One of the most exciting and rewarding events in a homebrewer’s journey is entering and winning a homebrew competition. While competing is time-consuming but rewarding, who doesn’t love seeing their efforts recognized? There is nothing that compares to the satisfaction you feel from having people admire your outstanding homebrew.
Like everything else about brewing, winning competitions requires practice. Entering that first competition can be quite daunting. You are sure to be competing against brewers with more experience. You have to enter the right beer and make sure you meet all the requirements needed by the organizers. Because of this, many people write homebrew competitions off as impossible to win. That is not true! With proper planning and a little practice, you can compete, and you can win! Let’s discuss exactly what you need to do to enter, and win, a homebrew competition.
What are Homebrew Competitions?
Homebrew competitions provide amateur brewers with the opportunity to compete against other amateur brewers. Competitors enter their best recipes for a chance to win prizes and, more importantly, notoriety within the brewing community. They can also be a stepping stone for homebrewers looking to take their beer in front of a wider audience.
The art of brewing takes years and years to perfect. If you are considering entering a competition, there is little doubt you love brewing. Most likely, you are ready to take your skills to the next level. Sure, your local connections (friends, family, brewing club, etc.) will give you feedback, but this feedback can only go so far for many brewers. Entering a competition is a natural next step to upping your beer game and getting better at your craft. When you compete, you get unbiased, constructive criticism on both your faults and your strengths. This feedback is priceless. You will get the exact information you need from other beer lovers to make your beer better.
Of course, there is a competitive nature that also comes into play for many participants in these competitions. Who doesn’t want to win? But true beer enthusiasts also enter these competitions because they are fun. People join them to connect with the homebrewing community. These events are incredible places to network, which will give you a terrific chance to make connections with other beer enthusiasts outside the normal scope of your local homebrewing club.
Choose Your Homebrew Competition
If you are serious about competing, you may have your sights set on the big national competitions. There’s no better way to make a name for yourself as a brewer than winning your style category at one of these national events. However, these large events might not be the best first choice for a new competitor. The competition at these events is often fierce and filled with highly seasoned opponents. Most homebrewers will have an easier time starting with small local competitions. Start at city-level events, move up to regional events, and once you succeed there, you will inevitably be ready to take on the national events.
Research competition guidelines
Before you can choose an event, you must know what the judges are looking for. This can vary considerably from competition to competition, so it’s crucial to spend some time researching this. First, get a copy of the score sheet. Then study the score sheet closely. Make sure you understand every line and don’t make any assumptions.
While some of the items scored are bound to be black and white, others will be more subjective. For those more opinion-based items, you will want to get some additional feedback from your homebrew club or community. Ask your connections how they interpret those guidelines so you can be sure you understand what the judges are looking for. Before you decide to enter, you want to be certain that your beer or brewing style is a good fit for the event. While many elements will be “standard,” some expectations may vary from region to region. You must know what your regional judges’ preferences are. Study the past winners and research the judges before you decide to enter.
Choose a style or recipe to brew
Many would-be competitors already have a stellar recipe to put to the ultimate test. But don’t worry if you don’t. Choose a style category included in the competition, and start looking for a great recipe. Each competition produces a style guide, so use that as a starting point. Make sure that the style that you choose is a beer style you like drinking! If you aren’t a fan of a specific style, you might have difficulty identifying problems as you brew.
You should also be extremely familiar with whatever style to decide to attempt. You have to know it exceptionally well. So do your homework. Buy a book, scour the internet, and talk to every homebrewer you know. The goal is to make yourself an expert in that one style of beer.
Know the Competition Criteria
To win any homebrew competition, you have to make sure that you enter your beer into the correct category. Even after you are an expert in your style, placing your beer can prove tricky if you’ve chosen something that falls in between two categories. You need to pick the category that you have the best chance of winning. So, how do you decide which one that is? Take a look at some past winners of each of the categories you’re considering. If you can find the winner’s recipe, you can easily compare that recipe to your own. How is it similar or different? Find the winning formula that is the most similar to your own, and then enter that category! If you can’t find the winners’ recipes (not all competitions give those out), you can still typically rely on reviews or descriptions of the beer. If you honestly can’t decide, you might consider entering both.
Brew the Beer
Of course, you do have to brew the beer before you can win a homebrew competition. You do not have to be a homebrewing “pro” or have years of experience so long as you know how to brew. If you haven’t made it through the initial learning curve, you might want to consider waiting until you’ve had the time to practice and perfect your brewing routines. This doesn’t have to take years, as most homebrewers can easily pick up the technical skills with a few months of practice.
