Beer Comps "fine print"

[juggabrew]

Has anyone came across this type of rule for entering a comp?

"Once the winning recipe has been brewed at !@#$%^&* Beer Company, it is now owned by us, and can be brewed by us at any point in the future. If you are not comfortable with this, please reconsider your entry."

Maybe its just the way its written, but sounds pretty shady in my opinion. especially since my recipe I'm considering is based off another local brewery, which I had received input from the owner/brewer himself. I would feel bad if I happened to win...

 

[LBussy]

Not uncommon, but maybe uncommon wording.

 

[okbecker]

Not uncommon with commercial operations. I agree with the uncommon wording part, lol.

 

[AnOldUR]

I've heard that you can't "own" (copyright) a recipe. So, it's all pretty silly.

Not to mention that a recipe brewed on your system won't taste the same as it would brewed on their system.

 

[sd_brewbie]

Generally these contest as a prize invite you to the brewery to brew your beer on their pilot system... They may then make it into a commercial product. I think you are supposed to feel privileged they brewed your beer.

 

[AK7007]

I've heard that you can't "own" (copyright) a recipe. So, it's all pretty silly.

All it takes is one patent lawyer to be the owner of a brewery and you've got a whole bunch of bogus stuff waiting to happen.

 

[FatDragon]

Generally these contest as a prize invite you to the brewery to brew your beer on their pilot system... They may then make it into a commercial product. I think you are supposed to feel privileged they brewed your beer.

Yeah, they seem to have applied some amateur legalese to the "win our competition and we'll brew your beer in our commercial brewery" prize.

 

[aprichman]

TBH I don't really get the appeal of "brew your recipe on our equipment" as the grand prize for homebrew competitions. My personal preference would be cash, brewing gear, or brewing schwag.

 

[broadbill]

Homebrewer wins competition, gets to brew on the big boy equipment, beer is sold and becomes a huge commercial success. Homebrewer then says to the brewery, "I want x% of the profits because that is my recipe." Brewery tells him no/hell no/F*ck off and homebrewer then slags their good name all over FB, Yelp, etc. It then becomes more hassle than its worth. The brewery is just managing the expectation.

 

[m00ps]

Im doing this with a brewery here. You need to keep in mind that the recipe is like half of what makes the beer. Even if you brewed the greatest beer there ever was, it wont be the same pound for pound on their system

Any brewery that thinks that just measly recipe is like their propriety "7 secret spices" doesnt know what they are doing in the first place IMO

 

[Spartan1979]

...my recipe I'm considering is based off another local brewery, which I had received input from the owner/brewer himself. I would feel bad if I happened to win...

No one has addressed this point. Under these circumstances, I wouldn't enter this competition. I would feel an obligation to the other brewery.

 

[broadbill]

No one has addressed this point. Under these circumstances, I wouldn't enter this competition. I would feel an obligation to the other brewery.

Now advice/opinion/suggestions are proprietary? WTF?

I can't imagine what the other brewery could have told him that was so new/so important/so innovative that it could not be used in fair play. Breweries really don't play in the realm of novel processes, secret ingredients, and the like. Beer is made up of the same ingredients put through more or less the same process. That brewery likely doesn't know anything the rest of us don't. If it is something novel/innovative/unique, chances are its it unique to their brewery and can't be replicated anyway.

 

[sd_brewbie]

Ballast Point is running a similar contest now. Their rules cover that the recipe and process is developed by the entrants only, you give rights to them and they reserve the right to change it to scale on their system (or for cost). http://www.ballastpoint.com/og20-rules-regulations/

Thought it would be fun to enter, but grand prize is a trip to San Diego while I live a good 15 minutes from their brewery (besides them brewing my beer)

 

[Spartan1979]

Now advice/opinion/suggestions are proprietary? WTF?

