Are you entering the AHA National Homebrew Competition? Why? Why Not?

[CascadesBrewer]

Me? I am not sure. I took a break from brewing and have gotten back into it full throttle. I have a decent Oatmeal Stout (maybe could use some more roasty) and Porter (a bit young to fully evaluate, but seems pretty solid) on tap. I have a Pale Ale about ready to kegged (fairly common, Cascade for flavor and aroma, but just a slightly tweaked recipe of a fav of mine). Given that the shipping window is March 1 – March 14 and the 1st round judging is March 22 – April 14, I have time to brew something else.

I am slightly tempted to enter, but I am not sure why. I entered many many years ago, but at that time I only knew one other person that brewed a few beers...and I brewed crappy beers back then. I am a member of a club now and many of the members are certified judges and many of them brew really good beers. I don't see myself winning a National Gold Medal or Gordon Strong declaring my beer the "best in the history of brewing".

I will admit that sometimes it is hard to get honest feedback from friends, though sometimes competition feedback seems to be more about how the beer fits the style than if it is "good". I am not sure if bottling some beers, paying $16 entry fee for each beer, and messing with shipping is worth it.

Have you gotten good feedback from NHC to improve your brewing? From local competitions?

 

[MT's AZ Ale Haus]

Not this year, but hopefully next year.

I've done some five gallon batches and have been fairly successful and learned a lot.
This year I am playing with 1.5 gallon batches to hone my craft and with any luck I will feel confident to enter next year.

 

[Bobby_M]

There are something like 1000 BJCP sanctioned competitions throughout the country per year and the entry fees are more like $6-8 each. While I feel the judging is probably slightly elevated for the NHC first round, I think the main reason to submit anything is a hail mary chance at National recognition.

 

[505-Brewer]

I think the judging is a mixed bag as with any other competition.

In my experience score sheets/comments from. NHC are particularly bad, even on beers that have advanced to the second round. If your looking for feedback enter 2 other less costly comps.

Will I enter, probably but at $16/entry I will be judicious. Should have a sour, ris and one or two others to pick from.

 

[Braufessor]

I will likely enter some beers....actually need to sit down and look at the calendar/ship dates and see what I have in the pipeline that will be ready, or what I need to brew in the timeframe I have. My reason for entering would simply be attempting to get an elusive medal from NHC.... I have had a dozen or so that have made it to the finals, and half of those have made mini BOS in the finals.....but still empty handed. So, likely to try, try again.

Don't send to NHC for the soul purpose of "feedback" - in general, I think it is a relatively common complaint about NHC that people don't always like the checkmark scoresheets, or feel they did not get enough detailed feedback. The judging itself is high quality overall, but the feedback on the sheets is generally less. The feedback is not really the primary focus of NHC - the focus is narrowing beers down and finding the best examples. There are many other, cheaper, regional options if that is the main goal.

In my experience, competitions can be a very good way to get feedback and improve your brewing, however, the way to do that is to send the same beer to 2-3 even 4 competitions around the same time and take the feedback in total and look for common themes from experienced judges and go from there. Sending a couple random beers into a single competition is kind of hit and miss in terms of really "improving" your beers. Also, look for good sized competitions that are well regarded in your area as bringing in quality judges. I generally only send to comps with 300+ entries that are well established. Getting 6-10 scoresheets from various comps, on the same beer can really be useful though in improving as a brewer.

 

[MapleGroveAleworks]

Nah, too expensive.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Good discussion. I will probably skip NHC, think about entering some local competitions where I don't have to worry about shipping hassle (like Spirit of Free Beer Beer, sofb.brewcomp.com), focus on improving my process and some core recipes and figure out where I want to display my 2020 NHC medals.

 

[505-Brewer]

I will likely enter some beers....actually need to sit down and look at the calendar/ship dates and see what I have in the pipeline that will be ready, or what I need to brew in the timeframe I have. My reason for entering would simply be attempting to get an elusive medal from NHC.... I have had a dozen or so that have made it to the finals, and half of those have made mini BOS in the finals.....but still empty handed. So, likely to try, try again.

Don't send to NHC for the soul purpose of "feedback" - in general, I think it is a relatively common complaint about NHC that people don't always like the checkmark scoresheets, or feel they did not get enough detailed feedback. The judging itself is high quality overall, but the feedback on the sheets is generally less. The feedback is not really the primary focus of NHC - the focus is narrowing beers down and finding the best examples. There are many other, cheaper, regional options if that is the main goal.

