Sam Adam's Brew Contest

Did anyone enter the Sam Adam's brewing contest? If your beer is the winner, Sam Adams will brew and sell your beer nationally in 2007. Unfortunately, entries are due Aug. 18th. I didn't read if there was a money prize or just the satisfaction of having your beer brewed by Sam Adams.

$5,000, I believe, as a one-time royalty.

I was going to but their advertising campaign started way late so I didn't have time to brew anything for it.

RichBrewer said:

I was going to but their advertising campaign started way late so I didn't have time to brew anything for it.

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Likewise, my wife told me about it a few days ago. I don't think I would have anything bottled before the end of August...

I'm considering entering

You can print out the entry forms from their website. I just scanned through it but it looks like you have to send 4 bottles per entry.

Send four bottles and I think keep around 6 spares in case you make it to the finals and they need to judge/drink your beer again.

I decided at the last minute to send in a Kolsch that I brewed this summer and I was curious when they would be judging. I actually got a response, which I didn't expect and I found out they are doing it in true BJCP style and everyone is getting thier scoresheets back!! That is really cool, it seems like that would be a huge undertaking since it seems like so many people are entering. Props to SA. I don't really expect much, but I'm glad that I will be getting feedback from my first competition, I was worried that I wouldn't.

I almost did but $5,000.00 as a one time royalty seemed lame when you consider what the R+D on something they would formulate themselves would actually cost. They could do better like .5 cents on every bottle of the winning brew profit to the winner.

actually if you win, sam adams will sell their version of your beer.

The whole "it's only $5,000, so why bother entering?" argument is ridiculous.

A. It's still $5,000 (a lot more that you'd get in any other homebrew competition), and enough $$ to build yourself a damn cool setup.

B. How frickin' cool would it be to be able to buy a sixer of YOUR beer? How frickin' cool would it be to buy a beer for a hottie in a bar, and be able to tell her "you know, that's my recipe..."

Also it isn't as if they are buying exclusive rights to your beer. They may pay an R&D team and probrewer more than the $5000 (are you a probrewer? beer R&D person?); instead they're getting a bunch of tasters tasting and scoring your homebrew.

I wish I could enter but sending beer from here isn't an option.

if you win, you have to sign over the recipe and intellectual property rights to them...

i stopped reading after that....

t1master said:

if you win, you have to sign over the recipe and intellectual property rights to them...

i stopped reading after that....

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Why? Did you have plans to profit from your beer otherwise?

Unless you're planning on somehow making money elsewhere on your beer, don't know why it would bother you one bit. Silly, really.

Think, too - if the beer's a hit, you'll know the best clone recipe out there!

the_bird said:

Think, too - if the beer's a hit, you'll know the best clone recipe out there!

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It's especially funny that people have a problem with this when most of the master brewers here post their recipes for us to use FOR FREE. Chance comes along for $5000 and then people want to have intellectual property rights.

I entered my Spiced Strong English Ale. I know its a long shot, but thus the name of the competition. I figure, hell, I part with four bottles, and the worst thing that could happen is, someone drinks the beer and it doesn't win. But maybe... just maybe.... If I do win... I get a little bit of cash, but more importantly, I get MY BEER produced on a national level. THAT'S COOL. It's worth it to me.

I just wish there was a way to get the tasting notes from the judges. Meh...

it's my vanity...

plus, if they are going to actually brew and distribute my winning beer, i'd like at least a job offer...

the_bird said:

Think, too - if the beer's a hit, you'll know the best clone recipe out there!

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If you read the whole thing, there is a part in there where they reserve the right to change your recipe if they see fit. Im not sure if they will tell you what they did to it or not. But you will have a good idea on where to start to clone it.

I was going to send my pumpkin ale in, but I wasn't 100% pleased with how it turned out. Oh well, maybe they will do this again next year.

I just think 5 grand is a bit on the cheap side, cut a guy a good deal. They will make 5 grand on the beer the first day it's released off of homebrewers alone who will sit aroud and say " my beer was better than this crap". And yes I will be one of those homebrewers.

If anyone has entered and gets their scoresheet back, hopefully you can post it the results and recipe on here. It would be interesting to read.

I seriously thought about entering my all-columbus APA. But I only had about 8 of them left at the time, and I think you had to send 4 now plus hold 2 for if you made the next rounnd, or something like that. I wasn't willing to part with my last few bottles (that was my favorite batch ever).