TRASH XIX: Homebrew Competition
Posted by mike | Filed under Beer, Community, Links
Don’t be confused: this is a shameless plug. I’m currently involved in helping TRASH Homebrew Club pull of it’s 19th annual homebrew competition. If you brew beer and live anywhere near Pittsburgh, then you should definitely submit at least one entry. TRASH, the Three Rivers Alliance of Serious Homebrewers, is one of two local clubs that bring together homebrewers from across the area. The annual TRASH competition give anyone (even non-members) a chance to get professional feedback on the quality of their beer.
TRASH XIX: Annual Homebrew Competition
Entry Fee: $6 (plus three 12oz samples)
Entry Deadline: July 6
Competition Date: July 18
Is this an “event.” In short, no. That issue seems confuse people when they first hear about a competition (myself included). I like to think of this as a “mail-in competition.” Beer is difficult to ship (not to mention, expensive), so we have 6 drop-off locations throughout the area: 5 local homebrew shops and the competition site (Rivertowne Pour House). The competition itself is held at the Rivertowne Pour house on July 18th, and involves certified beer judges from around the area. They sample all the entries, rate them, and we select the award winners based on these ratings.
Professional feedback. If you brew beer (or do just about anything), then you know all about self-doubt. You are your own biggest critic, and brewing is no exception. You probably brew beer and notice every flaw (even the ones that don’t exist). Your friends are just happy to get free, half-way decent beer and they pile on the praise (“this is fantastic” and “great job”). What’s wrong with that? First, they’re your friend, they’re not going to say it sucks (because even flawed homebrew is pretty good). They’re also probably not certified beer judges and haven’t developed any real beer tasting skills or vocabulary. A competition overcomes that issue by giving you real, honest, and anonymized feedback. Judges have no idea who brewed what they’re drinking. They also carry a certification from the BJCP that can only be earned by passing a rather rigorous test.
Want to submit an entry? Good. I’m glad you understand. Just print out and complete out the entry packet available on the event web site and drop off three bottles of homebrew at any of the participating drop-off locations. Each entry requires three bottles, each wrapped with bottle identification form that has been attached with a rubber band. Drop them off with the entry form on or before July 6, and we take over from there. If your homebrew shop of choice isn’t open on July 6, then you better find time to drop it off on the last day it is open before the holiday weekend. Winners will be notified in the following week, and all participants will receive complete judge feedback. That feedback makes events like this just as much about education as they are competition.
When you make your next batch, be sure to bottle at least a few and drop them off at your local homebrew shop (or other participating drop-off locations).