I can't imagine what the other brewery could have told him that was so new/so important/so innovative that it could not be used in fair play. Breweries really don't play in the realm of novel processes, secret ingredients, and the like. Beer is made up of the same ingredients put through more or less the same process. That brewery likely doesn't know anything the rest of us don't. If it is something novel/innovative/unique, chances are its it unique to their brewery and can't be replicated anyway.

Where did I say it was was proprietary? But if another brewer is kind enough to basically give me his recipe I'm not going to turn around and give it to one of his competitors.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Ballast Point is running a similar contest now. Their rules cover that the recipe and process is developed by the entrants only, you give rights to them and they reserve the right to change it to scale on their system (or for cost). http://www.ballastpoint.com/og20-rules-regulations/

Thought it would be fun to enter, but grand prize is a trip to San Diego while I live a good 15 minutes from their brewery (besides them brewing my beer)

Cool, they could fly me from SNA to SAN!

Sure, I could drive there in less than an hour, but hey, it's free, right?

 

[MaxStout]

Maybe it's different in other places, but the comps I've entered around here never ask about the recipe, so how would they know? You pick a style category and submit a name for your beer along with the two bottles and that's about all the info they get.

 

[Yooper]

Ballast Point is running a similar contest now. Their rules cover that the recipe and process is developed by the entrants only, you give rights to them and they reserve the right to change it to scale on their system (or for cost). http://www.ballastpoint.com/og20-rules-regulations/

Thought it would be fun to enter, but grand prize is a trip to San Diego while I live a good 15 minutes from their brewery (besides them brewing my beer)

I would so do that! I don't have any beer in bottles right now, and I'm pretty lazy.................but OH, I would love to go back to San Diego and Ballast Point in particular!

 

[unionrdr]

While it would be cool to get to brew, say, my hoppy/resiny Cougar Country IPA on the big boy equipment, I would like a small percentage of the profits. Or at least change these contests a little in that they would buy the recipe from you & use your input for the label. On the other hand, money, equipment or swag is nice too.

 

[juggabrew]

Thanks for everyone's input. I've decided to not enter this comp, but if I did I would just enter another brew. I agree, although it would be fun to brew on their system, and I may learn a few things it does not necessarily translate to a homebrew scale. I would prefer cash/equipment instead...or even just a medal for that matter

 

[kaffeenjunkie]

I read about this same issue in restaurant owner forums all the time. Recipes can be duplicated quite easily. Change one ingredient or a percentage of one ingredient and it is no longer the same recipe.
Just enter the contest, have fun and keep the bragging rights. Buy case or two and enjoy.

 

[sd_brewbie]

I would so do that! I don't have any beer in bottles right now, and I'm pretty lazy.................but OH, I would love to go back to San Diego and Ballast Point in particular!

You totally should enter. I am sure nothing would stand up to the illustrious Yooper. I mean you're almost guaranteed to win.

 

[signpost]

I think this type of rule is pretty typical. I entered a dubbel into a local brewery's competition a few years ago. I called it Dubbel Fisted. Didn't win. Got some good comments from people that tasted it, though.

Then within the next year, that brewery made a dubbel and called it...

Dubbel Fisted.

So, their rules gave them the right to the name I had put on the entry form. I never gave them my recipe ( just only got the recipe from the winner), so they came up with that themselves. I don't really care much. If/when I open my own brewery, I am clever enough to come up with a new (and probably better) name for a dubbel.

 

[Homercidal]

Brewery can't claim your recipe. Recipes aren't protected by law. That's why KFC and Coke work so hard to keep their recipes secret.

Enter your beer. See what happens. If they decide to keep brewing it, what do you lose? Nothing.

Chances are, if they keep brewing it, they will change something enough to be able to call it their own anyway.

I agree, I'd rather have money or something cool to own, rather than the privilege of brewing on their system. I'd also just like to brew with them too, so it's not like it's no prize at all, I'd just rather than a Gift cert. to a supply shop or whathaveyou.