[brewinhard]

[/quote]
 If I were going to be entering it again, I would probably brew it around November/December since in my experience, it hits its peak around 6 months in.
[/quote]

Thats just it.  Its always about trying to juggle when the beer peaks providing the additional travel time it takes to be mailed in to the judging site (wherever that may be). 

[hopfenundmalz]

If I were going to be entering it again, I would probably brew it around November/December since in my experience, it hits its peak around 6 months in.
[/quote]

Thats just it.  Its always about trying to juggle when the beer peaks providing the additional travel time it takes to be mailed in to the judging site (wherever that may be).
[/quote]
Or you spend the $$ for 2 day air or $$$ for next day air.

[Stevie]

It's also wise to ship at the start of a week to avoid the package sitting in a hot warehouse or trailer over the weekend. When I order hops and yeast, I always order on Sunday or Monday to give me the best chance of avoiding the weekend.

[HoosierBrew]

It's also wise to ship at the start of a week to avoid the package sitting in a hot warehouse or trailer over the weekend. When I order hops and yeast, I always order on Sunday or Monday to give me the best chance of avoiding the weekend.

+1

[udubdawg]

I wish fewer people would re-brew after first round.  Especially bigger beers and lagers.  They just aren't ready.

ya wanna rebrew your hefe or IPA, that's cool. 

Was talking at NHC to Randy Scorby - I can't remember if it was his current Schwarzbier Gold or his previous HBOTY winner Classic Rauchbier (or maybe it was both?), that was >1 year old at the time.

[brewinhard]

I wish fewer people would re-brew after first round.  Especially bigger beers and lagers.  They just aren't ready.

ya wanna rebrew your hefe or IPA, that's cool. 

Was talking at NHC to Randy Scorby - I can't remember if it was his current Schwarzbier Gold or his previous HBOTY winner Classic Rauchbier (or maybe it was both?), that was >1 year old at the time.

Wow!  That sounds crazy to me.  I feel like my beers would be oxidized in a year.  Especially the lower gravity styles like that.  Some people have really got the touch with packaging.  And I even close transfer all of my beers into the keg. 

[klickitat jim]

thanks!  back to the drawing board again...errr...brewing board! 

Depends on the comments I suppose but if I scored 45 in Finals I'd likely not change a thing. Great job!

Yeah, it's more a matter or bottle variation or even just palate fatigue that might have made the difference in that case.  Mine came in while we were out of town.  My 37 score was accurate.  Not much in the way of comments, but I expect that transit across the desert increased the effects of oxidation since the 'intangibles were a little low possibly due to O2'.  More a matter of timing for me than anything else.  If I were going to be entering it again, I would probably brew it around November/December since in my experience, it hits its peak around 6 months in.

I can't put my finger on it... but there's just something wrong about lowering scores for a lack of intangibles.

[toby]

It's also wise to ship at the start of a week to avoid the package sitting in a hot warehouse or trailer over the weekend.

I always do that, but it's hard to avoid the sitting in the truck across TX, NM, and AZ into southern CA.

I wish fewer people would re-brew after first round.  Especially bigger beers and lagers.  They just aren't ready.

Yeah, and me and my judging partner wound up getting all of them. 

ya wanna rebrew your hefe or IPA, that's cool.

IPA I can see, but even some of the hefes came off rushed.

Was talking at NHC to Randy Scorby - I can't remember if it was his current Schwarzbier Gold or his previous HBOTY winner Classic Rauchbier (or maybe it was both?), that was >1 year old at the time.

In this case, mine was at about 15 months.  It had just medaled (bronze) at MCAB, and the last growler of it we drank in Asheville this past weekend was still tasty.

I can't put my finger on it... but there's just something wrong about lowering scores for a lack of intangibles.

Not sure I understand?  I can see it easily being a difference maker when you get to that point.  If it knocks the Overall Impression down to an 8, Flavor to a 15 or 16, and Aroma to a 9 or 10, you're already 10 points in the hole.

[Joe Sr.]

I can't put my finger on it... but there's just something wrong about lowering scores for a lack of intangibles.

Not sure I understand?  I can see it easily being a difference maker when you get to that point.  If it knocks the Overall Impression down to an 8, Flavor to a 15 or 16, and Aroma to a 9 or 10, you're already 10 points in the hole.

If something's intangible, you shouldn't notice it anyway. 

So you lost points because someone noticed that they failed to notice what wasn't there.

Maybe they chose their words poorly.

[toby]

I can't put my finger on it... but there's just something wrong about lowering scores for a lack of intangibles.

Not sure I understand?  I can see it easily being a difference maker when you get to that point.  If it knocks the Overall Impression down to an 8, Flavor to a 15 or 16, and Aroma to a 9 or 10, you're already 10 points in the hole.

If something's intangible, you shouldn't notice it anyway. 

Just because you can't touch or grasp something doesn't mean you won't notice it.  Pleasure is an intangible quality and so is love.  I suspect it came off a little lifeless (relatively speaking) due to extra oxidation induced by travel conditions.  So, it didn't taste bad necessarily, but just a bit 'less'.  Maybe you're thinking 'imperceptible'?

[klickitat jim]

 I cant put my finger on it... intangibles...

Anyway, I can kinda get the concept of food and beverages having a je ne sais quoi factor, but trying to comment on it is pushing it a bit.

[Joe Sr.]

Just because you can't touch or grasp something doesn't mean you won't notice it.  Pleasure is an intangible quality and so is love.  I suspect it came off a little lifeless (relatively speaking) due to extra oxidation induced by travel conditions.  So, it didn't taste bad necessarily, but just a bit 'less'.  Maybe you're thinking 'imperceptible'?

Maybe I chose my words poorly, too.  But if you want to go with the strict construction of the term, there's nothing about beer except the liquid that is tangible.  Flavors cannot be touched or grasped, neither can scents.  The tangible sensation of beer is "wet."

Basically, it's a mark down for something the judge can't describe.  Or more accurately for lacking something that the judge can't describe.  Which doesn't seem quite right.

[toby]

I cant put my finger on it... intangibles...

Yeah, I got that part.

Anyway, I can kinda get the concept of food and beverages having a je ne sais quoi factor, but trying to comment on it is pushing it a bit.

This is the part I don't understand.  When judging a beer at that sort of situation, sometimes the difference between a 37 point beer and a 43 point beer are going to be closer than the 6 points might suggest.  Unless something really catches your attention, the mechanics of the competition require you to just move along, and in this sort of case, you really don't have much time for comments.

Maybe I chose my words poorly, too.  But if you want to go with the strict construction of the term, there's nothing about beer except the liquid that is tangible.  Flavors cannot be touched or grasped, neither can scents.  The tangible sensation of beer is "wet."

I don't think I'd agree with that.  There are certainly physical sensations other than wetness that you feel from beer:  acridness, astringency, umami, slickness, etc.

Basically, it's a mark down for something the judge can't describe.  Or more accurately for lacking something that the judge can't describe.  Which doesn't seem quite right.

I'm still not sure I understand why.  Sometimes the margin between a really good and a great beer (or even between the same beer being really good or great) can simply be a matter of time and handling.  I know I've experienced it with beers before.

[klickitat jim]

Personally, second round NHC ought to just skip the score sheets. You get those at level one.  They ought to just tell second round entrants how many entries there were and what position their beer came in.

[mchrispen]

Wait... my mead got judged by a Grand Master BJCP judge. That feedback was really good - if brief. Not much chance to get a Grand Master touching anything I submit regionally or at other comps. The ability to get a beer in front of really experienced palettes is part of the motivation.