I know this has been asked before, but I keep finding different answers. What BJCP category should a fruited kettle sour with lactose be entered for competition? Thanks.
I have made many beers of this type, but have never entered one. But I would think... 28B Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer "The entrant must specify a description of the beer, identifying yeast or bacteria used and either a Base Style, or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer." And use the ingredients, specs, and target character to decribe the fruit and lactose contributions? Or here's a Rube Goldberg way to get there: 28B Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer --- with the base beer declared as 29C Specialty Fruit Beer (because lactose) ------ with the base beer declared as 29A Fruit Beer ---------- with the base beer declared as whatever style your grain bill/hops might suggest I don't know how many levels of indenture are required to cause a BJCP judge's head to explode. Perhaps @dmtaylor does.
Shit Beer. Your beer should be entered as Shit Beer. I’m slightly kidding. Really, it’s likely a 34C Experimental Beer. Lactose is actually allowed in very few styles – a quick word search in the whole guidelines only comes up with lactose being allowed in two styles: 16A Sweet Stout and 27 London Brown Ale. So, if the lactose makes it tastes sweet or like a smoothie at all, then it’s probably 34C, and you’re done, call it a day. No heads need to explode. But, if the lactose is not overpowering but very slight, and only takes the edge off but doesn’t give a firm detectable sweetness, then you might have yourself a standard 29A Fruit Beer. Fruit is sour, and dry, especially when fermented. But I guess it depends how sour. If it’s a little sour, and not very sweet, it’s 29A. Finally, if it’s super sour, and not very sweet, then it’s 28C Wild Specialty Beer. You’ll see in reading each of these style guidelines that smoothie-type sweetness from a big lactose addition is never mentioned as being appropriate for the style. My name is not Gordon, but I do believe there may be a reason for that fact. Or, maybe not. Interestingly, you might also notice there is no category for hard seltzer either. Coincidence? I dunno. I’ve criticized Gordon & Co. many times over the years. But now here… silence is golden.
Lactose is allowed in (2021) 29C Specialty Fruit Beer, which is why I inserted it in the Rube Goldberg construct. It hadn't been allowed in the style in 2015. This may be an indication that even Gordon is amenable to progressive change and the inclusion of delicious best practices. Heh.
Crap. I was still looking at 2015. My bad. I'm an idiot. It's likely a 29C Specialty Fruit Beer, based on the 2021 changes.
