Brewing for the 2013 AHA Competition

So, I realized that if I want to get a finished and properly-aged beer into the 2013 AHA competition, I'll have to brew it up within the next two to three weeks. Have any of you entered a gluten-free beer in the AHA competition? Do they have a separate gluten-free category, or does it fall under "specialty"? Should I consider entering a normal category and see if my beers can compete with a "real" beer? The wit I just bottled is really stellar and could possibly compete with regular wit beers (if not win).

I'm also wondering which of the recipes in my queue I should brew. I'm doing a quinoa Red IPA next week for sure, but what else? I've got recipes worked out for another red rice hefe-rizen, a black IPA, a GF clone of Deschutes' Chainbreaker white IPA, a pale ale with douglas fir tips and juniper (a re-working of a previously failed recipe), a banana/millet blonde ale with Sorachi Ace hops, and an extract-based dark beer (maybe porterish) with lapsang souchong (another re-working of a previously failed recipe). I'm also thinking about doing another flower beer (some combo of chamomile, rose, lavender, and/or calendula; I'm going to try some tea blends first), but I don't know if that'll work out in time. Some of these would go in the "specialty" category anyway....

I gratefully welcome any thoughts, advice, and experiences. I also encourage all of you in the 'States to enter as well, it'd be great if we could provide a huge gluten-free presence this year....

Based on all the positive feedback the dual spires black lodge or a black ipa version might be a solo option. I have a version of it 3 weeks in the bottle but have not tried I yet

Tell us more about the wit recipe

Hmm...I've never entered it or thought of it until now...

As for you I'd recommend the Grapefruit IPA. I saw my brother-in-law the other day and he brought it up and wondered if I had any left. It was wildly popular.

BTW--your Black IPA recipe looks awesome!

Only problem with me coming up with a black IPA recipe is I've never had a black IPA--the style did not exist six years ago, when I first went gluten-free! So I have no idea what they taste like, or what a good example of the style is. But then, I can virtually guarantee that I'll be the only gluten-free black IPA in the running...the sheer audacity might count for something.

Well, after this weekend I'll have three fermenters open. The quinoa red IPA will go in one, which will leave me two more...if I manage to squeeze the time in, I could brew enough to fill them. Maybe the black IPA and the sorachi blonde or red rice hefe...the grapefruit IPA did get good reviews amongst my friends, but I was never satisfied with the malt base. I also have the oatmeal-pecan IPA that is ready for dry-hopping and will be bottled in time, and that one may turn out awesome.

As for the wit...I'll be doing a blog post about it once it's carbed, but suffice to say it tasted so good at bottling that my girlfriend drank a glass of it warm and flat...she NEVER does that! It was spot-on for a Hoegaarden clone--I can't recommend WB-06 enough as a dry wit yeast; I fermented at a pretty low temperature since we were facing a major cold-snap at the time and my apartment is barely insulated, and the banana/clove/bubblegum notes were perfect. There was a nice sour tang from citrus addition (kumquat, oro blanco grapefruit, and satsuma zest), and if it carbs properly it's gonna be AMAZING. It was an all-grain + honey recipe.

In case you have been to the site for the rules, etc here is the link:
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/competitions/national-homebrew-competition

I think you will need to fit your entry into one of the BJCP categories and that is how it is judged. If it can't fit a traditional category then it should be entered into the speacialty category.

I missed the registration last year by one week and all the entry slots were filled, they go very fast, usually days. So if you plan to enter do it on time and as early as possible. BTW they have made a few rules changes this year so check into that as well.

Good Luck!

Wow, that wit sounds amazing! This weekend I'm planning on doing a sorghum extract + roasted oats brew with orange zest + meat using WB-06. I brew for my wife who can't do gluten, and she has recently discovered she enjoys beers, but really doesn't like anything bitter. I'd love to see your recipe once you're ready to share.

Igliashon, could me among those interested in the wit recipe. What is your log URL?

See my signature for the blog, Cainepolo.

Ok. I don't think it shows up on the iPad app, so ill look when I'm home.

Here is the blog: Check out my gluten-free brewing blog, beyondbarley.blogspot.com

Okay, after thinking long and hard about this, and reading through the style guidelines and previous-year winners, I'm going to submit 5 beers to Category 23 ("Specialty"). My recently-bottled wit, my two most recent IPAs--Oat-Pecan (hopped with Columbus, Horizon, Topaz, Centennial, and Ahtanum) and Quinoa Red (hopped with Columbus, Cascade, Palisades, and Centennial)--and two session beers, a banana-millet blonde with Sorachi Ace hops and chamomile, and a black rice hefeweizen-style beer with blackberry honey.

The black IPA recipe is just too experimental, and even if brewed next week, it may not be fully mature in time for the competition; I'm aiming for lighter beers because they shouldn't take too long to mature, and both are close to recipes I've brewed in the past that turned out awesome. I hope at least one of them ranks highly, because I'm going to be looking for work in some brewery or another later this year, and some professional validation of my skills as a homebrewer would definitely be of benefit.

Anybody else thinking of entering?

Good luck igliashon!

I won't enter this year, but I will be working this year to refine some recipes and enter next year.

I had an IPA last week that was brewed with juniper berries and spruce tips that was really good. And if you need help determining if your black IPA is to style feel free to send a bottle my way and i can let you know