Black Box Challenge

Past, present, and upcoming competitions, as well as award winners!
User avatar
Buccaneer
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:50 pm
Name: Mike Digdon
Location: Hammonds Plains

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Buccaneer » Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:13 pm

I really liked the spice. I only used a tiny, tiny bit, though. It comes through very subtley.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk


User avatar
mdentremont
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 238
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:52 am
Name: Matt d'Entremont

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by mdentremont » Fri Apr 12, 2019 10:31 am

So do we have to include the record/rationale when submitting? It's not in any of the forms.

User avatar
PMackie
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 366
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:04 pm
Name: Paul MacKinnon
Location: Sackvegas

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by PMackie » Fri Apr 12, 2019 11:51 am

Doesn’t look like it, I am dropping off now and all you do is sign the sheet, give your beer name and drop off the beer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Kegged: Maritime Fog (NEIPA), All Ryell'ed Up (Rye APA)
Fermenting: Seltzer Water
On deck: Something over the Holidays
In the hole: ...

GCR
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 442
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 10:24 pm
Name: Greg Rogers

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by GCR » Fri Apr 12, 2019 2:23 pm

PMackie wrote:Doesn’t look like it, I am dropping off now and all you do is sign the sheet, give your beer name and drop off the beer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I think you are supposed to give the album name and rationale when you drop it off... we did anyway. I thought it said in the form that it would be part of the preliminary judging...

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk


User avatar
PMackie
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 366
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:04 pm
Name: Paul MacKinnon
Location: Sackvegas

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by PMackie » Fri Apr 12, 2019 2:30 pm

The Sheet asked for beer name, not album name. The Guys in hopyard didn't seem to know so if I get disqualified it is what it is.
Kegged: Maritime Fog (NEIPA), All Ryell'ed Up (Rye APA)
Fermenting: Seltzer Water
On deck: Something over the Holidays
In the hole: ...

User avatar
mdentremont
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 238
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:52 am
Name: Matt d'Entremont

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by mdentremont » Fri Apr 12, 2019 2:42 pm

From what we could infer, the beers will be judged based on BJCP before the final 6, and then the record choice and presentation are part of the gala.

User avatar
PMackie
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 366
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:04 pm
Name: Paul MacKinnon
Location: Sackvegas

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by PMackie » Sun Apr 14, 2019 4:12 pm

mdentremont wrote:
Fri Apr 12, 2019 2:42 pm
From what we could infer, the beers will be judged based on BJCP before the final 6, and then the record choice and presentation are part of the gala.
This is what I understood as well.

How did everyone's beers turn out anyway. I did an English Porter which turned out really well. The Togarashi in it is really throwing me off though. I put a table spoon and a half in the boil at 5 minutes, didn't feel there was enough flavor. So I did secondary for a week with another table spoon as dry hop. It really took the flavour on this time, I am just hoping not too much. Has some heat which is nice in a porter.
Kegged: Maritime Fog (NEIPA), All Ryell'ed Up (Rye APA)
Fermenting: Seltzer Water
On deck: Something over the Holidays
In the hole: ...

User avatar
mdentremont
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 238
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:52 am
Name: Matt d'Entremont

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by mdentremont » Sun Apr 14, 2019 4:21 pm

I also did an English Porter, shied away from the spice though. I'm really happy with the results, hopefully it isn't too boring compared to all the cool beers others have likely concocted

User avatar
Celiacbrew
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 849
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2014 7:08 pm
Name: Mike E.
Location: Dartmouth

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Celiacbrew » Sun Apr 14, 2019 4:55 pm

Nothing boring about a porter! Just try to find a brown porter at the liquor store.

I went historical and made burton ale. I’m happy enough with it but it varies from bottle to bottle depending on how deep into the keg the pour was. The beer I’m driving at the moment is delicious. First few pints off the keg had some metallic/astringent aromas that have gone away.

