I brewed a German inspired Pils with a mix of Hallertau Mittlefruh and Mandarina Bavaria at the end of the boil and at dry hop. The beer has turned out really really good. It definitely tastes like a hoppy German Pils (Pivo) with a citrus kick. It is still pretty fresh so the hop character will fade by the time the comp rolls around. Would it be worth it to enter it into a comp as a German Pils or is there perhaps another category it might fit into other than ‘specialty’?
I basically enter one comp every year but don’t brew anything special for it. Just enter a couple of different beers from current batches.
I would say it depends on the citrus character. If it has a strong citrus flavor, I think it could get dinged. If the citrus flavor fades or is more in the background, then go for it.
Thanks. That is pretty much my thought. I will probably just go for it and see what happens since I already have a few bottles ready to go. I was hoping it would fit into something like international pale lager but it is too bitter and hoppy for that. Why can’t I just brew something that fits squarely into a style? It’s a problem of mine…
Most comps limit you to one entry per subcategory, but there’s no reason you can’t enter the same beer in multiple categories. Obviously depends on how many bottles you want to give away since you’re looking now at 6-9 bottles instead of three, but you could pick two categories, say German Pils and then a more new world style, like American Lager or a hybrid like California Common. If the hops shine through and it doesn’t have a lot of that lager character it might could even pass as an APA, but that may be pushing it. See which one it performs better as.
I’ve found that if the beer is out of style I don’t get as much useful feedback. I would try to submit something to style if feedback is important to you.
But you never know. You could get lucky and get very good feedback.
I think I will go for it in the German Pils category as it truly fits nowhere else. It has a substantial noble hop quality with the citrus component in the back. This is a fresh beer that was packaged a few days ago. I think a month in the fridge will get me closer to the category. I won’t have high expectations…
The second beer I am entering fits squarely into amber international lager and has done well there before so not worried about that one.
Well I have settled on entering it in the Fruit Beer category although it contains no fruit. It has very similar characteristics to beers that I have used mandarin in the past. I am always told to enter it as it tastes so I am just going to go with it and see what happens.
Unfortunately, they have limited the categories to ‘summer beers’ although their choice in categories is questionable. I am entering an International Amber Lager that has done well in the past as a Vienna Lager category because there is nowhere else it would fit. It is either that or Cali Common and either will be misentering it. Again, just going to go with it and see what happens.
I may take you up on that as it is my main reason for entering comps. Never shipped beer but I appreciate your offer and may make it happen once I get my inventory back up.