THE 2007 LOBUCK HOMEBREW CHALLENGE
A competition open to all homebrewers
The Concept
The goal of this contest is to motivate creative brewers to develop recipes which result in the best possible beer without excessive use of expensive ingredients. The objectives of this competition are three-fold: First, encourage the development of some unusual, interesting, and tasty low(ish)-alcohol beers; Second, challenge brewers to experiment with alternative ingredients both for flavor and for use as fermentables; and Third, to further the knowledge of HBT members by publishing the recipes and critiques thereof in order to encourage further experimentation.
For this inaugural event, we are keeping it low-key, free form, and just putting this out as a challenge to intrepid brewers. As we see what you, the brewer, comes up with, we will adjust the rules and categories to suit the “state of the art”. But, for now, it’s just a fun challenge, open to one and all.
There is a soft dollar limit set for this competition. If you truly feel it's not possible to make a good tasting beer for anything near the prices below (and you may be right), then you are encouraged to spend a bit more. After all is said and done, this contest is about good beer, not cheaply fermented prison beer. So, if you overspend, but still have the cheapest beer of those that taste good, then you will be the winner. Nevertheless, to give people a target to shoot for, the targets will be set as follows:
$2.07 per gallon of beer made from extract
$1.80 per gallon made from a partial mash recipe
$1.35 per gallon made from all grain
If you go over the limit, points will be deducted. If you go below it, points will be added, but the most important thing is to produce a tasty final product. (Note: the limit does not include the cost of priming sugar.)
The Contest
Homebrewers will create a recipe using the following ingredients available to homebrewers: Grains, Adjuncts/Flavoring, Hops, and Yeast. The brewer must submit a copy of the recipe and a drinkable sample (1 - 12oz or larger bottle) to each of the judges for adjudication. Judging will not be based upon style, but will be based upon recipe price, alcohol content, and taste. Beer of any style may be entered, but entries are limited to BEER. Ciders, meads, wines, and/or other spirits are not eligible.
If enough entries are provided, at the judge’s discretion, sub-categories will be created in order to highlight more popular categories. These categories may be based upon brew style (AG, PM, or extract), beer style (lager, ale, etc), types of adjuncts, or any other division which serves to highlight the differences and similarities of the beers within the competition.
DEADLINE:
Judging will commence on May 1, 2007. All entries must be received by this time.
Selecting a Winner:
The judges will select the homebrew which the judges deem to be the best beer, both in flavor and in adherence to the rules and judging guidelines (to be determined by the judges). There will be no style guidelines. Every beer, whether it’s an experimental, American lager, IPA, stout, ESB, etc will be judged against all other beers. Consideration will be primarily given to the brewer’s skill at producing something that tastes most like a commercially-produced brew of any type.
The Rules
1. Pricing. The brewer may buy his ingredients from any supplier and the actual price paid for these supplies is irrelevant. Your ingredient price is to be computed as the lowest cost charged by MoreBeer.com, NorthernBrewer.com, Austinhomebrewsupply.com, morehops.com, or Peapod.com, not including shipping or taxes.
In the event that none of these sites have the ingredient you wish to use, you may either contact the judges for a ruling as to the “market price” of the item, or state the price paid, which may be accepted or modified by the judges at the time of adjudication.
All ingredients, regardless of source, will be deemed to have been purchased at the regular advertised price (No sale prices).
2. Quantities.
a. Extract. For Extract and Partial Mash Brewers, standard malts (DME or
LME) will be priced on the assumption that you are purchasing 25 pounds.
b. Grain. For All-Grain brewers, standard malts will be priced on the assumption that you are buying a 55lb bag.
c. Specialty grains. Specialty Grains will be priced by the pound.
d. Hops. All hops will be priced by the pound.
e. Other. Other ingredients (Irish moss, clarifying agent, etc) priced at the non-bulk pricing from the specified online retailers.
f. Priming sugar. Priming sugar is free, as long as it's only added at bottling time and is in a quantity considered to be “typical” for priming.
g. Water. Water is a “free” ingredient. The brewer has the choice of using tap water, or else filtered water costing under $1.00 per gallon. Because water quality varies significantly, the purpose of this rule is to permit people living in locations with awful water to compete on a level playing field. Any use of mineral water, flavored water, or spring water that does not normally come out of the tap will require the brewer to include the entire cost of the water in his cost computation.
h. Yeast. The cost of the yeast shall be computed as per rule #1 except the cost of the yeast will then be divided by three to account for the possibility of repitching the yeast cake a time or two.
i. Time and Effort. No costs will be associated for any equipment/time/etc.
More like a quick shot of whiskey to get you going.
