February homebrewing competition beer

I love Belgians! I like dubbels that are medium to light bodied and dry that have a fruity yeast strain. But that's just me.

 

I think a red ale would be nice and would probably stand out among a crowd of stouts/porters. Second choice for me would be a dubbel.

 

What about a white IPA?

 

I had an imperial red ale last week (Short's Double Magician), so a red ale is what I thought of right away when I saw this thread. The Short's version is a tad toward the sweet malty side and it hit the spot on a cold day. OP, consider that option with the sweet, higher abv - you get the heat and the sweet.

 

http://allaboutbeer.com/beer_style/white-ipa/

New Belgium accumulation is a winter white IPA that I enjoyed.

 

Eisbock of some kind would take "ice" literally...I've made honey liquor from mead with the technique but never an actual Eisbock.

 

I have not brewed an imperial red, but I don't think there would be any extra twist to it other than to use some crystal malt to the strength that would give you that extra little bit of sweetness. Here is a link to a 10-gallon recipe from the Recipes sub-forum above. However, I'm not good enough at the brewing science to look at this recipe and tell you how much sweetness you'd get from it. Maybe someone else can comment on that.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/leaf-peepers-imperial-red.215285/

 

Black IPA has definitely been on the decline, but I think that dank, piney, kinda fruity hop profile goes well with the slightest hint of roast, if you have a not-too-flavorful malt bill and unobtrusive yeast. Basically, use a WCDIPA malt bill on the low end (~8%) without simple sugars, using enough de-bittered dark malt to get your color., and go cold with yeast. Chinook to bitter, Simcoe mid-boil, then 2:2:1 Chinook:Simcoe:Columbus at 10/flameout/whirlpool/dryhop how you see fit for the beer.
I call mine Electrified Hate

 

American strong with some Maine ingredients. Used to be a guy who made birch syrup in Maine. Perhaps adding some of that to a rosary double,,,,,,, or call it a Maine strong double birch.

Second choice is Belgian double, always like those.

 

that is roasty double, lol

 

I have been seeing more versions of coffee IPAs popping up too. I think these may be the new trend away from black IPAs. You still get that roast and citrus combo but with a little more depth from the coffee. The sweetness and smoothness of coldpress works well. Might be tough if a first go at the style but I bet you would stand out.

 

All great ideas so far. I like dank hops on an Imperial Red IPA. Some Caramunich 80 or British Dark Crystal 75/85, about 5%, carapils at 5%, enough debittered black malt to get to 16 SRM. 8% ABV, shoot for 60-70 IBUs, Centennial, Chinook, CTZ, Simcoe. Ferment with 1968.

Black IPA @MrOH hit on the nose. Maybe some Amarillo in there too. Always loved Stone's Sublimely Self Righteous which was Simcoe and Amarillo.

 

Eisbock. Or at least a doppelbock.

 

Interesting, sounds like brewers in Maine think a lot like my beer club members . . . wait six weeks before a comp to start brewing (potentially complex) beers. This isn't a diss, but does anyone think you can do justice to a Strong Belgian or Imperial anything and have it ready by Feb? If you brewed an Eisbock today it would be reaching its peak around Feb of 2019.

I suggest you build a recipe around something that doesn't require aging . . . IPAs would certainly work, along with standard strength most-anything. Not really ice-related but wits and paters are best drunk fresh, they would certainly be ready in six weeks. FWIW, I'm brewing an IPA tomorrow for a comp in March, it'll have eight weeks before being judged. Then again I have no experience with snow or ice so maybe I'm off the mark . . .

 

If late Feb and you start this week, you could try a big lager. Doppelbock would probably be traditional for the time of year (allegedly a staple for German monks during Lent, or so I read somewhere on the internet). If you are not up to doing lagers, try it as a sticke altbier, take advantage of your Maine temps for cold conditioning. Or go with your instincts and don't brew based on those silly seasonal beer ideas; brew what you like and brew it well, and make those judges apologize profusely if they don't pick your 45 point beer because it is not seasonal enough for them. Thumb your nose at those fickle arbitrators while drinking great leftovers in the darkness of your beer cave.

 

There is a lot going on with those recipes. Why the DME? @jbakajust1 gave you some good pointers on how to go about a red ale. I’d do something more like that. You can scale it down to a lower abv if you want.