# Beertober



## taztiger (6/10/13)

Hi folks
Has anybody heard about the Beertober event being held in Devonport on the 19th October? I just heard it being advertised on the radio. It's at Roundhouse park on the foreshore, sort of a mini beerfest. It said a homebrew competition was part of the day. Notice is a bit short for getting a good brew together, stockpiles are bit notice after grand final day!
Here is the link
http://www.decc.net.au/shows/beer.html
Cheers
Taz


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## dago001 (6/10/13)

Not much information to go on is there. I could rustle up a few bottles for the homebrew comp, but theres no info about what to do with them.
More investigation required.
LB


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## taztiger (6/10/13)

Yep, very light on details and notice! I suppose the council might have a few more details. Google didn't come up with much.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (6/10/13)

Got nothing to use. Maybe a belgian but that's about it.

typically tassie, no idea unless it's someone who knows someone. Bummer.


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## Not For Horses (7/10/13)

I've got a few bottles of Irish Red left. If we can't find where to send them, I may just have to drink them.


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## itmechanic (7/10/13)

We will be there, hopefully it will be a good event if the weather is kind to us.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (9/10/13)

Okey dokey, finally obtained an entry form.

Can't seem to post a link or a file from work, so PM me your email address for a copy.

I'm not sure I'll enter it. The points system (and my lack of a really good beer), probably has finished me.

You get points from 100 for:

Appearance (10), After taste (20), Smell (10) and drinkability (30), which I have just noticed, does not add up to 100 points.

"Judges tastes and preferences" are the determing factor. I suppose, because homebrewers run such good, professional (for amateur) comps, that I expect the same outside of AABC sanctioned comps.


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## Kudzu (9/10/13)

Not that I know anything about home brewing comps but that looks like a points system put together by someone who's only experience with home brew is K&K fermented at 25C.

30 points if I can get it down without spewing!


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (9/10/13)

Kudzu said:


> Not that I know anything about home brewing comps but that looks like a points system put together by someone who's only experience with home brew is K&K fermented at 25C.
> 
> 30 points if I can get it down without spewing!


Yeah, sounds a bit like that.

I think I remember how professionally the QABC is run, and I'm sure the AABC and other state comps are the same. They know the style guidelines, they know what you're looking for, they use BJCP sheets, even if they aren't certified, they're on the right path.

Whereas "What does it smell like, can I drink it, does it leave kit twang in my mouth" and no style guidelines appears to be haphazard. 

Maybe if they'd consulted with the HB community? I know that at least with AHB, they'd bend over backward to help anything that promotes HB or assist another brewer. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Points for trying, though.


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## itmechanic (9/10/13)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> Yeah, sounds a bit like that.
> 
> I think I remember how professionally the QABC is run, and I'm sure the AABC and other state comps are the same. They know the style guidelines, they know what you're looking for, they use BJCP sheets, even if they aren't certified, they're on the right path.
> 
> ...


That's right, points for trying. At the end of the day we are a small state and people are only just beginning to take notice of home brewing down here.
3 years ago the Hobart beerfest brewing competition had over 80 entries and was a huge success, the next year there was only 10 or so entries and it hasn't been run since.
The first year of the Launceston beerfest brewing comp last year had around 12 entries which I thought was a bit disappointing, lets hope this year plays out better. Its a bit hard to fairly judge by category if there is only one entry in that category.

Brewing competitions in Tasmania aren't going to get any better if no one enters, we are lucky that people even go out of their way to have home brewing competitions at beer festivals.
I may run a commercial brewery, but I still am a home brewer. home brewing got me to where I am and its something I still love to do. I try and support the local home brewing community however I can, whether its through bulk buys or competition brewing prizes.

I just think that people need to step back and realise how small a state we live in, the brewing community in Tasmania has grown immensely in the last few years, but there is still a long way to go. When an opportunity comes along like this I think it should be embraced not matter how trivial it may appear. Support of events like this will help ensure that they are repeated, along with home brewing competitions.

Ps. Sorry for the rant....I may have been drinking....


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## Kudzu (10/10/13)

Point well taken itmechanic. I didn't mean to denigrate the effort, I just found the terms used amusing. I don't really consider any of my brews to be competition ready just yet, but wouldn't have an issue entering if I did.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (10/10/13)

Same here itmechanic - I take your point. We all know how much you put into homebrewing and supporting it. 

And I wasn't denigrating the effort, just that with a little bit of consultation - a large jump in quality of applications could be achieved.