In my experience, competitions can be a very good way to get feedback and improve your brewing, however, the way to do that is to send the same beer to 2-3 even 4 competitions around the same time and take the feedback in total and look for common themes from experienced judges and go from there. Sending a couple random beers into a single competition is kind of hit and miss in terms of really "improving" your beers. Also, look for good sized competitions that are well regarded in your area as bringing in quality judges. I generally only send to comps with 300+ entries that are well established. Getting 6-10 scoresheets from various comps, on the same beer can really be useful though in improving as a brewer.

Agreed.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

No, and here's why. I entered two beers last year and here's what happened:

One was a blonde ale based on the Centennial Blonde recipe from this forum. It had a sum total of 1/2 oz of hops. I thought it was spot on for the style and my non-craft beer friends went nuts over it. I seriously expected an upper 30's to low 40's score. Instead I got a 27 saying it was too hoppy and was not the approachable easy drinking beer for the style. The score and notes were so far off the mark I'm still convinced they mixed up beers somehow.

The second was a New England IPA that turned into a diacetyl bomb. I took it to my homebrew club and the 3 certified judges in the club all took one sip and said the same thing: diacetyl (which I already knew). I debated sending it in but ultimately thought they might be upset that I entered a beer then didn't submit it. I expected a courtesy 13 or maybe a 20. I felt guilty subjecting them to that beer. They gave it a 34...a beer that I dumped, scored a 34 with not one mention of diacetyl. Again, what beer did they drink?

My conclusion is that either the judges are worthless or the process is effed up and they get entries mixed up. It was a complete waste of time for me, so never again.

 

[TandemTails]

Not this year. I never really brew to a specific style but instead brew to what I enjoy. This usually means my beers end up in one of the fruit/spice categories which I feel like is a huge crapshoot. I had a beer move on to the 2nd round last year but just don't feel like going through all the hassle this year.

 

[jdauria]

I will be entering 4-5 beers. Two years ago I had a beer make it to finals and get a great score in finals, but not place, and I am hooked on getting that elusive prize. Last year, I had beers score 40, 39, 37 in first round only to lose in mini-BOS. So it can be frustrating.

Another factor is that Homebrew Con is local this year, well next State over, but only 35 mins away. So my whole club is focusing on entering beers since should a member actually medal, we will be there in Providence to cheer him/her on.

 

[shoengine]

Nope. I entered one comp, and realized that I didn't really care if my beer wins anything. I thrive on feedback from the folks I give it to though.

 

[Mute_Ant_Brew]

I had considered it but I don't have any beer coming up that I woukd want to submit. I know my IPAs fall a little short and I wouldn't want to rush any of my darker beers.
Maybe next year with a little planning.

 

[PMcGuen]

I have been brewing for a few years and have become pretty comfortable and confident in my process. I long ago stopped expecting any kind of helpful feedback from the people I share my beer with. Even if I ask people for a brutally honest assessment, I’ve never gotten one. Home brew clubs may be different.( I’m not a member of one). This is the second year I’ve debated entering. I’ve decided if I do pull the trigger, it will be a straight hardware chase.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I just renewed my AHA membership so I could enter. Why? Because I believe in the quality of my beer and want the satisfaction of winning. If I don’t win, I’ll keep trying to improve. In the end, I’m happy with my beer and I’m really the only one who drinks it so it’s not a big deal either way. But I like to win.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Yes. I’m not confident that I will win, but I have a few beers that have gotten great feedback and a few awards, so yes planing on an entry or two.

 

[Noble J]

Yes I will be entering 3-4 beers, in fact I just filled out the app. It will be my first comp and I have a question about which category to put 2 of my beers in. I have a toasted coconut porter, 7%, 50 ibu, and about 27 srm, and a hazy pale ale, 5.5%, 45 ibu, and 6 srm. Would they both fall into the speciality 34c category? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

@Noble J The porter I believe would go in the veg herb category ( unless it is really a fruit) the entire guide is on line I’ll add the link.
https://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Don't send to NHC for the soul purpose of "feedback" - in general, I think it is a relatively common complaint about NHC that people don't always like the checkmark scoresheets, or feel they did not get enough detailed feedback. The judging itself is high quality overall, but the feedback on the sheets is generally less. The feedback is not really the primary focus of NHC - the focus is narrowing beers down and finding the best examples. There are many other, cheaper, regional options if that is the main goal.

