What Category?

Northern Brewer General
1

Entering my American Blonde ale in a homebrew contest with these categories in the ale division:

  • Brown ale
  • Pale ale
  • India pale ale
  • Amber ale
  • Scottish ale
  • Wheat
  • Specialty beer

Since I’m not of the opinion a blonde ale is a subcategory of any the specific ales listed, I’m thinking I need to choose the “specialty” entry form. Any dissenting views?

2

Tell them it’s a wheat. They’ll never know. Your odds will not be very good of winning the specialty category.

3

I’d know it wasn’t a wheat beer. Unfortunately for the OP, it doesn’t fir any of those categories. I’d save it and drink it myself.

4

What categories are available in the lager division?

5

Well, it’s not a lager so it won’t fit in any of those either.

It’s a partial mash recipe and the ingredients are:

  • 4.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row)
  • 0.75 lb Cara-Pils
  • 0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L
  • 0.50 lb Vienna Malt
  • 3.00 lb Light Dry Malt Extract
  • 0.5 oz Chinook (intermittent boil additions)
  • 1 oz Cascade (intermittent boil additions and dry-hop)
  • Danstar Nottingham ale yeast

The notty yeast went to work real quick and with great vigor. It hit my target FG of 1.012 (OG was 1.056) at the end of two weeks. Dry hopped for a week and it was in the bottle. Not thinking three weeks at approximately 65 degrees fermenting and 70 degrees bottle conditioning would fit the bill for a lager.

6

[quote=“RM0312”] - 0.5 oz Chinook (intermittent boil additions)

  • 1 oz Cascade (intermittent boil additions and dry-hop)
    [/quote]

Well there’s your answer right there. It’s a pale ale. Next! :wink:

You’d be surprised what judges will believe if you tell them something is in the beer… “oh yes, what a very nice wheat flavor to this one…” Heh heh. I’ve seen this several times.

7

[quote=“dmtaylo2”][quote=“RM0312”] - 0.5 oz Chinook (intermittent boil additions)

  • 1 oz Cascade (intermittent boil additions and dry-hop)
    [/quote][/quote]

Well there’s your answer right there. It’s a pale ale. Next! :wink:

Update: Given the limited options, I did enter it in the “Pale Ale” category…took a second place ribbon home from the fair in August. Had one of my last bottles last night and it’s still tasting great.