Time for a Brewnoser beer competition

[derek]

OK, it's time we started talking about a Brewnoser competition.

Jeff wants one, I want one, and we have a whole bunch of newly semi-qualified judges who need to start getting their judging points.

I have some experience organizing amateur wine-making competition, so I'm willing to organize a beer event. I'm sure Jeff, Tracy, and maybe Craig, can be coerced into judging, alongside most of our recent BJCP qualifiers.

It makes sense to have it coincide with our annual Hoptoberfest.

All I really need to make this work is a venue. I actually have space to host a competition at my home, but I doubt anybody really wants to trek out here to do it! We need somewhere with space for at least 3 well-lit tables, and a few support staff to move around them. If somebody can find somewhere convenient to downtown, I'll get on the promotion end of things.

[Tony L]

Are you going to start with an open comp where entries from across Canada would be accepted? Big undertaking, but I have faith in Brewnosers helping out.

[GAM]

I'm in and will volunteer as much time as I can. I could likely brow beat some beer friends in to helping out as well.

Mr Nash may also be interested in being a judge.

Sandy

[mr x]

Need to work out some other details. How many categories, etc...

Sent from Tapatalk 2, a prick of a company.

[derek]

Are you going to start with an open comp where entries from across Canada would be accepted? Big undertaking, but I have faith in Brewnosers helping out.

Definitely. It's not that huge an undertaking - I need to get the word out to the clubs, and someone designated to receive couriered entries. Beyond that it's not much different from a local competition.

Need to work out some other details. How many categories, etc...

Nope. Well, maybe the "etc", but "categories" is any BJCP class people send us.

[mr x]

I think that might be a bit big to start with. I was thinking 5-7 categories might be a better start. I don't see the sense from a competition point of view to judging categories that get 2 entries.

[Tony L]

I don't see the sense from a competition point of view to judging categories that get 2 entries.

Those get collapsed into another category close to the one they enter.
For example 2 entries into American IPA could be judged with American APA etc.

[RubberToe]

IIRC it's not uncommon to combine categories if there aren't many entries.

[Tony L]

IIRC it's not uncommon to combine categories if there aren't many entries.

That is right. Every entry is judged against the BJCP category in which it is entered, but if the flight is collapsed, it is scored with brews from another category and then the three medals are awarded, if they get the necessary points to score a medal.

[derek]

I think that might be a bit big to start with. I was thinking 5-7 categories might be a better start. I don't see the sense from a competition point of view to judging categories that get 2 entries.

You don't have to give prizes for every category (or, as near as I can tell from lots of other competitions, prizes for any category!), and you don't have to judge flights of 1 beer, even if there are classes with only one entry - we just have flights with multiple classes.

The real purpose of this competition is to ensure our new judges get BJCP points: which they need to become full judges. Given that we have 12 new judges, bigger is better.

(of course, since this is the Brewnosers, and around Hoptoberfest, Tony's example of a shortage of IPAs seems a little unlikely!)

[mr x]

I still believe a targeted comp (just to begin with) of fewer popular categories would be a better idea for the quality of entries. I think it would also be better for judging skills to have a lot of brews in the same category to work with.

[chalmers]

Thanks Derek for stepping up and volunteering to organize. I'm very happy to assist and/or judge the event.

Do we wait to get the result of the Exam before we start organizing, or just do it? Of course all/most/some of us will have passed, but we don't know when we will have confirmation that we are judges (rather than provisional ones).

Maybe you could spam the BJCP list we had going, as at least a few of the folks were not on the board frequently.

[Tony L]

(of course, since this is the Brewnosers, and around Hoptoberfest, Tony's example of a shortage of IPAs seems a little unlikely!)

Unlikely in any comp. Usually IPA's and APA's attract the most entries. It was just an example as I'm sure you were aware.

[akr71]

Whether it is all styles or a select few, we should make damned sure that there are plenty of Brewnoser entries. Let's make sure our beer is the freshest and is not subjected to questionable handling during transit.

[Tony L]

Let's make sure our beer is the freshest and is not subjected to questionable handling during transit.

Easy for you to say, Time I pack mine up, put it on the oxcart to get it to the post office. Then the pissed off posties beat it around to see if there is anything to break inside. After it passes that test, they send it along making sure it suffers the highest heat and the most abuse they can expose it to in a few hours.

[CartoonCod]

Thanks Derek for stepping up and volunteering to organize. I'm very happy to assist and/or judge the event.

Do we wait to get the result of the Exam before we start organizing, or just do it? Of course all/most/some of us will have passed, but we don't know when we will have confirmation that we are judges (rather than provisional ones).

Maybe you could spam the BJCP list we had going, as at least a few of the folks were not on the board frequently.

I'm up for assisting and judging the event.

[derek]

Do we wait to get the result of the Exam before we start organizing, or just do it? Of course all/most/some of us will have passed, but we don't know when we will have confirmation that we are judges (rather than provisional ones).

I haven't actually managed to find anything that says we absolutely have to have any fully-qualified judges, but having passed the online test, we're all eligible to judge, at least with a full BJCP judge. But of course we're all going to pass the taste test, too...

Anyway, there's no need to wait, and since BJCP actually wants 90 days notice, and I have just realized that that already takes us to the end of September, I'd want to register the competition as soon as we find a venue.

I'm hoping you're scheduled to go to Newfoundland sometime in the next three months so that Tony can avoid using the oxcart.

[chalmers]

Sounds good, organize away!

I'm actually on the Rock now, but on the wrong side to help Tony. I think I will be back in July or August, though.

[BBrianBoogie]

I'm in for helping/judging.

[LiverDance]

What about hooking up with Propeller and using there tasting room to do it?

[John G]

I'm in for organizing and judging too. Sounds like a great idea for us new judges to get started with gaining experience as well as offering an east coast competition to all interested.

[CorneliusAlphonse]

I'm interested in helping out as well.

[derek]

What about hooking up with Propeller and using there tasting room to do it?

Jeff Pinhey says he can arrange a venue. I expect it can't be done at a brewery - just consider the hoops Rockbottom had to jump to sell growlers. Drinking homebrew in a brewery is certainly, technically, illegal. The NSLC has the authority to waive just about any part of the law, but we've hosted the Canadian Amateur Winemakers competition twice in Wolfville, and the NSLC hasn't been terribly helpful.

[benwedge]

What about hooking up with Propeller and using there tasting room to do it?

Jeff Pinhey says he can arrange a venue. I expect it can't be done at a brewery - just consider the hoops Rockbottom had to jump to sell growlers. Drinking homebrew in a brewery is certainly, technically, illegal. The NSLC has the authority to waive just about any part of the law, but we've hosted the Canadian Amateur Winemakers competition twice in Wolfville, and the NSLC hasn't been terribly helpful.

Garrison holds theirs in a brewery. The issue at Propeller may be capacity. What about Hart & Thistle? If we're talking October it may be quiet enough there mid-week that they'd love to have us, like they did for the Bacon-off a few years back. They would have closed were it not for our crowd.

[sleepyjamie]

Will you guys stop helping out! No one will be able to enter !