Your worst beer comp score
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bumstigedy
Member
A lot of my beers also score in the 26-30 range and taste great to me and my family/friends. According to the scoring guide on the BJCP scoresheet, a 27 would only be "Good" and is off style with minor flaws. I consider this a bad score since there is some significant work to be done to improve it.
Scoring Guide from BJCP Scoresheet:
Outstanding (45 - 50): World-class example of style.
Excellent (38 - 44): Exemplifies style well, requires minor fine-tuning.
Very Good (30 - 37): Generally within style parameters, some minor flaws.
Good (21 - 29): Misses the mark on style and/or minor flaws.
Fair (14 - 20): Off flavors/aromas or major style deficiencies. Unpleasant.
Problematic (00 - 13): Major off flavors and aromas dominate. Hard to drink
20 for an English barleywine. Really bummed me out cuz my other 3 beers I entered did really well. 1st comp. they said it had plastic aroma and flavor, banana esters, and not enough malt F and A. Can't understand that as the ferm was on the cool side for the yeast. Whatevs. It was also kinda young.
bumstigedy
Member
After thinking about this for a while, I think I should just be thankful that I am blind to these off flavors that the BJCP judges point out. My ESB got nailed for an herbal flavor and oxidation which was due to hot side aeration (according to the judge). I don't worry about hot side aeration, but do worry about oxidation on the cold side and am always mindful to purge the secondary or key with co2 before transfer. I don't taste any of this which is great for me!
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
Got a 30 yesterday. Worst score in 3 years of comps, but got really good feedback on how to improve it.
mysteryshrimp
Well-Known Member
I just got 3 scores of 20 back, my newest low.
One of them is an IPA that my homebrew club loves. Another got a best in show three weeks before. The third was a braggot and was a little green, but they were treating "may have" flavors as "must have", dinging me for (among other things) being not bitter enough when hops are specifically declared in the guidelines as being optional and there were definitely enough there to notice.
Out of curiosity, is it an actual rule that two "Recognized" BJCP judges can't be paired together as the sole members of the judging panel?
One of them is an IPA that my homebrew club loves. Another got a best in show three weeks before. The third was a braggot and was a little green, but they were treating "may have" flavors as "must have", dinging me for (among other things) being not bitter enough when hops are specifically declared in the guidelines as being optional and there were definitely enough there to notice.
Out of curiosity, is it an actual rule that two "Recognized" BJCP judges can't be paired together as the sole members of the judging panel?
Scored a 25 last year (first Comp) for an Amarillo hopped APA, took second (small comp though). Recently scored 32 for two Whiskey Barrel aged beers that I forgot to declare the base beer for not even close to placing, go figure.. Got some good comments on them though, makes me wonder what I would have gotten had I declared the Base style.
28 on a Scottish 60/-. I thought it was a pretty solid beer when I had entered it, but thinking back I hadn't opened a bottle for about 2 months before sending off my bottles. Lo and behold, it had started developing a little bit of a noticeable infection. When I tasted one after getting the score sheets back, I probably wouldn't have been so gracious as the judges had been on their feedback.
19 for a six month old coconut porter. Main comment was that it was basically in the wrong category, that it should have been in fruit beers rather than robust porter. I had felt that after 6 months the coconut was very faint so felt the porter category fit better...guess not! One of the judges also got a floater in his pour, probably a piece of coconut that made it through the bottling process.
I finally got my scores back from the first competition I ever entered. So I can say my lowest score is a 29 and my highest is a 36 
I entered 2 beers. One was an almost year and half old doppelbock. It was my eighth batch, extract and 1 and only lager I ever did. I thought it was pretty bad, but at our local bockfest, I had a doppelbock and it tasted pretty similar to ours! So that's the only reason I entered it. Guess I don't like doppelbocks that much The national judge gave it a 36, which I'm very happy with. He said he will drink a serving. He said it was flawless, close to style and almost wonderful. The non judge gave it a 31 and actually picked up that it was old (I didn't put how old it was). No off flavors, so for a lager, where my "lagering" temperature happened in my garage in the winter, I'm pretty happy with that.
The lower score was a 5 gal DIPA kit that I got on sale for $20 that I turned into 10 gals of a hoppy pale ale/session IPA It was an extract kit that I experimented with late extract addition and a hop stand. I wasn't expecting much from an extract beer I made for 20 cents a bottle, so I'm pleased with the 29 and 30 scores. One judge did pick up a phenolic note - he said, "not necessarily band aid, but just something different." Not sure what I can do with that.
