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General Homebrew Discussion / Re: American Brown Style Guidelines
« on: February 23, 2012, 04:20:28 PM »
There are a number of subcategories like this in the BJCP guidelines where many judges associate the entire subcategory with a specific classic example. Fundamentally, that doesn't mean that an American Brown with Williamette or EKG is any less American Brown than the same one with Cascade/Amarillo.
But the key to winning ribbons in subcategories like these is to make it easier on the judges. You want to make a base beer that is recognizable by every BJCP judge (certified to grand master) as an American Brown versus relying on a more experienced judge in the flight to explain to the other judges, "Actually, American Brown typically/optionally may have those hops but it isn't strictly required."
Once you have that unmistakable base beer developed (and assuming you have sound brewing practices, non-infected, etc.), your beer is going to float into the top 10% of a flight just by that fact alone. Then you work on the subtle details that will push the beer into best of show contention because if by some miracle your Williamette American Brown floats into the best of show otherwise, you may not find an advocate to wax poetically to all the other best of show judges about it, and it will be eliminated fairly early.
These things are just the nature of brewing for competition versus brewing for your own enjoyment or even brewing for the enjoyment of others.
But the key to winning ribbons in subcategories like these is to make it easier on the judges. You want to make a base beer that is recognizable by every BJCP judge (certified to grand master) as an American Brown versus relying on a more experienced judge in the flight to explain to the other judges, "Actually, American Brown typically/optionally may have those hops but it isn't strictly required."
Once you have that unmistakable base beer developed (and assuming you have sound brewing practices, non-infected, etc.), your beer is going to float into the top 10% of a flight just by that fact alone. Then you work on the subtle details that will push the beer into best of show contention because if by some miracle your Williamette American Brown floats into the best of show otherwise, you may not find an advocate to wax poetically to all the other best of show judges about it, and it will be eliminated fairly early.
These things are just the nature of brewing for competition versus brewing for your own enjoyment or even brewing for the enjoyment of others.