Occasionally we post notices about homebrew competitions here and in our discussion areas. If you are a newer home brewer you may have heard people talking about competitions and judging but you may not really know what they are all about. The short answer is that home brew competitions are an organized way for home brewers to receive feedback on their beer from people who have studied beer styles and beer defects and have taken certification exams to test their knowledge. The BJCP, or Beer Judge Certification Program is the organization that oversees most competitions, provides guidelines on beer styles and provides certification exams to potential beer judges.
If you are interested in becoming a better brewer, or learning more about beer in general, you should look into home brew competitions. Entering your beers is a great way to get honest feedback about your beer, what problems are in your beers and how you may go about trying to eliminate some of those problems. In addition to entering your beers, volunteering at a home brew competition is a fantastic way to interact with other experienced home brewers and to learn about the home brew competition process. There are lots of volunteer positions that require no previous knowledge, experience or certification!
Here are a few upcoming homebrew competitions you may want to consider entering, or volunteering to help at! If you have questions about any of these, feel free to ask on our email list or facebook page, or ask any of the club leadership for more information!
State Fair Homebrew Competition
If you have time this weekend, there may still be a need for volunteers to help at the State Fair Homebrew Competition. Judging starts, Friday the 15th so you have to act quick. Send an email to [email protected] immediately for more information. Note: Signup on the web has been disabled so if you want to help, email now.
Beer Dabbler Home Brew Competition
If you are thinking of attending the Summer Beer Dabbler on September 6, consider entering a homebrewed beer into the Beer Dabbler Summer Home Brew Competition. The entries are dropped off at the beer festival and winners announced the same day!
Byggvir’s Big Beer Cup Home Brew Competition
At the end of September is the Renaissance Festival Home Brew Competition. This is a home brew competition with judging happening at the Renaissance Festival. This competition is specifically geared to newer brewers and to introduce people to beer judging. It’s a perfect opportunity to get feedback as a brewer and to see what a homebrew competition is all about.