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99blackgt · 05-27-2009, 03:42 AM

I have an IPA that i'm REALLY happy with, and it's still green as hell. I want to send some off to one of those judging or competition's that they do, but i don't know anything about them. How much do you have to send to them (it was a small batch, so i only have about 12 22oz's after drinking a few and giving a few to the guys that "helped" me make it. I just want to see what others think of it. I'm from Indiana if that helps. Any recommendations aside from "send one this way" would be nice. And I'm not against sending you guys beer, just not one like this that i have such a small amount of.

z987k · 05-27-2009, 04:14 AM

We have a competition coming up June 6th. It's not to far from you so shipping wouldn't be to bad.
Alternatively if you want to steward and see how it all works, you could drive down that morning or the night before and help out. If you do that, you can hand deliver your entries. And we're always looking for people to help.
There should be a really good selection of BJCP judges there, so you should get some good feedback.

Make sure you enter it in the right category. BJCP style guidelines are in my sig.
Brewoff website: BUZZ » Brew-Off

carnevoodoo · 05-27-2009, 04:58 AM

Most comps won't allow 22 ounce bottles, so that might be a hurdle there. Other than that, the most comprehensive competition list is here:

Competition Schedule

SourHopHead · 05-27-2009, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by z987k

We have a competition coming up June 6th. It's not to far from you so shipping wouldn't be to bad.
Alternatively if you want to steward and see how it all works, you could drive down that morning or the night before and help out. If you do that, you can hand deliver your entries. And we're always looking for people to help.
There should be a really good selection of BJCP judges there, so you should get some good feedback.

Make sure you enter it in the right category. BJCP style guidelines are in my sig.
Brewoff website: BUZZ » Brew-Off

+1

I sat in on our last brewing comp judging over the past weekend and it was a fun experience. Got paired up with a certified judge I had spoken with a few times before. If it is not too far of a trip I would say go for it!

I have not been too much for competitions in the past, but is a nice way to get feedback and learn new things. I took a bronze medal for my Old Ale, but I think we just had 3 entered LOL.

**Iechyd Da** · 05-27-2009, 12:13 PM

I say go for it, it can lead to some great feedback. I like to do local comps because the shipping is quicker and cheaper so I follow the Midwest Homebrewer of the Year circuit. MIDWEST HOME BREWER OF THE YEAR

I agree with carnevoodoo that the 22oz bottles will most likely be your biggest challenge. Also, almost every competition has a website that will list the specific rules and shipping requirements for that comp.

99blackgt · 05-27-2009, 03:35 PM

damn, all i have is 22oz's... i don't know if i'm ballzy enough to open and rebottle and then ship it right off. Which sucks

***Yooper*** · 05-27-2009, 03:52 PM

We have the HBT competition coming up in October. The rules are already posted, and like almost all of the other competitions, 12 ounce non-flip top plain brown or green bottles are required. That means no engraving on the glass, too. Just plain, unlabeled bottles and plain caps. Although, many contests just let you black out any writing on the cap with a marker.

I always try to remember to bottle at least four to six "regular" beer bottles when I make a beer, that way I can enter a competition if I want to.

**bull8042** · 05-27-2009, 04:54 PM

Look up TexLaw here. He is a national-level BJCP judge and would be happy to critique your beer for just the cost of shipping the bottle to him.
I has done a couple of mine, and the feedback is amazing. Here is an example:

Quote:

I was not sure if it was an American or English Pale Ale (even though you told me its history), and I did not think to ask until I opened it. Since it seemed more like an EPA, I scored it that way. If it was an APA, it would need more American hop character.

No matter what, though, I enjoyed the beer very much! It certainly doesn't suck! It just does not fit perfectly into any category, so don't let the score mean much (not that it was low). I could drink it just about any night and be very happy. Here's the review:

“Hair of the Dog”

Aroma – Mild sweetness with moderately-low fruitiness (strawberry/honeydew); mild spiciness seems to come from hops, rather than phenols; moderate light malt aroma; mild, smooth alcohol. – 8/12

Appearance – Golden; hazy; poured dense, finely-grained, slightly off-white head that lasted and made very nice lace. – 2/3

Flavor – Sweet and malty at first, but just for a moment before moderate, balanced hop bitterness comes in; finishes dry and smoothly, pleasantly bitter; moderate hop flavor is quite pleasant and does not dominate flavor; no significant bready, nutty, biscuit, or other malt notes; mild, strawberry fruitiness; very low, if any caramel; no phenolic or diacetyl notes; very balanced, but lacks complexity of the style. – 13/20

Mouthfeel – Medium-full body with medium carbonation is very smooth in the mouth; while body is on the high limit, it is not heavy, but it does not quite work with the fairly simple flavor profile; pleasant carbonation bite helps keep in balance but should not be any stronger; very mild warmth in throat; dry finish, but not astringent; no diacetyl slickness. – 4/5

Overall Impression – This is a very pleasant and drinkable beer – very well balanced. It does push the limits on color (on the low side), body (on the high side) and carbonation (on the high side), none of that is overwhelming. What this beer does lack, however, is complexity. The hops do give some of that and are quite nice, but the esters are a bit low, and the malt character is too simple. As a result, it has the simplicity of an Ordinary or Best Bitter. Improving the ester and malt profiles will make this good beer a great beer. A large flaw in many homebrewed examples is that the brewer tends to overdo the notes that should be nuances, so do not go too far! Thanks! – 8/10

Total – 35/50