Homebrew Competitions

How many of us enter our sacred brew's into competitions, either American Homebrew Association sanctioned or not? I joined my local homebrew club last month, and they are really big into getting beers into competitions and bettering our brews. They seem to do well. Dean Domec, our former President, won National Homebrewer of the Year a few years back. They recently won some golds and silvers in San Diego and more golds in the Bluebonnet Brew-Off held around Dallas.
If you have entered, let's here how well you did. Brag, run your chops, BE LOUD AND PROUD (which shouldn't be hard for a homebrewer, right?).
I plan on entering some brews once I get a few more all-grain batches under my belt. Bad thing is, I don't bottle anymore and would have to put a sixer or two in bottles (no biggie). It would be nice to get feed back from a Certified Beer Judge and see what they think. Could be humbling! But, from what I hear, only beers that place get feedback forms from the judges????


Cheers!
DeRoux's Broux

Never done it. It's just never been why I brew. I get plenty of feedback from folks at least as critical as judges

As far as your need to bottle just a few bottles, those little sugar tablets could come in handy I was thinking the other day. I often want to give a friend some beer to take home, but I definitely don't want to bottle much. With those tablets, you could fill 1, 2, 10 bottles or whatever, right from the keg and just pop a tablet into it. Seems pretty cool.

LOL...I just posted something very similar on another thread....

"I think another thing that would be cool is if we have any experienced beer judges on the forum if they would step-up and judge beer for us....I think that would be awesome to get a real certified beer judge's opinion on a beer I'm proud of....down the road of course.....

Individual asking judge for a review/judgement sends this form filled out along with brew:
Entry/Recipe form
Judge sends back this form, completed with score:
Score sheet"

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=329

great minds...think alike....

Janx said:

Never done it. It's just never been why I brew. I get plenty of feedback from folks at least as critical as judges

As far as your need to bottle just a few bottles, those little sugar tablets could come in handy I was thinking the other day. I often want to give a friend some beer to take home, but I definitely don't want to bottle much. With those tablets, you could fill 1, 2, 10 bottles or whatever, right from the keg and just pop a tablet into it. Seems pretty cool.

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Janx...as a nOOb I think it might help some of us immensely. For example a judge sends back a scoresheet and says "light to moderate diacetyl", I think that would help newer brewers narrow down where they are messing up....personally I don't know many of the off-flavors so someone pinpointing it for me could help. You know?
I'm with you though--at this point I'm really not into brewing competition beer. I get much more satisfaction from a good buddy saying its a good beer, and/or when I have a gulp of my own brew and get perma-grin.....

orrelse said:

Janx...as a nOOb I think it might help some of us immensely. For example a judge sends back a scoresheet and says "light to moderate diacetyl", I think that would help newer brewers narrow down where they are messing up....personally I don't know many of the off-flavors so someone pinpointing it for me could help. You know?
I'm with you though--at this point I'm really not into brewing competition beer. I get much more satisfaction from a good buddy saying its a good beer, and/or when I have a gulp of my own brew and get perma-grin.....

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well, i don't think it's so much for the competition, but for homebrewer's to brew better beer. isn't that why we go from extract to all-grain brewing, to brew better beer? i wasn't to crazy about entering comp's either, but it would be nice to get "official" feedback, and hell, maybe have a goldmedal hanging in my garage! i do agree, a bud'sslap on the back and a request for a 3rd or 4th ber from the tap will give you a "perma-grin" (sorry orrelse, had to barrow that!).

Janx, is that those little tablets that Cooper's makes to carbonate by the bottle, rather than using a simple syrup?

DeRoux's Broux

DeRoux's Broux said:

Janx, is that those little tablets that Cooper's makes to carbonate by the bottle, rather than using a simple syrup?

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Yeah that's what I was thinking since they are so convenient, and you could still keg the bulk of a batch and just make a few bottles. I've never used them, though.

And as far as competitions, by all means they could be really fun and very educational. Sorry if I sounded down on competitions. I'm definitely not. It's just not something I've ever done. Maybe I will someday.

As far as flaws, wouldn't it be great to compile a list of beers that most exhibit all the flaws so we could all better educate ourselves? Like I know Rolling Rock is the DMS example...canned corn. I wonder what the best example of diacetyl is? I can pick that one up pretty well, but I'd love to see a list of commercial beers that best exhibit certain flaws.