+1. +1. +1. ...

I have a toasted coconut porter

background: I've been a steward (not a judge) at a number of large home brew competitions, including NHC regionals and an occasional 'speciality' category table.

If it were my beer, I would 1) enjoy the coconut porter with friends and 2) brew the base porter recipe for competition feedback.

 

[Noble J]

I’ve read through the guidelines many times and am still confused on which category to place my coconut porter in. A coconut is considered a fruit, nut, and a seed so you can see my dilemma. I will not be dropping the coconut and entering it as just its base recipe, this beer has been very well received so far. Has anyone seen something similar entered in a comp and if so do you know what category?

 

[bob1852]

I’ve read through the guidelines many times and am still confused on which category to place my coconut porter in. A coconut is considered a fruit, nut, and a seed so you can see my dilemma. I will not be dropping the coconut and entering it as just its base recipe, this beer has been very well received so far. Has anyone seen something similar entered in a comp and if so do you know what category?

Coconut is specifically listed as an ingredient covered by the Spiced category (#30)...

 

[Noble J]

Ah I must have missed that. Thanks AZ! 30A it is [emoji481]

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Nope as I could care less about competitions.

 

[danielthemaniel]

This is my first year entering my beers. I have 3 going out: a belgian tripel, pineapple weissbier and an IPA. I've never entered a comp due to a little hesitancy and the fact that the beers seemed to be judged on a narrow view of a particular style. I've become more confident in my beer this past year serving weddings, parties, and professional organized beer festivals. My beer is always very well received by the general public but I dont know what to expect from the "pros"

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I have a few entries accepted, and I’m not sure what I’ll send in yet, with the weather expected looks like another brew day on Wednesday. Good luck, all may the best beers get some recognition.

 

[ba-brewer]

I almost entered this year but decided to pass. I don't like to have mail beer you really never know how it is going to get handled. The timing between getting results and needing to rebrew can be hard to schedule. I like to change up my beers and if I got into the 2nd round I would need to rebrew some beer(s) again close together.

The last time I entered one of the judges was sort of mean, but her email was dragonlady so I guess that is appropriate.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

... The timing between getting results and needing to rebrew can be hard to schedule. ...

A good piece of advice that I got from someone who sent beer to NHC finals was ...

... enter the regional competition assuming the beer will move on to finals and plan your brewing accordingly. Worst case, you end up with two extra bottles of good beer.

 

[Soulshine2]

Nope. Back when I did taxidermy , I entered the World Competition 3 times. Did fairly well (consecutive 3rd place in Professional, 2 categories each) and the last one the judge didn't understand what I was doing from an opinion standpoint and judged it poorly. It gave me a bad taste in my mouth for taking a fun hobby/small home business and ruining it with competition. Never again.

My only beer judge is myself and my wife. If it turns out how I planned and I like it , I'm happy . If she says "Honey, this is your best beer by far" (the Bavarian Hef I made recently) thats all I need to hear.

 

[Braufessor]

A good piece of advice that I got from someone who sent beer to NHC finals was ...

... enter the regional competition assuming the beer will move on to finals and plan your brewing accordingly. Worst case, you end up with two extra bottles of good beer.

Yep - this is the way to do it. Whatever beers I enter in regional I rebrew them the same timeframe out from the Finals. Either they make it through and I have them ready or they don't and my keg fridges are stocked.

 

[ba-brewer]

A good piece of advice that I got from someone who sent beer to NHC finals was ...

... enter the regional competition assuming the beer will move on to finals and plan your brewing accordingly. Worst case, you end up with two extra bottles of good beer.

Yep - this is the way to do it. Whatever beers I enter in regional I rebrew them the same timeframe out from the Finals. Either they make it through and I have them ready or they don't and my keg fridges are stocked.

I did both of these, I bottled a few extra bottles and started a batch ahead of the results as one beer was a lager. The rebrew was not coming together and the bottles where just starting to show slight signs of oxidation so I sent the rebrew hoping it would it might be better by judging.

All fairness to the dragonlady that beer was not as good on sending as the beer I brewed for the first round.

 

[Spartan1979]

I entered one beer. The same recipe for a Pils that won BOS in a competition (300 entries) about 3 years ago. I entered that same batch a few weeks later in NHC and it scored a 27! Competitions are such a crapshoot, so I rarely enter them anymore.

