Beer competition advice

[blarsen71]

Entering into my first beer competition and need some advice. I need to submit 2 12 oz or 1 22oz bottles. I hate bottle conditioning so should I submit carbonated beer from my keg in grolsch bottles instead? Any advice would be most appreciated.

 

[theveganbrewer]

Check the competition guidelines and see if Grolsch bottles are even allowed, I don't think they are, but may be wrong. Do you have a bottle capper? You can pick one up cheap and just put them in normal bottles and cap them.

 

[blarsen71]

Check the competition guidelines and see if Grolsch bottles are even allowed, I don't think they are, but may be wrong. Do you have a bottle capper? You can pick one up cheap and just put them in normal bottles and cap them.

They are allowed. I do have a bottle capper as well. Will the beer remain carbonated this way?

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Beer will remain carbonated just fine in a standard bottle with a crown cap. How do you think the breweries do it?

I prefer bottling off the keg anyway, to ensure that the beer submitted has already cleared.

 

[Braufessor]

Lots of people bottle off keg and cap bottles all the time. You can use a counterpressure bottle filler for best results, but lots of people use simpler and cheaper methods with very good success as well. One simple way that I have done it in the past is to use the "cobra-head/picnic" taps. I put a very short (1-2 inches) piece of hose snug over the tap and then insert a bottle filler into the other end of the hose. vent the keg of almost all pressure and apply VERY low gas from CO2 tank - maybe a pound or two and fill bottles as full as you can and cap each one immediately. If it foams over a bit, cap right while the foam is coming out and wash bottle under hot water quick.

I have a medium size tupperware container that I set bottles in while filling and a towel handy - because it is likely you will get some foaming over and that helps contain any mess.

I would think capping would actually hold carbonation better than grolsch bottle, and most competitions specifically state they don't want grolsch style bottles.

 

[alane1]

It helps with controlling foam over if you put the empty bottles in the freezer for a few hours before filling.

 

[aiptasia]

Cap on foam. The only other tip that I can recommend to you is, beer judging is purely subjective. Don't get a fat head or severe disappointment if a judge loves/hates your beer. Always look at the feedback from the most experienced judges and enter the same beer in a lot of competitions to get an idea of what "everyone" thinks of your beer. BJCP sanctioned competitions provide the best feedback. I see a lot of newbs show up at our local interclub competitions and think they're either gods gift to brewing or compete $hit based on two score sheets from novice judges.