First Competition Coming Up...

[BradleyBrew]

Hey everyone I have decided to try my luck in a competition in a few weeks. I am entering a RIS, oatmeal stout, irish red, and a old ale. I'm not really looking to win any categories more for the feedback aspect of it. How do most competitions work? Do they always send you a score / feedback? Thanks! Stories??

 

[BradleyBrew]

nobody has any input on competitions...

 

[Tinga]

My first competition is this weekend. I signed up, labeled up my bottles, dropped them off and now I'm waiting. I'm not going to the award ceremony so I hope they mail the scores back to me.

Funny story though. I dropped off my entries at my favorite brew pub where they were taking entries. I guess they placed my bottles and a whole bunch of others on a shelf in the back. The shelf broke and they lost a ton of bottles. They called me to tell me and I dropped off another bottle (since only one broke) and they gave me a free growler for my troubles.

 

[SlimeyBooger]

My first competition is next weekend, so I have pretty much the same questions.

 

[BryceL]

I have only entered a couple. I'm glad I did and I got some pretty good/useful comments back from the judges. I had 3 judges review the same beer and they each fill out their own score card. All the comments were pretty consistent between the judges, so that was good confirmation for me. After reading the comments and tasting the beer again, I was able to pick up on some of their notes. I've heard some people complain about the feedback they get, I think it just totally depends on who happens to be judging. I would recommend giving it a shot...nothing to loose but a few beers.

 

[akimbo78]

Drunk Monk Challenge will be my first. Mail in submission, taboot. my stout was not ready in time for the local competition.

 

[dcp27]

Do they always send you a score / feedback? Thanks! Stories??

yes, well at least they're supposed to. you'll get score sheets from at least two judges for each entered beer. sometimes the feedback is consistent and useful, other times its not, so you just have to take from it what you can. good luck!

 

[xdalisx]

I am going to be entering 3 beers in my first comp next month World Cup Of Beer.

Same goal as you, so really hoping that I get the score sheets back as I probably won't make it to the presentation.

 

[Darwin18]

My advice for someone entering their first competition is to really do so for the feedback. Most of the beers I sent in when I first started came back with excellent advice on how to improve the beer. Sometimes you have a judge who barely fills it out, but most of the time you get very good and helpful feedback.

I would also like to remind new competition folk that your beers are going to be judged to the BJCP style standards. It doesn't matter if you send in a really awesome and delicious beer - if your beer isn't to that style, you will not score well.

Just have fun with it and see how it goes. If you get a ribbon so much the better.

 

[BradleyBrew]

My advice for someone entering their first competition is to really do so for the feedback. Most of the beers I sent in when I first started came back with excellent advice on how to improve the beer. Sometimes you have a judge who barely fills it out, but most of the time you get very good and helpful feedback.

I would also like to remind new competition folk that your beers are going to be judged to the BJCP style standards. It doesn't matter if you send in a really awesome and delicious beer - if your beer isn't to that style, you will not score well.

Just have fun with it and see how it goes. If you get a ribbon so much the better.

Hey thanks for the advice! That completely why I'm entering a competition is solely for the feedback. My friends and family all like my beers but i want some "real" feedback. Hope I get it...

 

[KYB]

One of my first beers I thought turned out better than it would so I entered one for feedback. Got 3rd place (FES). I had one certified judge out of 3, feedback was all over the place, but at least it was some feedback. I got a bronze medal, scoresheets, and a sticker I think.

I finally entered some more beers (almost 3 years later) in the Upper Mississippi Mash Out and got two 3rd places, and one 1st place (Irish Red). Results got delayed one week in mailing, so I am still anxiously awaiting those. My smoked porter got 3rd, and I just had one last night (it's been bottled from the keg for 1 year) and the carbonation was pretty low, so I bet I got points off for that. Hoping I get good feedback from all my beers. We'll see..

But yea, you should always get your scoresheets with feedback on them. Whether it's much feedback or not is hit or miss. I would think bigger competitions would have more better judges so you would be more likely to get better feedback. The first comp I entered was a fairly small one. The latest was pretty big, 1000 entries.

Edit: Got everything today. 2 judges/scoresheets per beer, good feedback from them all. I got 3 medals and 2 gift certificates for $10.