Plan on brewing a batch specifically for your competition. Don’t rush to enter that great brew that you made a few months ago, no matter how much everyone loves it. This will also you to time your brew around the competition deadlines. Remember, if your beer is past its prime, it won’t perform as well. It also won’t perform well if you don’t allow enough time for aging. Put together a timeline of how long each step of the process will take. Identify your point of peak consumption and play your brewing around that. Careful planning will ensure that your entry tastes the best it possibly can once it reaches the judges.
During every step of your process, taste your brew and tweak your recipe to be sure it matches the style guidelines. Keep tasting your beer right up to the day the judges make their decision. Of course, to do this, you will need to be sure you still have a few extra bottles. Doing this will let you know precisely how your beer is aging. This pro tip will help you identify or rule out possible shipment or storage issues. You might also consider doing a “test run” before the competition. Recreate the shipping and storage conditions as much as possible. This test run will let you know any potential transportation concerns before you even send it away.
Bottling Your Entry
How you bottle your beer is nearly as important as the beer itself. Most events have specific guidelines on presentation. To win any competition, you must take the time to make sure that all those guidelines are followed.
The bottles you choose should be appropriate for the style of beer you are making. If you have researched your style well, you will know which type of glass bottles to use. Do not use any labels on your bottles (unless the rules specifically say otherwise). The type of cap you use must match the type of bottle. Typically, caps should either be unlabeled or have the label blackened out. Finally, take steps to ensure that your bottles are as clean as possible when they arrive in the judge’s hands.
Enter the Competition
Now that you have got your beer brewed and know which competition you’re entering, it’s time to enroll as an official competitor. The first step is getting a copy of the official entry form to send with your submission. These can usually be found online or by reaching out directly to the host. Of course, as with any other competition, there will be an entry deadline. Judging for most contests happens over several days or even weeks. You should expect any deadline to be 2 to 3 weeks before the official day of the contest. Typically, all the judging has occurred, and the winner has been chosen before the event officially happens.
Shipping Your Bottles
Eventually, you will need to get your bottled beer to the judges for the competition. You will most likely have to ship your bottles to the contest organizers. How you pack your bottles for their move can be vital to your chance of winning. The steps you take while packing your beer for shipment will affect your beer. Take the time to pack them right.
You will inevitably have to use the mail or another shipping service, and these companies don’t have the best reputation for being kind to packages. You need to take extra care to make sure that nothing arrives broken. Be sure to use plenty of tape and packing materials to keep anything from rattling around inside the box. The more padding, the better! Mark your boxes as glass and fragile. Also, be sure to tell your shipping company exactly how fragile the contents are. Of course, that doesn’t ensure that no one will throw your boxes around while they are traveling. Assume it’s not going to be handled with care. Also, make sure that all required forms and registration fees are included and accessible from the top of the box. Finally, check (and double-check) that you are shipping it in plenty of time, so it arrives before the deadline.
Other Tips
Winning a homebrew competition takes a considerable amount of time and planning. The process can often be overwhelming for new contestants. Luckily, there are no shortage of resources to help you navigate the world of competitive homebrewing.
Check Out Local Homebrew Clubs
Your local homebrew club is a great place to start when you need feedback on your brew. You are sure to find many members who are experienced at drinking and enjoying beer and experienced brewers themselves. If you aren’t a member of your local homebrewers club, you really should consider joining one. These clubs will offer you a broader group of beer lovers to give you feedback and constructive criticism. They will also likely help you fix any problems and help steer you toward better equipment/techniques. Can’t find a local homebrew club? Look into starting your own.
Find a Mentor
Having a seasoned pro to turn to as you prepare and brew for a competition can give you a huge leg up over the other participants. Having a mentor can keep you accountable for your process and help ensure you follow the judging guidelines. It will also give you someone to turn to when you inevitably have questions or need feedback.
Attend Beer Festivals
There is no better way to learn what judges are looking for than attending a beer festival. Since competitions are usually a part of these events, you can witness potential future competitors in action and interact with the judges. This can provide you a wealth of inside information you can use to your advantage once you’re ready to compete. These festivals can also expose you to other styles of beer or brewing methods that you might not be familiar with. Expanding your knowledge base is vital to producing award-winning beer as a homebrewer.
Conclusion
Of course, anyone who enters a competition wants to win. The reality, though, is that very few homebrewers win their first competition. Don’t let that discourage you. Designing recipes is only half the battle. As you get started, focus on the experience you gain. Every piece of feedback you get will make you a better beer maker. Not placing today can still work out in your favor if it brings you first place next time!