I spent the last four days with over 200 heathens at an annual event run by a local kindred. Now, mead is very important to heathens, and as I was walking around with my horn and my bottles, I met many brewers. Many good words, good brews, and good frith was shared. One thing about every one said was "Man, there are a lot of brewer's here...I wish JBK could get a mead competition for our Midwest Thing going!" When I brought it up to my chieften, I was charged with bringing up a bullet point presentation of how to get that done...so here I am!
One thing that is very important to us at this event is keeping it a folk building exercise in everything that goes on. So we were thinking instead of a panel of judges made of Cheiftens, Gothi, Lawspeakers, and so on, having a table set up for each category and as our other competitions and games go on, give EVERYONE to chance to come up, take a small sip of each thing, and make a vote for their favorite.
This would not be brewer's brewing technical amazing things for other brewers to sniff and gargle and make notes of esters and phenols and honey character, but us, the brewers of the kindred presenting our hard work to the folk. I still want there to be comments available though, as that does help a brewer to grow more than "I got 20 marbles, but that bottle got 40"
So, the basics I need to come up with:
1. I think (for at least a year or two when the number of people organizing the mead tables is probably going to be me and whichever sucker I can pull in that day) three categories. Traditionals, melomels, others. Any comments?
2. We average about 200 adult heathens every year, and growing, but not everyone drinks. How many bottles does each brewer need to bring of their competition brew to fill, say, 100-150 small cups? (Say 750 ml wine bottles)
3. Comment cards, one for each category? How do I make it long enough depending on how many bottle I get? And how do I get the comments BACK to the brewer?!! One small optional one for each bottle?
4. One bottle per brewer per category (3 bottles max at that point) We have Mjolnir kindred...they're an empire. We called them that all weekend. They could take over without limits.
5. PRIZE?! WHAT?! And please, something I could get/figure out/make!
6. Any other comments from those that have been to, run, organized a competition! I have a year, but realistically I have a month or two to get the details down, a few more months to get the info OUT, and after that it's all planning and working for next year's LATP!
THANKS!
One thing that is very important to us at this event is keeping it a folk building exercise in everything that goes on. So we were thinking instead of a panel of judges made of Cheiftens, Gothi, Lawspeakers, and so on, having a table set up for each category and as our other competitions and games go on, give EVERYONE to chance to come up, take a small sip of each thing, and make a vote for their favorite.
This would not be brewer's brewing technical amazing things for other brewers to sniff and gargle and make notes of esters and phenols and honey character, but us, the brewers of the kindred presenting our hard work to the folk. I still want there to be comments available though, as that does help a brewer to grow more than "I got 20 marbles, but that bottle got 40"
So, the basics I need to come up with:
1. I think (for at least a year or two when the number of people organizing the mead tables is probably going to be me and whichever sucker I can pull in that day) three categories. Traditionals, melomels, others. Any comments?
2. We average about 200 adult heathens every year, and growing, but not everyone drinks. How many bottles does each brewer need to bring of their competition brew to fill, say, 100-150 small cups? (Say 750 ml wine bottles)
3. Comment cards, one for each category? How do I make it long enough depending on how many bottle I get? And how do I get the comments BACK to the brewer?!! One small optional one for each bottle?
4. One bottle per brewer per category (3 bottles max at that point) We have Mjolnir kindred...they're an empire. We called them that all weekend. They could take over without limits.
5. PRIZE?! WHAT?! And please, something I could get/figure out/make!
6. Any other comments from those that have been to, run, organized a competition! I have a year, but realistically I have a month or two to get the details down, a few more months to get the info OUT, and after that it's all planning and working for next year's LATP!
THANKS!