I think I will rebrew with a different yeast...maybe Voss kveik or wlp006. S04 is one of my go to yeasts but Ive been tasting the so4 twang too much in my malty beers lately.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Mike E.

User avatar
amartin
Award Winner 8
Award Winner 8
Posts: 1759
Joined: Fri May 20, 2011 12:49 pm
Location: Hammonds Plains

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by amartin » Sun Apr 14, 2019 11:02 pm

I’ve never tried one of those burton beers, I guess because you don’t see them at the store and I forgot about them until now. I’ve never been too big on high FG beers, but that one sounds kind of interesting, and I’m a sucker for historical beers. How did it turn out?

I don’t worry about a beer being boring by any means, so long as it’s good. I don’t think mine was particularly adventurous. I did have to enter it as experimental though, because I couldn’t find a category for it. There’s always a place for porter. I keep four taps on the go, and there’s almost always a porter on one. If a hug was a beer, it would be a porter.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

User avatar
Celiacbrew
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 849
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2014 7:08 pm
Name: Mike E.
Location: Dartmouth

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Celiacbrew » Mon Apr 15, 2019 12:49 am

Im also a sucker for historical beer. It is bitter and tastes like brown which for me is about perfect.

Shut up about Barclay Perkins has had a few on their let’s brew Wednesday series which is what got me interested in the style.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Mike E.

User avatar
Buccaneer
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:50 pm
Name: Mike Digdon
Location: Hammonds Plains

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Buccaneer » Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:31 am

Ha, I also did a porter, but it's halfway between English and American. I used the togarashi in a dry hop fashion.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk


GCR
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 442
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 10:24 pm
Name: Greg Rogers

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by GCR » Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:33 am

We did a dopplebock and a barleywine - didnt use the spice in either. Ended up choosing the barleywine to submit.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk


GCR
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 442
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 10:24 pm
Name: Greg Rogers

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by GCR » Mon Apr 15, 2019 12:31 pm

Good luck to all the finalists! We didnt make the cut. Some great beer names there... and clearly at least a few were brave enough to use the spice!

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk


D.Pepper
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 1:59 pm
Name: David Pepper
Location: West Chezzetcook, NS

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by D.Pepper » Mon Apr 15, 2019 12:33 pm

Made the finals with Crazy Game of Porter- that was definitely a bet on the spice!

User avatar
Naboo
Award Winner 1
Award Winner 1
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2017 5:26 pm
Name: David
Location: Truro, NS

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Naboo » Mon Apr 15, 2019 12:38 pm

My beer didn't make it through to the last 6. I'm not surprised to be honest. I added the spice to a Brown Ale that had a lovely roasty flavour from the Carafa 3 as a dry hop for the last few days. The end result was the spice destroyed the roast character without adding anything much to the flavour. I entered it anyway to see what the score would be but I'm not happy with it myself.

Best of luck to those who made the finals!

ackes
Award Winner 1
Award Winner 1
Posts: 279
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 7:31 pm
Name: Mike
Location: St. Margaret's Bay

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by ackes » Mon Apr 15, 2019 12:42 pm

Good luck to everyone who made finals. I ended up making an Old Ale (no spice), that I was pretty happy with - alas, no luck this year.
Hopefully will be able to go to finals to see what everyone came up with !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Kegged: House honey wheat, Honey Brown ale.
Fermenting: West Coast IPA
On deck: Mad Elf Clone to age until Winter
In the hole:: NEIPA / Honey Wheat./ Sour season !
Kegged and aging:: RIS

User avatar
mdentremont
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 238
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2017 11:52 am
Name: Matt d'Entremont

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by mdentremont » Mon Apr 15, 2019 1:08 pm

No luck here either. By any chance, does anyone know if BJCP forms are made available to those who do not place?