But you're right, Tassie is a small place and effort made to reach out to homebrewers is important. 

For the record, I made the effort to contact the organisers and get hold of the entry form, so at least I can give it out to anyone interested. I figured that reaching out to AHB members in Tassie (especially in the North) is going to help those organising this.


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## dago001 (10/10/13)

My take on the issue with comps here in Tassie is very similar to what itmechanic pointed out. I think the second Hobart comp had around 20 entrie, not 10 (as it was told to me by the organiser). The fact that it was never judged, soured the few people who entered, and some such as myself, it was a first time entering. It pi$$ed me that much, I have never used the organisers business again. I hope they enjoyed beers that I sent them, because it has cost them a heap of money that I now spend elsewhere.
The beer comp at the Tamar Valley may have suffered due to a "hangover" from the previous comp. I wouldn't have entered except for the fact that itmechanic was involved, which gave me confidence that it would be well organised. I would say it had 12 "quality" entries, and I would expect it to have many more entries this year round.
Seeing that we are indeed a small state, it would be hard to get enough entries to do a complete BJCP comp, so everything gets lumped together. How will my 7%abv, 70 IBU Cascadian go against a Munich lager. I can only hope they sample my beer first, as their taste buds will be wrecked after drinking it. But thats what the comp is, so thats what we give them.
I will enter something, just to try encourage more people to enter the competition. Who knows, I may end up with another nice certificate to proudly display in my bar. At the very least, I hope to beat a few of those "bloody Launcestonians" 
The one thing which is a downside to this, is that we will most likely not get any decent feedback from the judges, things like "mm, nice beer" does not help much. In saying that, we should be our own harshest critics, why enter something that you know is rubbish, hoping that the judges give you some nice feedback.
My 2c
Cheers
LB


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## dago001 (10/10/13)

Heres the entry form. Thanks LRG. Still a bit light on details, but we can see if we can get any more information regarding dropping beers off, how many they need etc.
Cheers
LB

edit - On reading the T&C it says "subject to judges tastes and preferences". I hope I dont get the one who only drinks VB. 

View attachment Home Brew Competition 2013.docx


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (10/10/13)

LagerBomb said:


> edit - On reading the T&C it says "subject to judges tastes and preferences". I hope I dont get the one who only drinks VB.


That was my original thought. But as itmechanic implied 'be the change you want to see'.


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## brewtas (10/10/13)

Since there were 80+ entries for the first beerfest comp and home brewing in Tas has grown significantly since 2010 (at least anecdotally), I don't think numbers are the real problem.

What we really lack is organisation. Ideally, the foundation of the home brew scene in the state should be at least 2 or 3 well organised clubs, from there you will have a base of people and organisation which would allow for some getting BJCP qualifications, competitions, education, fostering new brewers and generally enriching the scene. Of course, this requires a number of people with the time/energy to get the ball rolling and buy in from others. I'm hoping the day will come soon when I'll be able to put in this kind of effort.

In addition to that, the advertising for these kinds of things tends to be poor. I've found out about a couple of competitions after entry was closed/after judging or just too close to the competition to brew something appropriate. I'm engaged, I'm interested and I'm still not finding out about these kinds of things because often their use of the internet is poor or non-existent. 



Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> And I wasn't denigrating the effort, just that with a little bit of consultation - a large jump in quality of applications could be achieved.


I think this is a really important point. Sometimes we expect things to be small and it ends up being a self fulfilling prophecy. A few basic things could be done to make the effort of running a comp much more worthwhile.

2c


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (10/10/13)

brewtas said:


> . I'm engaged, I'm interested and I'm still not finding out about these kinds of things because often their use of the internet is poor or non-existent.


Poor use of internet and social media seems to be an issue here in Tas - both events and business. If it hadn't been for one member posting here on AHB, I'd never have known about it, and I work in Devvie about 2 blocks away from the DECC, and I see the posters for the "sound of music" and other performances here every day.

Maybe using discover and brand tasmania's twitter and instagram would go a long way to publicising it. There is a tourist body here, which is doing its best to promote Tassie internally and externally.


