[jeffy]

Again...drinking while posting is a dangerous activity.

I no longer trust the clone recipes posted on AHA / BYO.

If North Coast sets the standard for this style, my entry simply falls short.

Thanks for all of the input, suggestions, and help. And constructive, helpful criticism is always welcome! Making better beer is a never ending goal.

I don’t think that that particular beer “sets the standard” for the style.  If you look at the BJCP guideline’s commercial examples there are three imperial stouts listed in front of North Coast.  Try drinking some of those to compare and contrast.
I agree with ttash as well.  Many times both as a judge and as an entrant, I have had way different opinions observed and proffered.  Keep calm.

[denny]

It most certainly is an imperial stout. I think the issue is you thinking you can clone a beer.

[goose]

Based on your success I wouldn’t fiddle with a thing. You are doing well exactly how you are brewing now. Don’t let perfect get in the way of good.

My thought on competition is simple. If you want to compete, brew the beer you want to enter the way you like it. After tasting it, if you think that beer is worthy of entry into a competition then don’t change a thing. If the judges share your opinion, great. If not, great.  It doesn’t change a thing.  It was a good beer before you entered it and it’s a good beer after the judging is complete.

Cheers!

+1

[denny]

Based on your success I wouldn’t fiddle with a thing. You are doing well exactly how you are brewing now. Don’t let perfect get in the way of good.

My thought on competition is simple. If you want to compete, brew the beer you want to enter the way you like it. After tasting it, if you think that beer is worthy of entry into a competition then don’t change a thing. If the judges share your opinion, great. If not, great.  It doesn’t change a thing.  It was a good beer before you entered it and it’s a good beer after the judging is complete.

Cheers!

+1

+2

[tommymorris]

Again...drinking while posting is a dangerous activity.

I no longer trust the clone recipes posted on AHA / BYO.

If North Coast sets the standard for this style, my entry simply falls short.

Thanks for all of the input, suggestions, and help. And constructive, helpful criticism is always welcome! Making better beer is a never ending goal.

I have no confidence in clone recipes. Most seem like the recipe author just took a swag and called it a clone. To me most of those are more about getting in the same neighborhood or start here kind of recipes.

[Bel Air Brewing]

Again...drinking while posting is a dangerous activity.

I no longer trust the clone recipes posted on AHA / BYO.

If North Coast sets the standard for this style, my entry simply falls short.

Thanks for all of the input, suggestions, and help. And constructive, helpful criticism is always welcome! Making better beer is a never ending goal.

I have no confidence in clone recipes. Most seem like the recipe author just took a swag and called it a clone. To me most of those are more about getting in the same neighborhood or start here kind of recipes.

We entered 10 beers, a couple were double entries by others in our brewing group.
3 Vienna Lagers. One did really well, with 41 points. The other two got hammered pretty badly. But that's Ok, I agree with the judges.

6 of the 10 did well. With 2 of them getting a 1st Place Award.

The Imperial Stout was the only clone-brew we did, thinking it was a good example of the style. Well, we discovered that the recipe was not even close. Not even in the same ballpark. Live & learn! And after drinking an Old Rasputin last night, I can appreciate what the judges said in their comments.

The beers were brewed specifically for competition. I actually enjoy the challenge of producing a beer according to standards for the particular style. As we all know, it is not easy.

My recipes were mostly composed by myself, with a little help using the calculator on Brewer's Friend.

Our Barleywine was everything that our Imperial Stout wasn't. Got real lucky with that one!

[tommymorris]

Again...drinking while posting is a dangerous activity.

I no longer trust the clone recipes posted on AHA / BYO.

If North Coast sets the standard for this style, my entry simply falls short.

Thanks for all of the input, suggestions, and help. And constructive, helpful criticism is always welcome! Making better beer is a never ending goal.

I have no confidence in clone recipes. Most seem like the recipe author just took a swag and called it a clone. To me most of those are more about getting in the same neighborhood or start here kind of recipes.

We entered 10 beers, a couple were double entries by others in our brewing group.
3 Vienna Lagers. One did really well, with 41 points. The other two got hammered pretty badly. But that's Ok, I agree with the judges.

6 of the 10 did well. With 2 of them getting a 1st Place Award.

The Imperial Stout was the only clone-brew we did, thinking it was a good example of the style. Well, we discovered that the recipe was not even close. Not even in the same ballpark. Live & learn! And after drinking an Old Rasputin last night, I can appreciate what the judges said in their comments.

The beers were brewed specifically for competition. I actually enjoy the challenge of producing a beer according to standards for the particular style. As we all know, it is not easy.

My recipes were mostly composed by myself, with a little help using the calculator on Brewer's Friend.

Our Barleywine was everything that our Imperial Stout wasn't. Got real lucky with that one!

You’re doing great. Keep up the good work. I love competition too. Not beer competition, racing. I can’t stop even with two broken bones in the last 6 months.

[denny]

A recipe is only a small part of the beer.  No one should ever think they can "clone" a beer.

[Bel Air Brewing]

A recipe is only a small part of the beer.  No one should ever think they can "clone" a beer.

Now you tell me!
It would be a big help to have the correct recipe. Without that, you are peeing in the wind.

[denny]

A recipe is only a small part of the beer.  No one should ever think they can "clone" a beer.