Janx said:

Yeah that's what I was thinking since they are so convenient, and you could still keg the bulk of a batch and just make a few bottles. I've never used them, though.

And as far as competitions, by all means they could be really fun and very educational. Sorry if I sounded down on competitions. I'm definitely not. It's just not something I've ever done. Maybe I will someday.

As far as flaws, wouldn't it be great to compile a list of beers that most exhibit all the flaws so we could all better educate ourselves? Like I know Rolling Rock is the DMS example...canned corn. I wonder what the best example of diacetyl is? I can pick that one up pretty well, but I'd love to see a list of commercial beers that best exhibit certain flaws.

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no way, Janx, not at all. i had the same outlook on competition's until i went to the club meeting. i figured, as long as my friends and brother didn't spew after they took a swig, i was happy

i know a few skunky beers to add to the list....Old Speckled Hen and Corona!

i'd rather use those tablets (if they work) than use one of those counter pressure bottle filler contraptions. i prefer simplicty, with quality results. i'm going to try pretty soon though. maybe my last one though......

DeRoux's Broux

Yeah Corona is a perfect example of skunky/oxidized...it's a real part of their flavor profile

If any of you begining brewers like me get a chance to go to a Homebrew competition you should go. I got to go to the Bluebonnet Brewoff last weekend. I got to meet alot of nice and interesting people, get a feel for the local clubs and best of all drink alot of homebrew They had almost 1200 entries with three flights so all the beers that did not make the last tasting were left for all of the people at the ceremony to try. Every kind of beer, mead, and cider you could think off was there to be sampled some strange and some very good. I had a blast, might have to enter next year.

jeffbones said:

If any of you begining brewers like me get a chance to go to a Homebrew competition you should go. I got to go to the Bluebonnet Brewoff last weekend. I got to meet alot of nice and interesting people, get a feel for the local clubs and best of all drink alot of homebrew They had almost 1200 entries with three flights so all the beers that did not make the last tasting were left for all of the people at the ceremony to try. Every kind of beer, mead, and cider you could think off was there to be sampled some strange and some very good. I had a blast, might have to enter next year.

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I am REALLY, REALLY considering going to the big kahuna of conferences this summer, the National Homebrewers Conference in Maryland, June 16-18th. I won't enter a beer but I'd love to go for 3 days and try other peoples beer and just see this thing. That would only be about a 3 hour drive and who knows when it will be back here again.
Wife is deploying to Afghanistan all summer so its the perfect excuse to go.

orrelse said:

I am REALLY, REALLY considering going to the big kahuna of conferences this summer, the National Homebrewers Conference in Maryland, June 16-18th. I won't enter a beer but I'd love to go for 3 days and try other peoples beer and just see this thing. That would only be about a 3 hour drive and who knows when it will be back here again.
Wife is deploying to Afghanistan all summer so its the perfect excuse to go.

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Screw that.....let's brew one and enter it. What do we have to lose? We'd have to brew it very soon......like this weekend, since I'm going to be gone until May. It's a good excuse for a road trip, if nothing else!!

Sam

Beers for the NHC have to be entered between April 4-15, so there isn't even time to get one brewed and and finished by then. Plus, honestly, it doesn't even interest me in the least. I know my beers aren't even close to the level of these.
I'm just interested in going, that's all.

orrelse said:

Beers for the NHC have to be entered between April 4-15, so there isn't even time to get one brewed and and finished by then. Plus, honestly, it doesn't even interest me in the least. I know my beers aren't even close to the level of these.
I'm just interested in going, that's all.

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damn dude! don't sell yourself so short

if you do decide to enter one, try a smaller competition and work your way up. you'd be suprised at how good your beers compare. when i went to my 1st homebrew club meeting last month, i was a little nervous about slinging my sud's around with some of those guy's. they are 1st place winners of several competitions. they loved it. i had several of them saying i needed to enter my Rye P.A. into an event. that's kinda what got me to thinking about doing it, 'cause i never had cared to before.....

have fun in Baltimore! you lucky dawg.......

DeRoux's Broux

I have entered a few comps some time ago, and have judged at a couple. I am not a certified judge, but they asked me to judge anyway. Entering a comp is a good way toget feedback, especially if you don't know anyone who knows much about good beer, or won't say anything negative because of fear of hurting your feelings.
Orrelse, let me know if you're going to Baltimore for the HB Conference, I am attending and will be serving beer at either the Hospitality room or at Club night, maybe both.