub-Styles - you have to be outstanding with your sub-style within the category to get the prize.

PS. Toper - answer your PM's would you????

 

[manticle]

Uh, definitely not condoning it or suggesting anyone try it. In fact, in these days where some competition winners get the chance to have their recipes brewed commercially, it increases the chances of getting caught out, so you'd be silly to try and get away with it.

There was a very deliberate juxtaposition in my response that might be missed by those who haven't been in the related debate.

I knew what you meant.

 

[dougsbrew]

Well my 2c, at OP example - ale entered into a lager catorgary, poor form IMO.
Lets compare apples with apples. I feel its a little disrespectful to the lager brewers.

 

[manticle]

Really?

In Vicbrew, North German altbier is grouped in the amber/dark lager category. Altbier is an ale by origin. Dusseldorf is in bitter ale (a distinction I've always found odd.)

People make faux lagers all the time - if it fits, it fits, if it tastes good, it tastes good. There's no disrespect - just beer versus beer.

How do you feel about baltic porter? Ale or lager?

 

[KingKong]

All fair points. Being pretty fresh, comps are not some thing I have tried much of.
My question has been answered, thanks.

I think deliberately brewing a style well outside guidelines and brewing a winner would be difficult and left to better brewers then me.

But now I wont feel guilty if my entered beers FG is one point outside of guidelines.