[Stevie]

You should just come up with the coin and buy a kegging system and force carb the beer.  Bottle conditioning is for newbies.

Not 100% true. I keg 95%+ of my beers, but some beers get bottled

[connerr]

My amateur opinion is that it can be done.

I did an IPA a few months back. 6%abv, 75 IBU.  Fermented at 65F for about a week then ramped up to ~70F, dry-hopped (3.75oz in a 2.5 gallon batch) three days before bottling, then bottled with corn sugar. At 1 week, it certainly had a bit of a young taste, but by 2 weeks in the bottle it was fine.

I say go for it either way. It's just a few bottles you'll be sending in, so it's not like the end of the world. If anything I'm sure you'll learn a lot from the process.

[homoeccentricus]

Yes, but did you win? Cause that's what it is all about, am I not right?

[homoeccentricus]

1. Make yeast starter from two vials of WY American Ale II on brewday - 1 (I want to pitch on high krausen)
2. On brewday, brew 15 liter batch - gravity 1068 and 85 IBU, and add yeast starter
3. Let ferment at 67F for 9 days
4. On brewday + 9, dryhop
5. On brewday + 12, chill beer
6. On brewday + 13, add gelatin/biersol/... TBD
7. On brewday + 15, bottle with sugar & champagne yeast to reach a CO2 level of 2.4 volumes
8. Let bottle condition in ideal temperature for 1 week
9. On brewday + 20, deliver bottles - they will be stored @12-15C
10. On brewday + 28, competition

BTW, if Drew can brew a beer in 6 days (http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/express-brewing-speed-brewing-grain-glass-less-10-days-0), why couldn't I do it in 28?

Some suggestions I read from that article:
- lower gravity = faster fermentation. So I might go down to 1060.
- Drew suggests WLP090 San Diego Super Yeast for fast and clean fermentation. Agree?

And about the starter: Drew and some other people suggest making a large starter. If I want to pitch at high krausen, do I need to pour the complete starter in the wort? Say it's a 1.5 liter starter for a 15 liter batch, is that not going to dilute the beer with some nasty oxidized DME wort?

And a last question about the dry hops: if the recipe asks for 5 grams/liter for 6 days, and I have only 3 days, how much more should I add? 50%?

[toby]

1. Make yeast starter from two vials of WY American Ale II on brewday - 1 (I want to pitch on high krausen)
2. On brewday, brew 15 liter batch - gravity 1068 and 85 IBU, and add yeast starter
3. Let ferment at 67F for 9 days
4. On brewday + 9, dryhop
5. On brewday + 12, chill beer
6. On brewday + 13, add gelatin/biersol/... TBD
7. On brewday + 15, bottle with sugar & champagne yeast to reach a CO2 level of 2.4 volumes
8. Let bottle condition in ideal temperature for 1 week
9. On brewday + 20, deliver bottles - they will be stored @12-15C
10. On brewday + 28, competition

That's a very workable schedule.

BTW, if Drew can brew a beer in 6 days (http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/express-brewing-speed-brewing-grain-glass-less-10-days-0), why couldn't I do it in 28?

It's not a matter of could or couldn't IMO.  It's more a matter of predictability.  If it's an untested recipe, it's more a matter of your risk tolerance.  Might turn out great.

Some suggestions I read from that article:
- lower gravity = faster fermentation. So I might go down to 1060.
- Drew suggests WLP090 San Diego Super Yeast for fast and clean fermentation. Agree?

It's a decent yeast for an IPA, but even at 1060, you're not that huge a difference.  If you're going to go with an untested (by you) recipe, just keep it as close to the original as possible.

And about the starter: Drew and some other people suggest making a large starter. If I want to pitch at high krausen, do I need to pour the complete starter in the wort? Say it's a 1.5 liter starter for a 15 liter batch, is that not going to dilute the beer with some nasty oxidized DME wort?

If you've never tasted decanted DME wort from a starter, it is relatively neutral IME.  I make a ~2L starter for that sort of beer and pitch the whole thing into a 10 gallon batch.  For a 15L batch, I'd probably make a 750mL starter.

And a last question about the dry hops: if the recipe asks for 5 grams/liter for 6 days, and I have only 3 days, how much more should I add? 50%?

I would proabably just leave it as is.

[a10t2]

6. On brewday + 13, add gelatin/biersol/... TBD
7. On brewday + 15, bottle with sugar & champagne yeast to reach a CO2 level of 2.4 volumes

That seems counterintuitive to me… If you want more yeast in suspension, why fine?

Go brew the thing, already! I feel like we've been talking about it for a week.

[chumley]

6. On brewday + 13, add gelatin/biersol/... TBD
7. On brewday + 15, bottle with sugar & champagne yeast to reach a CO2 level of 2.4 volumes

That seems counterintuitive to me… If you want more yeast in suspension, why fine?

Go brew the thing, already! I feel like we've been talking about it for a week.

Excellent point.  For someone who's in a panic to brew, he has already pissed away three days. 

[HoosierBrew]

Go brew the thing, already! I feel like we've been talking about it for a week.

+2.  Time's a wastin'.   

[homoeccentricus]

The competition is only on September 19. I still have plenty of time

[Stevie]

I like my IPA with a hit of haze.

[hedgieb]

Just give it a shot!  No two brews are identical when homebrewing (IMO)...  Go for it, and you might have a winner!

[homoeccentricus]

I am going to although I have  this fear that on brew day Denny will be on my doorstep blocking my entrance to the brewery. "What are you doing? I told you not to brew this! " :-(

[denny]

I am going to although I have  this fear that on brew day Denny will be on my doorstep blocking my entrance to the brewery. "What are you doing? I told you not to brew this! " :-(

Naw, I'll be wishing you luck and trying not to laugh!

[Steve L]

I have found that every time I try to rush a beer for a comp I get disappointing results.  I do the best when I have a beer that I think is fantastic and enter that.

^This is me. There were times when I called ahead to the Competition site to see how long before judging they would wait before chilling so I'd know if my beer had time to properly condition. Too many times have I cracked open a brew on judgment day only to find I was drinking a 20-25 score green beer.

IMO, it's best to brew a recipe you want to submit, at least once prior to competition and sample it at different points post bottling to see when it peaks and base your entry on that.
Having said all that, I've scored a silver on a beer I totally rushed so... it can't hurt to try

[homoeccentricus]

Mind you, I would only try this with an over the top IPA, where as we all know (except Denny, most probably) that fresher is better. Somebody has to have the courage to experiment seriously with the freshest possible IPA