Bottling for Competition

[whovous]

I just finished carbing an IIPA that I want to enter in a local homebrew competition. Judging is April 9.

Should I bottle as soon as possible, while the beer is freshest? Or should I bottle as close as possible to the competition date because beer keeps better in a keg?

Or does none of this really matter?

 

[LLBeanJ]

I always wait to bottle as long as I can. I'm more concerned with oxidation and possible infection that can occur at bottling than I am with losing flavor due to age.

 

[ba-brewer]

I agree with what LLBeanJ said, it also helps to plan or schedule the beer to be at it's peak when bottling.

I took a break from competitions last year as I was tired of almost empty kegs taking up space in the cooler.

 

[whovous]

Thanks for the advice. My schedule is a weird one, so I don't get to brew nearly as often as I'd like to brew. I won't get another opportunity in time for the competition.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I'm doing two fro the national homebrew competition. I set up my schedule so that they'd be peak at bottling, then shipped the next day. The thing that sucks is that they're due at the judging site on Mar 30 but judging isn't until April 22-22. Oh well, everyone else will have the same issue so it's a level playing field. It does put a premium on managing oxidation though....