- Joined
- Nov 26, 2006
- Messages
- 3,996
- Reaction score
- 94
Ok. This thread is for debating the rules for the 2007 LOBUCK HOMEBREW CHALLENGE.
Here's what I have so far. Feel free to make suggestions, comments, or ask questions. This thread is ONLY about defining the rules. A thread for competitors will come later.
Here's what I have so far. Feel free to make suggestions, comments, or ask questions. This thread is ONLY about defining the rules. A thread for competitors will come later.
The Concept
People say homebrewing is more expensive than buying beer from the local store. People say that quality beer is expensive. People say that homebrewing is an inefficient, expensive way of attaining a buzz. This contest is designed to prove them wrong.
A keg of Budweiser/Coors/Miller, purchased retail, costs about $3.42 per gallon. For that price, any number of great home recipes can be brewed, but we can go even cheaper than that! The goal of this contest is to encourage brewers to develop recipes which create the best possible beer for the lowest possible price using ingredients commonly available to the homebrewer. Cheaper than buying Budweiser/Miller/Coors. Cheaper, even, than bottled water! And better tasting too!
The limit for this year is (tentatively) 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
DEADLINE:
Judging will commence on April 1, 2007
THE RULES
1. The winner will be the homebrewer who brews what the judges deem to be the best beer, both in flavor and in adherence to the rules and judging guidelines. There are 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 brewers skill at producing something that tastes most like a commercially-produced brew. The brewer may, but is not required to, state the style or brand which his beer most resembles.
2. 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 cost charged by (fill in the name of the sponsoring homebrew website here), exclusive of shipping or taxes. In the event that this sponsor does not have your desired ingredient, you may use (insert the name of other homebrew sites here) to find the price. In the event that your desired ingredient is not available through any of these websites, peapod.com will be used. In the event that Peapod doesn’t have your ingredient, you must contact the judges for a ruling.
3. You may certainly use close-out specials, out-of-date ingredients, etc., however for the purpose of computing cost for this contest, all ingredients will be deemed to have been purchased at the regular advertised price.
4. For all brewers, specialty grains will be priced by the pound.
For Extract and Partial Mash Brewers, standard malts (DME or LME) will be priced on the assumption that you are purchasing 25 pounds. For All-Grain brewers, standard malts will be priced on the assumption that you are buying a 55lb bag.
5. For all brewers, hops will be priced by the pound.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. There is an ABSOLUTE prohibition on the addition of alcohol such as vodka or everclear to increase the alcohol content or for added “flavor”.
THE JUDGES
The judges will comprise of experienced beer drinkers and hopefully an experienced judge or two. Applicants should contact “Toot” on homebrewtalk.com. I intend to be a judge, and I would like maybe 2 others.