[theDarkSide]

The numbers are relative.  What's important is the feedback and winning your category of course....congrats.

I've scored in the 40's before with entries and ended up not placing.  I've also received Gold and Silver with scores in the mid-30's. 

For your first competition, I say you did pretty well...keep it up!

Thanks everyone. I have the same beer entered into a competition this weekend. I am curious to see how it scores in comparison.

This is the fun part.  I've had entries win Gold and got nothing in others comps, some judged on the same day.

[klickitat jim]

The numbers are relative.  What's important is the feedback and winning your category of course....congrats.

I've scored in the 40's before with entries and ended up not placing.  I've also received Gold and Silver with scores in the mid-30's. 

True. But assuming the BJCP system is working, and your specific judges are scoring appropriately,  if your beer gets a 42... its a 42. Whether or not it placed is just a matter of how much competition you had. So you could end up with a medal on a 35 beer, which is cool, but I'd be more proud of the 42 that didn't medal. Kind of like winning a 100 yard dash with a 15 second time, vs taking 4th place with a 10 second time.

[Jimmy K]

The numbers are relative.  What's important is the feedback and winning your category of course....congrats.

I've scored in the 40's before with entries and ended up not placing.  I've also received Gold and Silver with scores in the mid-30's. 

So you could end up with a medal on a 35 beer, which is cool, but I'd be more proud of the 42 that didn't medal. Kind of like winning a 100 yard dash with a 15 second time, vs taking 4th place with a 10 second time.

What kind of hippy talk is that? 

[klickitat jim]

Who knows

[69franx]

Are there participation medals too in this hippy competition?

[udubdawg]

Are there participation medals too in this hippy competition?

Sort of.  For everything above a certain minimum score they give out "certficates" 

[klickitat jim]

I guess I'm lost on the hippy thing.

Read what I wrote again and I still don't see it.

For me, getting a medal for a 35 point beer in a competition where no one brewed anything better... vs taking 4th or 5th place, no medal, but scoring a 42...

Anyway, maybe I'm old fashioned.  I'd rather loose with my personal best than win with a halfassed effort.

[69franx]

I understood you from the beginning Jim, but it is easier to follow in your last post. I guess the other seemed a little touchy feely and the hippy comment made me laugh so I joined in. Your thoughts remind me of an eighties movies starring Woody Harrelson, where he stated that some people would rather look pretty than win; while he was just trying to win. He felt dunking( he couldn't) was just too flashy and not enough substance

[klickitat jim]

Awesome. I thought maybe I had lost my mind for a minute.

[ynotbrusum]

Agreed, Jim.  Better to have a great beer evaluated as being a great beer than to take home an award on a lesser beer.  Best though would be to win with a great beer properly evaluated to be just that.  Take Denny's Rye IPA, for example.  It's so good even Founders brewed one as the hand out at the NHC.  I saved my bomber to share with friends and it was fantastic.

[jeffy]

Back in the mid 90's a got a gold medal at NHC for a Smoked Braggot with a score of 34.  I had trouble believing it, so I found out the name of the head judge on the flight and called him up to confirm it.  David Houseman reassured me that it was an excellent mead, but I still had trouble reconciling it.
I guess I'm with Jim here, but wouldn't it be cooler to get both a high score and a gold medal?

[Jimmy K]

I guess I'm lost on the hippy thing.

Read what I wrote again and I still don't see it.

For me, getting a medal for a 35 point beer in a competition where no one brewed anything better... vs taking 4th or 5th place, no medal, but scoring a 42...

Anyway, maybe I'm old fashioned.  I'd rather loose with my personal best than win with a halfassed effort.

This is 'Merica. We don't care about quality, we care about winning. Anyone who says otherwise is a hippy.
 
...Of course I'm kidding. I complete agree with you.

[theDarkSide]

I don't think winning a medal at 35 makes it a lesser beer than scoring a 40+ in another competition.  I think is just points to the fact there is inconsistency in judging from region to region, comp to comp.  Especially when the same beer is being judged on the same day in 2 different comps.

One of my proudest entries is a mead that scored a 40 and 41 with the two judges... Michael Fairbrother and Berniece Van Der Berg...didn't win a medal though.

[klickitat jim]

I guess I'm lost on the hippy thing.

Read what I wrote again and I still don't see it.

For me, getting a medal for a 35 point beer in a competition where no one brewed anything better... vs taking 4th or 5th place, no medal, but scoring a 42...

Anyway, maybe I'm old fashioned.  I'd rather loose with my personal best than win with a halfassed effort.

This is 'Merica. We don't care about quality, we care about winning. Anyone who says otherwise is a hippy.
 
...Of course I'm kidding. I complete agree with you.

Right on, its not often but occasionally good sarcasm sneaks past me.

[klickitat jim]

I don't think winning a medal at 35 makes it a lesser beer than scoring a 40+ in another competition.  I think is just points to the fact there is inconsistency in judging from region to region, comp to comp.  Especially when the same beer is being judged on the same day in 2 different comps.

One of my proudest entries is a mead that scored a 40 and 41 with the two judges... Michael Fairbrother and Berniece Van Der Berg...didn't win a medal though.

Agreed. My little point only applies to a true 35 beer winning in comp A, and a different beer that is a true 40 losing in comp B.