I've started doing BIAB and having better fermentation temperature control, so I think my beers can only get better so I'm happy with the results.
I entered 2 beers. One was an almost year and half old doppelbock. It was my eighth batch, extract and 1 and only lager I ever did. I thought it was pretty bad, but at our local bockfest, I had a doppelbock and it tasted pretty similar to ours! So that's the only reason I entered it. Guess I don't like doppelbocks that much
The national judge gave it a 36, which I'm very happy with. He said he will drink a serving. He said it was flawless, close to style and almost wonderful. The non judge gave it a 31 and actually picked up that it was old (I didn't put how old it was). No off flavors, so for a lager, where my "lagering" temperature happened in my garage in the winter, I'm pretty happy with that.The lower score was a 5 gal DIPA kit that I got on sale for $20 that I turned into 10 gals of a hoppy pale ale/session IPA
It was an extract kit that I experimented with late extract addition and a hop stand. I wasn't expecting much from an extract beer I made for 20 cents a bottle, so I'm pleased with the 29 and 30 scores. One judge did pick up a phenolic note - he said, "not necessarily band aid, but just something different." Not sure what I can do with that. I've started doing BIAB and having better fermentation temperature control, so I think my beers can only get better so I'm happy with the results.
Brewsncrabs
Well-Known Member
First comp got a 19. Now I have fermentation temp control and went to RO water with salts. Can't wait to enter another! I can tell the difference so scores should go up.
You can ask for a second bottle, its rare to get one. Its up to the head judge and/or director.
I had it happen once. There was an otherwise excellent IPA that was 100% dead-ass flat. The second bottle was just as dead. The reasoning was that he had no chance of going to the second round with the first bottle, why not use the BOS bottle for a second chance?
The minimum score is the policy of the competition. No point being mean if theyre not going anywhere. As far as the BJCP is concerned there could be a 0'.
I had a zero once, it was astringent, vegetal, phenolic, fusel and metallic. Actually it wasnt scored because it was a geyser. There wasnt enough left in the bottle to taste. Thats how we wrote it up.
I had it happen once. There was an otherwise excellent IPA that was 100% dead-ass flat. The second bottle was just as dead. The reasoning was that he had no chance of going to the second round with the first bottle, why not use the BOS bottle for a second chance?
The minimum score is the policy of the competition. No point being mean if theyre not going anywhere. As far as the BJCP is concerned there could be a 0'.
I had a zero once, it was astringent, vegetal, phenolic, fusel and metallic. Actually it wasnt scored because it was a geyser. There wasnt enough left in the bottle to taste. Thats how we wrote it up.
I pulled down a 19/50 for a Belgian Pale Ale this weekend. I didn't have high hopes, but I had higher than 19 hopes! I knew I was going a little out of style with specialty grains and I made an error in the debittered black addition, so the color was too dark. Also, I had some challenges with fermentation control as my fermentation chamber was full. The basement had worked well in the winter and spring, but too hot in the summer.
The judges were kind in their comments, though. They basically said too dark, too much specialty grain, and better fermentation control. The score sheets were clean, so it didn't look like anyone had spit it out...
The judges were kind in their comments, though. They basically said too dark, too much specialty grain, and better fermentation control. The score sheets were clean, so it didn't look like anyone had spit it out...
Pair of 13's for my first (and only) entry of a pale ale. We figured it was infected corn sugar. I reserved out a gallon from a batch I was kegging and neglected to boil a corn sugar solution and just added it dry to the gallon o beer. Whoops.
First (and currently only) comp entry scored 15 average.
I brewed a really great IPA that tasted amazing in the keg, and semi-pro brewers I gave it to thought it was great. I bottled a six pack and sent 3 in. 2 months later I get the score sheets. All commented about massive diacetyl taste and that the beer had a problem. All 3 sheets were consistent.
I thought I must have submitted the wrong beer, so I opened one of the sixer I had left. It was disgusting and undrinkible, with a terrible diacetyl mouthfeel (oily, butterscotch). The keg still tasted great and as it always had.
It looks like the bottles were infected during the bottling process. Everything was sanitized, but my bottling wand was old (a hand me down), and I wonder if that caused it. I've thrown it away and bought a new one.
