[Jimmy K]

BJCP guidelines are a set of targets for homebrewing competitions. The ability to hit the target is a measure of brewing skill. Everybody knows what they are at the beginning, so everybody has the same target. If you don't aim for it, don't complain when you don't win.

They are not a compendium of world styles.

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[erockrph]

BJCP guidelines are a set of targets for homebrewing competitions. The ability to hit the target is a measure of brewing skill. Everybody knows what they are at the beginning, so everybody has the same target. If you don't aim for it, don't complain when you don't win.

They are not a compendium of world styles.

Bingo. You can gripe about the judges. You can gripe about the style guidelines. But you can't really gripe about judges following the style guidelines.

This brings to mind a quote from one of my favorite movies: "Shanna, they bought their tickets. They knew what they were getting into. I say - let 'em crash"

[dmtaylor]

And that's the reason I use Sinamar to darken beers.  With grain you have to make a guess as to how much to put in the mash.  If you guess wrong, you're stuck.  With Sinamar, I can just add a bit at a time until I hit the color I want.  And since it's made from the same grain you'd put in the mash, the only difference is ease of use.

Wait... so the guy who refuses to drink Black IPAs also promotes the use of black food coloring!?  I find this humorous.  But I suppose it's the fad or the misnomer that bothers you more than the "style" itself.

I hope you realize that I am only poking fun at my favorite homebrewer.  All in good humor.  You do have a good point that Sinamar is very easy to use.  And, for those who care, it's even Reinheitsgebot compliant!  Personally I refuse to use the stuff, as I'd rather keep my color adjustments more tangible.  I use real black malt or roasted barley, and good reliable homebrewing software that usually predicts color very accurately.  It's been way off a couple of times, but not very often.  (FWIW, I use StrangeBrew.  The usual disclaimer: I do NOT work for Drew Avis.)

[denny]

Wait... so the guy who refuses to drink Black IPAs also promotes the use of black food coloring!?  I find this humorous.  But I suppose it's the fad or the misnomer that bothers you more than the "style" itself.

I hope you realize that I am only poking fun at my favorite homebrewer.  All in good humor.  You do have a good point that Sinamar is very easy to use.  And, for those who care, it's even Reinheitsgebot compliant!  Personally I refuse to use the stuff, as I'd rather keep my color adjustments more tangible.  I use real black malt or roasted barley, and good reliable homebrewing software that usually predicts color very accurately.  It's been way off a couple of times, but not very often.  (FWIW, I use StrangeBrew.  The usual disclaimer: I do NOT work for Drew Avis.)

Dave, you misunderstand...what I don't like about black IPA is the flavor created by the roasted malt.  AAMOF, one of the few I've ever liked was made by Tom Schmidlin by adding Sinamar to his IPA recipe!  And what's with the "real" malt crap?  That's exactly what Sinamar is.  I don't know why you'd refuse to use it.  It's simply another tool in the tool box, like a thermometer.  Do you refuse to use those also?  It's not like I haven't brewed MANY batches using dark malt in the mash for color.  I certainly have and I have found Sinamar to be a superior choice for me in that situation.  If you don't care to make your brewing easier or more predictable, that's certainly your choice to make.  But it's unnecessary to diss those who chose to do things differently.

[dmtaylor]

Ouch!  I'm sorry, my sense of humor is occasionally flawed.  *sulks in the corner*

[denny]

Ouch!  I'm sorry, my sense of humor is occasionally flawed.  *sulks in the corner*

Oh, that was funny? 

[dmtaylor]

Actually I do not enjoy American Stouts for what I believe to be the same reason as you cited -- hops and dark roasted malts do not get along all that well, at least not according to my own palate.  Of course, there are thousands of others who would disagree.

[denny]

Actually I do not enjoy American Stouts for what I believe to be the same reason as you cited -- hops and dark roasted malts do not get along all that well, at least not according to my own palate.  Of course, there are thousands of others who would disagree.

And as you and I know, they're all wrong! 

[klickitat jim]

I'm not a flavor Nazi, but for my tastes... dark is for malty. I don't care for roasty and hoppy. But this from a guy whose current favorite IPA is Redhook ESB. LOL

[hoser]

I don't generally care for sinamar in any beer of any kind, especially black IPAs.  I used to much once in a beer.  Despite it supposedly being flavorless, this is not true.  Now I seem to be fairly sensitive to it and can usually pick it out in a beer. But that is just me.

Looking back through my recipes, about 60g or 2 ounces added to the top of the mash at the end of mashing is a "dash."

[HoosierBrew]

Looking back through my recipes, about 60g or 2 ounces added to the top of the mash at the end of mashing is a "dash."

+1.  That's pretty much my 'dash'.