How many beer go to the final round in the NHC?

[Sleepy_D]

I haven’t participated in this before so I was wondering if they said how many beers go to the final round in each of the categories. Is it something like the top 3 in each category at each regional site go on or something like that?

 

[Bobby_M]

Yes.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Is it something like the top 3 in each category at each regional site go on or something like that?

NHC has an "Entrant Handbook" that answers the question. This topic (link) will get you to it.

 

[jdauria]

Yes top 3 in each category...but the categories are NHC special categories, not like you would see in a normal comp. For example, Table 3 Pilsner includes Czech Pale Lager, Czech Premium Pale Lager, German Pils, Pre-Prohibition Pils and New Zealand Pils. So with 9 regionals, you are looking at 27 beers making finals in one NHC style category, assuming each region awards all three places (need to score at least a 30 to place). If you are lucky to make finals, those 27 beers would most likely be spread out between 3 tables of judges...the judges then pick the best 3-4 from each table to move on to the award round...then they go through the table "winners) and eliminate beers one by one in a Best in Show format, until they have the 3 medalists remaining. 4 years in a row (not counting the year NHC was canceled), I have been lucky to have beers make that award round, only to not medal. Hoping this is the year to finally get over the hump!

 

[CascadesBrewer]

but the categories are NHC special categories, not like you would see in a normal comp. For example, Table 3 Pilsner includes Czech Pale Lager, Czech Premium Pale Lager, German Pils, Pre-Prohibition Pils and New Zealand Pils.

Is that info listed somewhere? Which categories will get lumped together? Or is that finalized after registration closes?

 

[AlexKay]

Here's a direct link to the entrant handbook. Categories are a bit more than halfway through.

The categories just make a heck of a lot of sense. Judge rauchbier with the smoked beers, pre-prohibition porter with the porters, and so on. Given enough entries to avoid combining categories, I don't know why all competitions don't work this way.

 

[jdauria]

Is that info listed somewhere? Which categories will get lumped together? Or is that finalized after registration closes?

It's in the handbook that AlexKay linked too.