Bottles for competition?

[uwjester]

So competition time is around the corner. As I fill up my entries, I'm thinking about the bottles I am using. I generally save my favorite bottles from commercial brews to bottle my own. These include Sam Adams, O'Dell's, New Belgium, and Deschuttes. These bottles have markings on them. Will these be OK for competition entry or am I out of luck? I have already filled two of my styles with these bottles. The rules generally say no labels, but could these be construed as a problem?

Thanks,

 

[McKBrew]

Most rules specifically state that marked bottles are not acceptable as well.

 

[uwjester]

Bummer. I've got a lambic/farmhouse ale that I've been aging for over a year, but they are in the marked bottles. What do you think? Go for it and be prepared for rejection, or save the beer for myself?

 

[kebrown]

I would go for it...

 

[babalu87]

Most rules specifically state that marked bottles are not acceptable as well.

From the rules for the NHC

1. What kind of bottle is required?
BEER entries must be in bottles that are brown or green glass only, 10 to 14 ounces in volume.
MEAD and CIDER entries must be in bottles that are brown, green, or clear glass, 10 to 14
ounces in volume. All bottles must be free of ink, paint, or paper labeling other than competition
entry labels. Obliterate any lettering or graphics on the cap with a permanent black marker.Bottles with Grölsch-type swing tops are not allowed. Corked bottles meeting the above
restrictions are acceptable; however, you must crimp a crown cap over the cork. Bottles with a
stopper and wire cage are acceptable. Bottles not meeting these requirements will be
disqualified.

I do think this needs to be addressed though.
Judges take liberty when they see a bottle with the raised logo.
I got mention on one of mine this year but no deductions occured
Just a DONT USE LOGO BOTTLES and !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More and more brewers are going with something on the bottle so it does need to be pointed out.

 

[Yooper]

Here are the rules for our own BJCP contest:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f20/bjcp-hbt-homebrew-competition-usa-only-118545/

See rule #4:
4.
Each entry shall consist of (2) two 10-12 oz. bottles. No swingtops, or plastic (PET) bottles; only crown capped bottles (except for Belgian styles, which may be corked and wired).
Bottles may be brown or green glass, and should be free of any labels, or any other identifying marks. Bottle caps must be either plain or blacked out with a magic marker.

You will probably be disqualified if you use bottles with "writing" on them.

 

[babalu87]

Here are the rules for our own BJCP contest:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f20/bjcp-hbt-homebrew-competition-usa-only-118545/

See rule #4:
4.
Each entry shall consist of (2) two 10-12 oz. bottles. No swingtops, or plastic (PET) bottles; only crown capped bottles (except for Belgian styles, which may be corked and wired).
Bottles may be brown or green glass, and should be free of any labels, or any other identifying marks. Bottle caps must be either plain or blacked out with a magic marker.

You will probably be disqualified if you use bottles with "writing" on them.

This is what I take issue with.

Bottles with some sort of raised lettering are becoming more and more ubiquitous, finding/avoding them isnt exactly impossible but it is getting more and more difficult.

What I miss more than anything is the heavy duty bar boxes with the heavy duty 12 and 16 oz bottles.
I have some of the 16 and those never leave the house

Yes, those are Shaeffer beer bottle boxes

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[bob1852]

I submitted a RedHook bottle to a BCJP event. The judge noted "not appropriate to use a red hook bottle" on the score sheet, but I didn't get dinged any points for it.

I plan on always keeping at least a 6er of plain ol' brown bottles for future entries though.

 

[srm775]

many judges won't take bottles with any sort of markings, whether it's a part of the glass or not. Definitely not with labels on them ... that's simply too easy to get rid of to even be an issue. Swing tops are a definite no-no.

You may get lucky and the judge won't notice, care or choose to over look it.

 

[uwjester]

Well, I'd hoped to send the farmhouse in to the HBT competition, but I guess I'll just try my luck with that one locally. I really wanted the feedback more than anything on that one. I suppose I can wait for a swap, but then I'll be sending a fairly specific style to someone who may or may not like that vs. a judge who is more likely to be into that style. Maybe next year.

 

[conpewter]

I've had to specifically pick out bottles without logos for competitions as well. I wonder how hard it is to grind glass? Doesn't have to be pretty, just obscured.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

I've only entered one contest that specifically addressed this issue, and it was in the positive. It was here in OR and I don't know of many breweries here that are bottling 12ozers that DON'T have some sort of raised logo, lettering, etc and the contest addressed this. Stating that with the increasing difficulty to find smooth bottles that these were OK.

That said, when I'm getting ready to bottle for competitions I go to Costco and get a case of SNP.

 

[Bokonon]

I've had to specifically pick out bottles without logos for competitions as well. I wonder how hard it is to grind glass? Doesn't have to be pretty, just obscured.

I'd say that a ground up bottle would be more of an identifier than leaving it behind. If a judge knew you used sam adams bottles he might not know which is yours if there were a few SA bottles in the flight. If a judge knew that you put a grinder to your bottles then it would be obvious which it was

 

[babalu87]

Until I hear someone get docked points for an "embossed" glas beer its Warsteiner, Sam Adams ETC for me

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Seems to me finding & using plain bottles for a competition is a non-issue. You've already put in all the time, effort and money to brew the best you can brew, if you can't find any acceptable commercial bottles (filled with a tasty beverage) at your local store, you can always get some (new & empty) from your lcl or online HBS. Is anyone actually going sit there & say they can't scrounge up an extra $10 for competition bottles & plain caps? That's my 2 cents worth. Regards, GF.

 

[uwjester]

Seems to me finding & using plain bottles for a competition is a non-issue. You've already put in all the time, effort and money to brew the best you can brew, if you can't find any acceptable commercial bottles (filled with a tasty beverage) at your local store, you can always get some (new & empty) from your lcl or online HBS. Is anyone actually going sit there & say they can't scrounge up an extra $10 for competition bottles & plain caps? That's my 2 cents worth. Regards, GF.

I understand exactly what you are saying. But I think your argument can be used to support the embossed bottles as well. When I bottled the batch I want to enter, over a year ago, I didn't even consider the implications of entering it in a competition. I chose the bottles I did for two reasons. I like O'Dells brews and had several of the bottles, and I wanted to put my beer, which I had put time, money, and effort into, in the best presentation available to me. I like serving my beer out of these bottles because I feel it adds a finish to a product I am proud of. The kicker to this situation is that I did have some in regular bottles that I drank first so I could share the nicer ones with friends and family.

I'm not anywhere near saying I can't scrounge up an extra $10 for bottles. I am bottling everything else I have to submit in the plain brown bottles. But I'm not going to ruin a good beer by pouring my embossed bottle into a competition worthy vessel.

I'm not complaining about unfairness here or asking anyone for special treatment or anything. I asked the question because I'm not spending time and money to send a beer to a competition that won't judge it. There are only so many of these and if I can't enter it, I'm going to drink it. I just wanted clarification is all.