Ck27 said:
That's unfortunate, my Vienna did really well all things considered I'm just amazed it didn't win a higher score really. I didn't taste anything the 2nd judge marked me down for.
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My ipa did not taste anything like they said, it sat for 2 weeks on their end so they might have stored it wrong, that's what I'm guessing because it doesn't taste like that and I have half a case of it left.
I was really upset about that.
Think of it as a challenge! It's a situation where you have more control than you may think.
The Sacramento comps are very well run. The beers are kept cold from the moment their received. I'd put my thoughts into shipping.
You should try an experiment where you ship your beer to a buddy, then the buddy ships it back to you. Nothing extravagant, just across town will do. I'll bet that you'll see a big difference in the beer after it's been shipped. Numerous pro breweries have done studies on their beer once shipped and the results show that overland (ground) shipping is the biggest accelerator for oxidation.
I know that more than a few entrants hand deliver their beer on the last day (even the final hours) that they are due. It can really make a difference.
Like it or not, the sheets reflect what was tasted on that day. If oxidation was an issue, then it doesn't matter how it got accelerated because the air was introduced on your end. Find that cause and you'll see an increase in scores.
Perhaps purge your competition bottles with CO2. Perhaps transfer from the carboy into a sealed, purged corny keg (using the dip tube), then bottle from there. Competition is fierce on the national level and the medal winners do everything they can to present pristine beer.
You should consider taking the judging exam. Knowing the judging process and training will make you a better brewer.