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Saint Louis Brews Happy Holiday Homebrew Competition

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STLBrewer

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Feb 13, 2009
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St. Louis, MO
Hopefully nobody minds me posting this here...

This is a quick link to anyone that is a homebrewer of Beer, Mead or Cider ( BJCP categories 1-28 ).

It is an AHA and MCAB recognized competition and is also a part of the Midwest Homebrewer of the Year circuit.

Check out the link...the BOS prize is a 1/2 Barrel capacity CONICAL!!! :eek:

http://happyholidayhomebrewcompetition.blogspot.com/

Thanks for your time and I hope posting this doesn't make anyone mad...it is my home club, in case anyone wondered.
 
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STLBrewer

NewBee
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Feb 13, 2009
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St. Louis, MO
It's only two 12 ounce...I have seen so many competitions lately ask for three that it's almost ridiculous! But I do totally understand what you're saying!!
 
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YogiBearMead726

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Aug 21, 2010
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San Francisco, CA
STLBrewer said:
It's only two 12 ounce...I have seen so many competitions lately ask for three that it's almost ridiculous! But I do totally understand what you're saying!!
Click to expand...

Haha, yeah, my buddy entered one where they wanted four 12oz bottles of his beer, per entry. It was a bit excessive. I'm just more miffed because more bottles means more weight in the package I send. San Diego to St. Louis. At least I'll send them before the last possible second like I did before...cost me $70 to overnight my mead to the last competition I entered and I'm not making that mistake again. :p
 
Oskaar

Oskaar

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Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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The OC
Are meads and ciders given serious consideration for BoS? There are a number of competitions that will not award BoS to a Mead or Cider in a "Homebrew" competition.

That isn't ever a stated policy, or published, but there are plenty of BJCP judges that feel that way, and they will ding a mead or cider in order to ensure they will not wine BoS.

The good news is that many competitions now award separate BoS for Mead and Cider.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
Oskaar

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
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Dec 26, 2004
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STLBrewer said:
It's only two 12 ounce...I have seen so many competitions lately ask for three that it's almost ridiculous! But I do totally understand what you're saying!!
Click to expand...

I can't speak for other competitions but the Mazer Cup asks for three 12 oz bottles for a very good reason.

We do three rounds which consist of the first round of judging, the medal round, and then the best of show. If you only send two bottles and one gets broken in transit you only have one bottle to go through three rounds and a minimum of two judges in the the first round and 3-5 judges each in the medal and BoS rounds. It also means that your open bottle will be sitting around until the end of the first round, the medal round and possibly into the BoS round. Problem is the bottle is usually empty by the end of the medal round. This has happened twice in the Mazer Cup.

Time is a key factor in pettilant and sparkling meads, and the longer they sit open, the less effervescence that remains for the next round, which will result in knocks for not meeting the level of carbonation.

The larger issue is that we get so many entries that special handling is just not an option. We're spread very thin and trying to judge to the exception isn't feasible.

Hope that helps,

Oskaar
 
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YogiBearMead726

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Aug 21, 2010
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San Francisco, CA
This definitely helps clarify things, thanks Oskaar. I can safetly say that I would rather send three bottles than not be able to be judged. Also, that is a concern about not being able to get a BoS for mead/cider. I know that the San Diego County Fair awards separate BoS for the two, but it would be a shame to enter a potential winner, only to have it get marked down due to politics of brewing...
 
S

STLBrewer

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 13, 2009
173
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0
St. Louis, MO
Oskaar said:
Are meads and ciders given serious consideration for BoS? There are a number of competitions that will not award BoS to a Mead or Cider in a "Homebrew" competition.

That isn't ever a stated policy, or published, but there are plenty of BJCP judges that feel that way, and they will ding a mead or cider in order to ensure they will not wine BoS.

The good news is that many competitions now award separate BoS for Mead and Cider.

Cheers,

Oskaar
Click to expand...

Oskaar,

You are right in that on the mead/cider side the conical is NOT the BoS prize...thank you for bringing that up. This is for the BoS for beer...

Come to think of it, I have not heard the prize for the Mead/Cider BoS...I need to look into that!!!!!

That said, I know that there are still quite a few on this forum (myself included) that brew beer as well as making meads/ciders.

Oh, and I totally get that with the 3 bottles per entry, Oskaar...I just don't like sending all my goodies off!

Hopefully this clears some misconceptions!
 
D

DaleP

NewBee
Registered Member
Nov 30, 2008
199
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0
Webster Groves, Mo
Last year the BOS for meads and cider was a $50 gift certificate to Northern Brewer at the HHHC, not sure what this years will be, but something similar.
For the average homebrew competition, two bottles of mead are plenty, one 12 ounce bottle for the first round, even if there is a mini best of show works, then a new bottle for the second round. I've been looking into entering some meads in some wine competitions, just to see how the judges comments vary, most (even some of the bigger ones) ask for only one 750 ml bottle, which is basically two beer bottles, so two bottles should work. I'll admit, I enter very few competitions that call for 3 or more bottles, entry fees are one thing, but my prescios mead.....
 
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