User avatar
PMackie
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 366
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:04 pm
Name: Paul MacKinnon
Location: Sackvegas

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by PMackie » Mon Apr 15, 2019 1:20 pm

I made the finals with Togarashi Heat Porter. As Mr. Pepper said, it was a gamble with the spice. I almost didn't enter because the first few days on keg the spice was little overwhelming but it mellowed a bit and my two friends convinced me to put it in anyway. Now I I have to get out of my comfort zone and do a presentation.
Kegged: Maritime Fog (NEIPA), All Ryell'ed Up (Rye APA)
Fermenting: Seltzer Water
On deck: Something over the Holidays
In the hole: ...

User avatar
LiverDance
Award Winner 6
Award Winner 6
Posts: 4010
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2010 4:50 pm
Name: Brian
Location: Sprybeeria

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by LiverDance » Mon Apr 15, 2019 3:00 pm

mdentremont wrote:
Mon Apr 15, 2019 1:08 pm
No luck here either. By any chance, does anyone know if BJCP forms are made available to those who do not place?
Yes, I believe they will be.
"Twenty years ago — a time, by the way, that hops such as Simcoe and Citra were already being developed, but weren’t about to find immediate popularity — there wasn’t a brewer on earth who would have gone to the annual Hop Growers of American convention and said, “I’m going to have a beer that we make 4,000 barrels of, one time a year. It flies off the shelf at damn near $20 a six-pack, and you know what it smells like? It smells like your cat ate your weed and then pissed in the Christmas tree.” - Bell’s Brewery Director of Operations John Mallet on the scent of their popular Hopslam.

User avatar
velvetelvis
Registered User
Registered User
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2017 6:36 pm
Name: Devin

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by velvetelvis » Mon Apr 15, 2019 5:49 pm

Excited for this! We made it through as Japanese Breakfast.

User avatar
Buccaneer
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:50 pm
Name: Mike Digdon
Location: Hammonds Plains

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Buccaneer » Mon Apr 15, 2019 6:39 pm

I'm through with Ulla.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk


User avatar
mumblecrunch
Award Winner 2
Award Winner 2
Posts: 1197
Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2013 7:01 pm
Name: Aaron
Location: Halifax

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by mumblecrunch » Mon Apr 15, 2019 7:15 pm

Congrats to all who are through to the finals!

My California Common bottled with Togarashi called "I Want You Umami" didn't make it. I built the beer to coincide with an album (Cheap Trick at Budokan)and I probably hit it a little hard with the spice to get the sesame to come through and justify the name.

I'm very curious what albums people were pairing with their beers!

Also, did anyone else use either the Columbus hops or the Sorachi Ace and wonder whether they might have been mislabeled? I am almost positive my labels were backwards (although I was using equal amounts of each at the same times so it didn't matter to my recipe).

User avatar
Naboo
Award Winner 1
Award Winner 1
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2017 5:26 pm
Name: David
Location: Truro, NS

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Naboo » Tue Apr 16, 2019 11:44 am

mumblecrunch wrote:
Mon Apr 15, 2019 7:15 pm

Also, did anyone else use either the Columbus hops or the Sorachi Ace and wonder whether they might have been mislabeled? I am almost positive my labels were backwards (although I was using equal amounts of each at the same times so it didn't matter to my recipe).
I used the Sorachi Ace but its the first time I've used that hop so I wouldn't know whether it was right or not. I will have to open both bags and have a sniff to see if I can identify which is which

D.Pepper
Verified User
Verified User
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 1:59 pm
Name: David Pepper
Location: West Chezzetcook, NS

Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by D.Pepper » Tue Apr 16, 2019 12:06 pm

I found when I stuffed my nose in the Sorachi Ace bag, I could smell dill and lemongrass.

I thought that might make an interesting lager with the single hop- I think Sapporo uses it in their beer. I added a little dry hop for character as well. The lager I made tastes and smells straight up like the hop did. If you're looking for something a little off the beaten path, would recommend.

Post Reply

Return to “Competitions & Awards”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests