Considering Entering First Contest - Seeking Advice

[Jiffster]

Hey Folks,
I've been brewing for 10 month's now and I've come a long way..... farther than I could have imagined (or seemed possible) when I first started.

I have soooo much to learn but I'm hungry (or should I say "thirsty") to become a better brewer.

I've yet to brew my first recipe crafted by myself completely from scratch but I'm really enjoying brewing other's recipes, modifying them slightly at times and learning from the process.

I've really been considering entering a contest just to see what I can learn from the process and feedback but I have zero idea of how to start.

If anyone has any advice or could point me to some threads, sites, etc., I would appreciate it a great deal.

Prost!

 

[BeardedBrews]

http://www.bjcp.org/apps/comp_schedule/competition_schedule.php

One option is to jump straight into a BJCP contest. I did, and it was certainly exciting. I got some decent feedback and at least had some flaws identified that I didn't pick up myself.

A good first step is to find a local home brew club:
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/community/clubs/find-a-homebrew-club/

Attend a local meeting, meet some of the folks and get a feel for the "vibe". If you feel welcome, consider joining (the dues are usually less than the price of a few pints). If you don't feel welcome, move on. A good home brew club will go out of their way to make a newcomer feel welcome, if you don't get that, I wouldn't waste my time.

The home brew club likely has one or more BJCP certified judges that will be at the meeting and willing to taste your beer. This feedback can be as good as a competition, plus you get to drink the same beer at the same time. You don't have to worry that your bottle was mis-handled, and if you get a dud bottle you can see that too.