need help with competitions

im still a beginner at brewing beer, but i would like to enter some local competitions to get feed back. does anybody have any advice they could give me. how do i enter, does it have to be all grain? also how do the bjcp guidelines work. it kind of seems a lil overwhelming, but i would like to do it just dont know where to start. thx

zmurda said:

im still a beginner at brewing beer, but i would like to enter some local competitions to get feed back. does anybody have any advice they could give me. how do i enter, does it have to be all grain? also how do the bjcp guidelines work. it kind of seems a lil overwhelming, but i would like to do it just dont know where to start. thx

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entering competitions is a GREAT way to get objective feedback about your beer. Remember, each judge is an individual just like you and me, and while they may have good comments about your beer, don't automatically take it all as fact. Their comments are a snapshot of your beer in a moment in time among other beers. Its good feedback, but if one judge says "not enough hops", don't necessarily change your recipe. If 20 judges say "not enough hops"...think about changing your recipe. Make sense?

To enter, it's best to register online if possible, or in person if its a local comp. Mail your entries to non-local comps via UPS or FedEx. Do NOT use USPS. Sending alcohol via USPS is a felony, sending via private carrier (ups or fedex) is fine. Otherwise drop off in person.

Your recipe does not have to be all grain, extract or mini mash is totally fine. Check out www.bjcp.org to find upcoming competitions.

If you have questions about what category to enter in, post your recipe here! We can help you decide.

The best thing you can do is to just enter and get into it. Don't go into your first comp expecting a gold medal. Go into it looking for experience and good feedback!! What beers are you wanting to enter? Do you have them ready now or are you brewing new beers for this?

strat_thru_marshall said:

The best thing you can do is to just enter and get into it. Don't go into your first comp expecting a gold medal. Go into it looking for experience and good feedback!!

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What STM said.

Trace

I agree that you should just "do it" however you want to select the category you enter each beer into based on the detailed style guidelines on the BJCP website.

Those descriptions are *exactly* what your beer will be judged on, so be prepared to receive harsh (but usually constructive) criticism when your awesome beer does not meet those guidelines to the letter. For example, if you enter your wonderful coconut porter in category 12B Robust Porter, you will get reamed for being out of style.

But don't be discouraged! It's just a matter of categorization. There are tons of commercial beers that are named after a particular style that wouldn't fit the BJCP style guidelines for that style.

zmurda said:

im still a beginner at brewing beer, but i would like to enter some local competitions to get feed back. does anybody have any advice they could give me. how do i enter, does it have to be all grain? also how do the bjcp guidelines work. it kind of seems a lil overwhelming, but i would like to do it just dont know where to start. thx

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Every competition is different.

How do you enter? Look at the list of BJCP/AHA sanctioned competitions aforementioned, pick one that looks good, and go to the website for instructions. Note that some competitions are easier to win and some are better judged, these are often not the same competitions. If you want good judging and feedback look for larger established competitions or MCAB (google it) qualifiers. Over a year or two of entering you will figure out which comps you like.

Does it have to be all grain? Probably not but a competition could require all-grain if they wanted so check the rules but this would be rare to non-existent.

How do the BJCP guidelines work? If a competition is using them (it is not a requirement of BJCP sanctioning and some don't, read the rules) then the judges will score your entry against that guidelines. The important thing is to enter what you have and not what you planned to brew. If you thought you were brewing an American Stout maybe you read the guidelines and it doesn't have citrusy hop character so maybe it fits better in Foreign Stout. The take home point being that great beers win if they are in the right category. Frankly it is hard to be good at knowing what to enter all of the time unless you get experience judging. This is ones of the reasons judges tend to do the best in competition (the primary reason is that people who exert the effort to become judges probably exert a lot of effort in brewing and just make good beer).

Soooooo

pick a competition and if you have questions email the comp organizer, post here etc. After one or two you'll feel like a pro.

i would brew new ones. im glad you put that link it was really useful in seeing all the comps. and helps me pick which ones and when i should brew for them. im really into belgians.

thx for the replies. alot of good stuff.im getting a better idea.thx