Now you tell me!
It would be a big help to have the correct recipe. Without that, you are peeing in the wind.

even if you have it, there's a lot more to it than the recipe

[ttash]

A recipe is only a small part of the beer.  No one should ever think they can "clone" a beer.

Now you tell me!
It would be a big help to have the correct recipe. Without that, you are peeing in the wind.

even if you have it, there's a lot more to it than the recipe

I couldn't agree with Denny more. A recipe, even an accurate one, is merely a starting point. A beer is not a list of ingredients, it's a process, from beginning to end that results in a beautiful glass of beer. It's the process that is the brewer's art.

[fredthecat]

 I don’t think that that particular beer “sets the standard” for the style.  If you look at the BJCP guideline’s commercial examples there are three imperial stouts listed in front of North Coast.  Try drinking some of those to compare and contrast.
I agree with ttash as well.  Many times both as a judge and as an entrant, I have had way different opinions observed and proffered.  Keep calm.

look, literally this. tbh ive never had old rasputin, but this beer was a big thing ~ 10+ years ago? frankly when i read a recipe of it, it sounds very dated. by this i mean im sure it may be a nice beer, but this is not bleeding edge imperial stout conceptualization.

you should really cool it on the winning awards thing and make a beer that you like, then see how it fits. i dont get the awwards thing, its just throwing away beer to judges who probably barely care

[HighVoltageMan!]

 I don’t think that that particular beer “sets the standard” for the style.  If you look at the BJCP guideline’s commercial examples there are three imperial stouts listed in front of North Coast.  Try drinking some of those to compare and contrast.
I agree with ttash as well.  Many times both as a judge and as an entrant, I have had way different opinions observed and proffered.  Keep calm.

look, literally this. tbh ive never had old rasputin, but this beer was a big thing ~ 10+ years ago? frankly when i read a recipe of it, it sounds very dated. by this i mean im sure it may be a nice beer, but this is not bleeding edge imperial stout conceptualization.

you should really cool it on the winning awards thing and make a beer that you like, then see how it fits. i dont get the awwards thing, its just throwing away beer to judges who probably barely care

I get the competition thing, it's really quite fun, especially when you win. Honestly, my best and most enjoyable beers are the ones that win medals. I don't see entering comps as throwing away beer anymore than offering a beer to a friend who may not enjoy the beer as much as I do. It's only beer, no big deal. I'll make more.

[Bel Air Brewing]

 I don’t think that that particular beer “sets the standard” for the style.  If you look at the BJCP guideline’s commercial examples there are three imperial stouts listed in front of North Coast.  Try drinking some of those to compare and contrast.
I agree with ttash as well.  Many times both as a judge and as an entrant, I have had way different opinions observed and proffered.  Keep calm.

look, literally this. tbh ive never had old rasputin, but this beer was a big thing ~ 10+ years ago? frankly when i read a recipe of it, it sounds very dated. by this i mean im sure it may be a nice beer, but this is not bleeding edge imperial stout conceptualization.

you should really cool it on the winning awards thing and make a beer that you like, then see how it fits. i dont get the awwards thing, its just throwing away beer to judges who probably barely care

I get the competition thing, it's really quite fun, especially when you win. Honestly, my best and most enjoyable beers are the ones that win medals. I don't see entering comps as throwing away beer anymore than offering a beer to a friend who may not enjoy the beer as much as I do. It's only beer, no big deal. I'll make more.

Agree, 100%. Like I said, the challenge is not only the destination, it is also the journey. Our quest is to make the best beer we can. No, not all of the beers are winners (one Vienna Lager), but that's Ok as it is a learning process.

And we now know the recipe posted online (AHA / BYO) for Old Rasputin is not even in the ballpark...maybe not even in the same county!

We attended the convention this year, at the DFW Sheraton. It was a hoot! Lot's of brewers there, all of them good people.

Sitting in the crowd during the awards ceremony, having them call your brewery for 1st Place, and going up to be presented with a winner's stein is highly rewarding. Not only for me, but for our entire group who was there with my wife and myself.

The feedback is valuable. We will take all of the comments (they were correct) and use them to further improve our beers.

Old Rasputin is a fine beer. Now that I tried a bottle, it is clear to me what the judges were saying. I will bet that the beer is as good today as it was 10 years ago. This has given us a new level in brewing to aim for!

If anyone has a good suggestion on how to modify the Old Rasputin recipe to make it closer to the real thing, please let me know. Yes, brewing is a process! And our process is old fashioned, very dated, very anal in approach, but it seems to work for us...most of the time. 

And the beers that scored well are very enjoyable to drink. The highest scoring beer, our "Perfect Pils II" with 42 points, did not place. 5D. It was a very good example. And it was the first one that was brewed with treated water.

[denny]

 I don’t think that that particular beer “sets the standard” for the style.  If you look at the BJCP guideline’s commercial examples there are three imperial stouts listed in front of North Coast.  Try drinking some of those to compare and contrast.
I agree with ttash as well.  Many times both as a judge and as an entrant, I have had way different opinions observed and proffered.  Keep calm.

look, literally this. tbh ive never had old rasputin, but this beer was a big thing ~ 10+ years ago? frankly when i read a recipe of it, it sounds very dated. by this i mean im sure it may be a nice beer, but this is not bleeding edge imperial stout conceptualization.

you should really cool it on the winning awards thing and make a beer that you like, then see how it fits. i dont get the awwards thing, its just throwing away beer to judges who probably barely care

I just had one last night. I assure you it is not "dated".