Am contemplating entering a coupla beers in the Home Counties Craft Brewing festival on the 15th Nov in Sutton (I’ve not had the pleasure of going there since I was made redundant by Securicor about 5 years ago…). The Summer Lightning clone will be one I enter as a strong bitter (8C in the BJCP?). The other probably the fuggles/bramling x/amber malt thing I brewed as an Ordinary bitter (8A).
However, the ordinary one doesn’t quite meet the “low to moderate” carbonation requirement as for some reason, unless it is kept at about 4 degrees, the whole pint wants to try to make it’s way out onto the floor when I crack the top off. I have no idea why this is so over carbonated – only 1/2tsp sugar in each…? I spent a good hour last night slowly releasing the pressure in each bottle and finally recapping each one. What a ballache. Eventually, I think I got it to a manageable level – still a fair bit of carbonation, but hopefully it won’t decide that someone’s lap is a better place than in the bottle or glass when the top comes off.
Still, I’m not holding out too much hope for either – just a bit of fun and a chance to get feedback on the beer from someone “in the know”, and maybe meet some other homebrewers.
Oh – I have a brewing post to do at some point too – second outing for the Hopback yeast, and just coming to the end of its term in the fermenter.
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EDIT – checked out the gravity of the degassed brew tonight – and it’s a good 3 points lower than at bottling (1007 vs 1010). Dammit. Looks like we have a culprit for the over carbonation – I hope the bottles I submit aren’t at least too bad now….either way, low expectations all the way here
looking forward to FRIDAY!!!!
I reckon you’ll do alright, if you’re expecting the worse then you can only be pleasantly surprised if you do any better.
Not actually fussed really – using it as a chance to get feedback on the beers from the judges and the other brewers (what I’m doing wrong or right!). Lets just hope the bramling X/fuggles/amber thing (entered as “Rambling Bitter”) doesn’t decide to spray itself all over the judges when it’s opened…
Either way – £7 per beer (with entry for one person per beer) -> so free drinks for both of us for the afternoon after the judging – can’t be bad.