Bottling for NAHB Competition

[Zenmeister]

Hey all, I am entering the NAHB 2025 competition, and am curious on how you all handle your bottling "strategy" for this, especially with the not unreasonable expectation that you are going to win it all. This means that not only will you have to submit your marvelous creation to a regional competition, but after winning that (of course!) you will have to submit another heavenly brew for the national competition, which of course you will win...

Unfortunately, in that lag time between judging you totally expect that whatever is left of your original beer will have been heartily and happily consumed before you get the notice that you won and need to submit more samples. So, do you...
A). Just bottle up all six bottles up front, even tho the three that will go to the nationals will not be as fresh as they will have been in the bottle a while.
B). Make sure you and your friends don't consume the last of the submitted beer out of the keg. This is dangerous as my friends and I

1: Have no will power and will drink until the foam flows​

2: I am never really sure how much is left in the keg anyways​

C). Just brew another batch when you get the happy notice to submit more. Dangerous because there may not be enough time to have it finish correctly before the national judging, and will it really be the exact same?

Thoughts???

Cheers
The Zenmeister!

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Thoughts???

D) Brew the 2nd batch with the necessary lead time needed to arrive at national judging in peak condition. If you don't win at the regional level, you'll still have a great beer!

 

[CascadesBrewer]

It will depend a lot on the style.

• You would likely want to rebrew anything hoppy (NEIPA, IPA, Pale Ale, etc.).
• It might be best just to rebrew any quick turn around beer (Cream Ale, Dark Mild, etc.)
• Clearly you are not going to rebrew your barley wine, mixed culture sour, or any high ABV and long turn around beer.
• Some style will age gracefully (Stout, Porter, etc.). In that case, I would bottle now and store in the back of my fridge.
• Some style might sit in grey area. Depending on your process, you might not have time to turn around a lager style if you wait until the first round results are in. If you enjoy the beer, and don't mind brewing it again, just time a rebrew so it will be ready for the 2nd round.

 

[MaxStout]

If you don't win at the regional, look over the critiques on the score sheets, adjust your 2nd batch accordingly and submit to the national.

 

[Zenmeister]

If you don't win at the regional, look over the critiques on the score sheets, adjust your 2nd batch accordingly and submit to the national.

Actually Max, that's a great idea. National is in June, Regionals are in April. That should actually give me enough time to make, ferment drink and bottle a great beer.

 

[BrewZer]

If you don't win at the regional, look over the critiques on the score sheets, adjust your 2nd batch accordingly and submit to the national.

I don't think you can enter the nationals unless your beer was selected to advance at the regionals...

 

[Zenmeister]

I don't think you can enter the nationals unless your beer was selected to advance at the regionals...

Unfortunately I think you are right. Well, hell, I think I'm just gonna brew another batch of my future soon to be gold medal winning golden concoction.
(I'm a bit of an optimist, and a Salesman!!!)

 

[BrewZer]

Unfortunately I think you are right. Well, hell, I think I'm just gonna brew another batch of my future soon to be gold medal winning golden concoction.
(I'm a bit of an optimist, and a Salesman!!!)

Good luck!