I've had 7 entries make it to the finals, but never place.

 

[505-Brewer]

Nope. Back when I did taxidermy , I entered the World Competition 3 times. Did fairly well (consecutive 3rd place in Professional, 2 categories each) and the last one the judge didn't understand what I was doing from an opinion standpoint and judged it poorly. It gave me a bad taste in my mouth for taking a fun hobby/small home business and ruining it with competition. Never again.

My only beer judge is myself and my wife. If it turns out how I planned and I like it , I'm happy . If she says "Honey, this is your best beer by far" (the Bavarian Hef I made recently) thats all I need to hear.

If she doesn’t agree with she knows you’ll stuff her and put her on the wall!

 

[505-Brewer]

If she doesn’t loke your beer she knows you’ll stuff her and put her on the wall!

 

[Soulshine2]

you dont know my wife !! lol.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I entered one beer. The same recipe for a Pils that won BOS in a competition (300 entries) about 3 years ago. I entered that same batch a few weeks later in NHC and it scored a 27! Competitions are such a crapshoot, so I rarely enter them anymore.

I've had 7 entries make it to the finals, but never place.

That's pretty wild! I've had a beer score 42 once and not even place 3rd or get an HM. This is my first year entering the NHC, so I'm really curious how it will be.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I entered one beer. The same recipe for a Pils that won BOS in a competition (300 entries) about 3 years ago. I entered that same batch a few weeks later in NHC and it scored a 27! Competitions are such a crapshoot, ... I've had 7 entries make it to the finals, but never place.

Yup, it’s the human factor.

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

Does a metal make the beer any better?

When a plumber shows up and has 50 patches of excellence sewed to his perfectly tucked in shirt do you think hes a better plumber then the guy that shows up smelling like fuel oil with grease on his hands....I don't think so

 

[catdaddy66]

Yup, it’s the human factor.

Which is kinda why I avoid the competitions generally. I like the informal feedback I get at the monthly tastings from my lhbs. The owner/brew club president asked me why I wasn't entering anything this year and my only answer is that I get discouraged easily when I have a very good product and it gets torn to shreds by judges. Again, I have never personally had this happen before but reading HBT I kind of expect it...

I am much happier drinking my beer.

 

[Braufessor]

Competitions are not perfect for sure, and there is obviously a human element to them. There is a chance you get a judge that does not perceive your beer the same way another might. Bottling, handling, storing, shipping...... none of it is a perfect science. Sometimes you can get an honestly poor judge. However, I don't think competitions are total crapshoots either.

I have brewed beer for 20 years. Even though I never entered any competitions for most of that time, I know for a fact that the beers I brewed the first 10 years would have had zero chance of making it through a regional NHC competition now - not one of them in 10 years would have stood a chance. I have had a dozen make it through over the last 5 years. I credit a lot of my improvement as a brewer to using competitions, and blind feedback to tweak my brewing - recipes, process, packaging, etc.

In my opinion, the key to benefitting from competitions is consistency..... brewing a random beer and sending it to a random competition here and there might win some medals or piss you off with bad feed back - But, that is not going to really help improve brewing. Enter the same beer often. Rebrew the same beer style many, many times. Tweak single variables to see what it does. Go through the BJCP training - even if you don't see yourself judging a lot. When you can consistently rebrew the same beer over and over...... when you can hit styles and brew them well - not just for judges, but for yourself and your friends - that is when you will really start seeing improvement as a brewer. Not for everyone, but I found it valuable as there are relatively few serious home brewers near me and it provided a way to get a lot of feedback on what I was doing.

Any brewer can brew a good beer that gets misjudged poorly. Any brewer can brew a mediocre beer that gets lucky in a small category or with a particular judge. But, consistently brewing high quality beer, to style, judged blindly, against many other beers and consistently being singled out as well brewed (by scores, comments, placing, etc)...... that is not total random luck. People have blind spots for their own beer. Most friends and family either love free beer or don't know enough about beer to critically evaluate it. Competitions are just one way that people can potentially improve their brewing skills and knowledge.

I have mine going to the Milwaukee regional this year.

 

[kingmatt]

I am entering 2 beers and will continue to do so every year until I medal in the 2nd round because that is a goal I set for myself.

I have pretty much checked off all my other goals including winning a few best of shows, brewing my beer commercially (twice) and even making it into the GABF Pro-Am competition, but I can't seem to get that damn NHC medal!!