Black Box Challenge

Past, present, and upcoming competitions, as well as award winners!
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Jayme
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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Jayme » Tue Mar 15, 2016 8:55 pm

Keep in mind there is the presentation score, and the subjective score - the sheets sent out were only 40% of the total. I was kind of hoping we'd get some feedback on that stuff too, but doesn't seem like it.
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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by CPR » Tue Mar 22, 2016 5:01 pm

As a judge I'll say one thing I was hoping we'd get more from, presentation-wise, is the reason WHY brewers made the beers they did. Of course, "it's the beer I want to drink" is always the best answer, and I totally respect that (it's why I brew what I brew, too), but I would love it if brewers would consider more where their beers would sit in the market. I'm speaking as a publican here: why would XX beer be the best thing to put on line 7 here, or at some other bar, say, on a given day? What beers styles are currently underrepresented in the market, or represented poorly generally by the existing commercial brewers? I know we all have opinions there ;)

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Jayme » Tue Mar 22, 2016 6:07 pm

Yeah I got the impression afterwards that the intent was less of a brew day presentation, but more of a marketing pitch. Which is totally fair. I will also not attempt to make a video again without multiple file types and my own backup device to play it on. Definitely need to work more on the presentation next year. Funny how I am cool as a cucumber when presenting technical details on multi-million dollar contracts, but freeze up solid presenting a beer for fun!
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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by CPR » Fri Mar 25, 2016 10:12 am

Nah you guys were awesome :)

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Bowserm » Wed Mar 30, 2016 7:40 pm

You know when it said brew day presentation/pictures, I wasn't thinking about the "selling" portion of the product. To me the sale of it was in the taste of the products you as judges were tasting.

Mind you looking back on it I really wish I could have done mine over because I feel I left out quite a bit of details regardless if it made a difference.

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by LiverDance » Fri Jan 27, 2017 3:09 pm

2017 edition - Details here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/boxing-rock ... 1485652434" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Twenty years ago — a time, by the way, that hops such as Simcoe and Citra were already being developed, but weren’t about to find immediate popularity — there wasn’t a brewer on earth who would have gone to the annual Hop Growers of American convention and said, “I’m going to have a beer that we make 4,000 barrels of, one time a year. It flies off the shelf at damn near $20 a six-pack, and you know what it smells like? It smells like your cat ate your weed and then pissed in the Christmas tree.” - Bell’s Brewery Director of Operations John Mallet on the scent of their popular Hopslam.

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by amartin » Fri Jan 27, 2017 3:29 pm

I'm in. 21 left!

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by amartin » Fri Jan 27, 2017 3:30 pm

Sign up! It was a fun time last year.

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Ruby » Fri Jan 27, 2017 6:10 pm

So pissed off I missed last year's challenge that I was on this one like a dog on a leg.
Give a man a beer, and he'll waste an hour. Teach a man to brew, and he'll waste a lifetime.

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by GAM » Fri Jan 27, 2017 6:34 pm

I'm in.

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Jayme » Fri Jan 27, 2017 7:44 pm

Also in. Now have a deadline to figure out how we want to brew in the new house/figure out where the hell everything is!
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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by jacinthebox » Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:33 pm

We are in
Brathair Brewing



Brew Hard...Stay Humble

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Celiacbrew » Fri Jan 27, 2017 9:33 pm

And I'm in. Anybody know roughly how long from picking up the boxes to submitting?
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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by amartin » Fri Jan 27, 2017 9:37 pm

I think you just bring it to day of the presentation, on March 19.

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Celiacbrew » Fri Jan 27, 2017 10:03 pm

When do we get the boxes?
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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by amartin » Fri Jan 27, 2017 11:51 pm

Facebook says Wednesday at stillwell.

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by chalmers » Sat Jan 28, 2017 12:07 am

There is a pre-judging happening before the big Mar 19 event, so the beer will be due before then. Stay tuned...

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by GAM » Sat Jan 28, 2017 9:39 am

I think we need more information.
Pickup - Wednesday the Feb 1?
# of bottles?
Drop off information?
First judging information? (Private? An event?)
Second judging Mar 19 @ Stillwell.

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Bowserm » Sat Jan 28, 2017 1:29 pm

Looks like not everyone will be doing presentations like last year? They are probably trying to clean up the very long day it was last year.

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by chalmers » Sat Jan 28, 2017 2:18 pm

I've reached out to Henry for more info, hope to hear soon.

And yes, trying to reduce the very long day we had. For everyone. :)

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by GAM » Sat Jan 28, 2017 3:41 pm

Thanks Chris.

S

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by oceanic_brew » Sun Jan 29, 2017 1:04 pm

I'm in! I think this is a very cool idea and was sad I missed it last year.

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by Woody » Sun Jan 29, 2017 9:52 pm

Competition's rarely interest me but any chance to brew a full size batch at a brewery is every home brewers dream. I'm good at talking but I bet it's hard as hell to give a presentation. I'd say something like I saw these ingredients and it's me in a glass. Considering where a beer fits in the market place and what is unrepresented would be hard for any home brewer unless we had any ingredients to pick from. I'd look at what I have in a box or my basment and just get a feeling for what I want to brew. I guess I really only brew for me and what I'm in the mood for and if entered I would do the same. I just brew so I'm proud to put my name on it. If I won't drink it I can say no one else will. Hmmmm decisions.

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by chalmers » Sun Jan 29, 2017 10:24 pm

BR's blog post is now up, more details: http://boxingrock.ca/blog/blackbox2017" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They have the pickup dates @ Stillwell as Feb 2-7, so be aware of that.
Six 12oz bottles (or equivalent volume). I bet if you are submitting growlers, they'll want a couple (1.0 litre maybe?), in case one isn't great, they can give you a second chance.

The entry price is a bit high ($64 after tax), but (a) half is being donated to charity, and (b) you'll get plenty of ingredients for two 20 litre batches, so that's a good deal.

"Final judging will be performed by a panel of both BJCP certified judges, certified Cicerones, media and industry professionals, including ourselves! Judging will include BJCP principles, but your presentation and story also counts towards your final score, so make it good. The entry with the highest total score will win."

9 spots left...

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Re: Black Box Challenge

Post by amartin » Sun Jan 29, 2017 11:05 pm

Thanks Chris. Do you know when the entries will be due? Should we be planning to brew next weekend?

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