How to run a competition?

[twgardner2]

Does anyone have any tips for running a very, very, informal competition? I'm setting up an APRILTOBERFEST event for my local club to celebrate being half-way to the next OKTOBERFEST. We are all relatively new brewers and are a very loose club. The event will consist of about 8 brewers bringing whatever beer they can and some unknown number of non-brewers there for the beer, brats, and pretzels. I figured I could put together an informal competition and crown someone the APRILTOBERFEST Best of Show. No categories, no score sheets, no BJCP judges...just people checking a box for the beer they liked the best.

I'm going to organize the tastings, so I'm not going to vote. My only specific question is how big should the tastings be? Is 4 oz enough? More, less? Other than that, does anyone who has done this kind of thing have any lessons learned?

Thanks!

 

[Phunhog]

I have not done one but I am thinking about the same thing. Basically I would love to start a local homebrew competition/ beer festival. It would be a very informal competition..more of a pick your favorite beer comp. Obvious federal law, as well as my state's law, allows homebrew competitions. I think the bigger issue is what are the laws, if any, for competitions. Can they be held anywhere? Can anyone/everyone be a beer judge? Is there a limit to how much a beer judge can drink? Essentially when does a beer competition become a beer festival in legal terms? I know of several "underground" homebrew festivals around the country. It would seem that as long as you don't accept any money/donations it would be legal. Does anyone know or have any experience?

 

[Zamial]

4oz. is plenty to judge a brew.