I feel really bad about submitting such an awful beer, and wasting the judges time, but it was a great beer out of the keg. I've bottled beers before and since and not had this problem, but that was with a different wand.
Going to rebrew for next year
I brewed a really great IPA that tasted amazing in the keg, and semi-pro brewers I gave it to thought it was great. I bottled a six pack and sent 3 in. 2 months later I get the score sheets. All commented about massive diacetyl taste and that the beer had a problem. All 3 sheets were consistent.
I thought I must have submitted the wrong beer, so I opened one of the sixer I had left. It was disgusting and undrinkible, with a terrible diacetyl mouthfeel (oily, butterscotch). The keg still tasted great and as it always had.
It looks like the bottles were infected during the bottling process. Everything was sanitized, but my bottling wand was old (a hand me down), and I wonder if that caused it. I've thrown it away and bought a new one.
I feel really bad about submitting such an awful beer, and wasting the judges time, but it was a great beer out of the keg. I've bottled beers before and since and not had this problem, but that was with a different wand.
Going to rebrew for next year
In a competition yesterday I got a 45 from one judge and a 25 from another.
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In a competition yesterday I got a 45 from one judge and a 25 from another.
Same beer judged at the same time? Then that's a big issue as the judges are expected to be within a few points of each other.
MC
Indytruks138
Well-Known Member
Yeah judges should adjust to be w/in 5 points, that competition needs more supervision!
MTate37
Well-Known Member
Just got scores back from my first comp and the first legal homebrew comp in Alabama a couple of weeks ago. Lowest score was 26 on an imperial IPA that I can't even bear to drink. I was blown away to see how positive some of the comments were. I was expecting much worse but just wanted to enter it to find out what some experienced people though.
I was also blown away to get a 37 on an IPA. I'm shipping out beer for my second comp. Can't wait to get the results.
I was also blown away to get a 37 on an IPA. I'm shipping out beer for my second comp. Can't wait to get the results.
Well in fairness I should've pointed out it was a club competition, not a sanctioned event, and we have very few bjcp judges. It's pretty informal. That said, both scores got tossed as we toss the high and low and total the remaining scores. Nonetheless. I tend to give the 45 more credibility for obvious reasons.
I've only entered one beer competition and never judged, but I have done many panels and seen the results from many panels for consumer products and I don't understand why the judges in beer competitions get to talk to each other. In the panels I've done, there is no talking allowed. You don't want anyone to influence anyone else's score. I don't see why beer judging would be any different.
Darwin18
Well-Known Member
When I've judged it's usually paired with another judge, and we both analyze the beer, score it, and then discuss. I would say that 80% of the time we're usually within 5 - 6 points of each other and are able to adjust. Sometimes people are very sensitive to particular off-flavors like diacetyl while others are not. I'm definitely in the not sensitive category. Talking about the beer after you've assessed it, helps to ensure that both judges are in agreeance and the entry is scored accordingly. You don't really want to get a score sheet back with scores like a 35 and 21.
RiverCityBrewer
Well-Known Member
In any BJCP comp I've ever judged, you don't talk to each other during scoring for those very reasons you mentioned. After we are each done we will confer with each other, usually just checking scoring, to make sure we are in the same range. If scoring widely differs, only then will we talk it out to see if someone else is picking up something that others might have missed.
This is what I've experienced as well. If you're off each other by more than 5 points, it needs discussion, if not, move on.
I guess I can see what you are saying, but it's human nature that we don't want to be different or stand out (in general). I can see one judge not detecting any off flavors and the other judge (the one with the more forceful personality) saying they detect it and then suddenly the other judge tastes it to, not wanting to be different. I've seen it in a focus groups before.
I know it wouldn't happen, but if I were setting up beer judging, I'd have more judges all judging blind and alone. That way you can see if it's just one judge picking up something that isn't really there.
I know it wouldn't happen, but if I were setting up beer judging, I'd have more judges all judging blind and alone. That way you can see if it's just one judge picking up something that isn't really there.
I agree. I'm not saying what I've experienced is correct. It should be blind between the two judges (or 3, 4, etc). I'd love to see the differences if they weren't allowed to discuss.
Indytruks138
Well-Known Member
Discussing and debating is how novice judges learn.
You can still do it, just don't change the score. Or make it so there score doesn't count.