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## dago001 (10/10/13)

Brewtas - The problem that occurred from the 2010 comp was the lack of feedback to brewers. Although I didnt enter that comp, as I was only starting out at that stage, other brewers were disillussioned by the lack of quality feedback, plus the quantity of beer that was required to be entered. In 2011 it was 3 tallies or 6 stubbies. I sent a few entries down to Hobart from the NW, which wasnt exactly a cheap exercise. This seemed to be a lot of beer, my initial thoughts were that they were stocking up the beer fridge at work, and in hindsight, it appears I was correct.
As far a clubs etc go - there is an informal club in Launceston, which regulary post on here about get togethers, case swaps etc. They try to involve everybody from Tas, and are a great bunch of blokes. Everybody is time poor these days, and I appreciate the effort that they put in (it pains me to say that - bloody Launcestonians). I am happy to drive the 2 hours to go to pi$$ ups with them, although they do tend to organise them when I am rostered on. Others from my neck of the woods feel the same. I hope you can get something going down your way, and we will come and visit you as well. Remember, beer know no boundaries, and Tasmania doesnt stop at Oatlands.
While we are a small state, we are somewhat decentralised in our brewing areas, and being Tasmanian, we think driving 20 minutes is a long way to go. I dont think it is a case of thinking small, its more of a case of getting over our reluctance to travel, especially seeing as beer/ drinking/driving/0.05 etc dont really mix.
Cheers
LB


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## brewtas (10/10/13)

Fair call, LB. I don't mean to sound negative about what's already happening or snobby about the North at all. You're right about the time poor thing and the distance. Personally, I'm time rich but health poor so I can't be as involved as I'd like to be. It sounds like the Lonny boys are a bit more on the ball which is great but I still think it'll take something more formal to get things like comps humming. It'd be great if over the next 5 years or so we could build something.

I entered the 2010 comp and didn't have any expectations about feedback so I was pretty happy with it at the time but I can see how it would have been annoying. The 3 tallies per entry sucked though and the organisation was pretty poor so when things weren't getting entries in the lead-up the next year I didn't bother entering. My point about that though was that a well run comp shouldn't have a hard time getting enough entries. There must be a heap of home brewers who've started since 2010. I think you'd need much better organisation, 1 x 750ml bottle per entry and some qualified judges who give good feedback. 

The thinking small thing was referring to home brew competitions, not hb club gatherings. There are plenty of population/geographical reasons that gatherings can be tough to get off the ground and that's fair enough, but if someone is organising a public competition and not getting the info out in an effective way, that's self-inflicted.



Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> Poor use of internet and social media seems to be an issue here in Tas - both events and business. If it hadn't been for one member posting here on AHB, I'd never have known about it, and I work in Devvie about 2 blocks away from the DECC, and I see the posters for the "sound of music" and other performances here every day.
> 
> Maybe using discover and brand tasmania's twitter and instagram would go a long way to publicising it. There is a tourist body here, which is doing its best to promote Tassie internally and externally.


Yeah, I think people tend to rely on local networks and just don't even register the fact that there's a wider pool of interested people or that the first place most people will go for information these days is the internet.


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## dago001 (10/10/13)

Anyway, as soon as I find out how to enter, I am going to kill some taste buds. That'll sort out the judges preferences :lol:


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## dago001 (10/10/13)

OK, I spoke to somebody who didnt know what was going on, but she did ring me back to tell me she still had no idea what was going on, but she has forwarded my contacts to somebody who might know what is going on. Apparently, the person who knows what is going on is on leave. True story. (She did apologise for what she called a poorly organised event)
It sounds like the government is running this thing.
I doubt that I will have an answer in time to submit any brews but heres hoping
Cheers
LB


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## dago001 (10/10/13)

There is also a facebook page for the event - they are going to have the Aussie Bon Jovi tribute act there as well - yawn smiley face thingy


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## taztiger (10/10/13)

The Facebook page doesn't tell us anything that we didn't know. I did ask for some info on the homebrew competition but didn't get a reply. Someone asked what the $25 entry covers, the answer was the bonjovi band and its support acts.


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## dago001 (10/10/13)

I'm waiting on a return call from one of the organisers, although i dont hold much hope on getting it.


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## dago001 (11/10/13)

Got a message today from one of the organisers. It appears that the comp is not really a competition as such, but more an opportunity for homebrewers to get together and swap/try a few beers and chat about their set ups etc and score each others beers. I am waiting for a bit more info but that seems to be the crux of the idea.
While I quite like the idea of what they are trying to do, they have left it a bit late for us to get organised and get a crew there. I'm working that day so I cant make it, but I can see that this could be a great opportunity in forthcoming years to get something more formal together, maybe a brewday or brew sytem battle, get a bit of info out there for anyone who is interested. Its probably what we need to do to promote homebrewing.
Cheers
LB


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## dago001 (16/10/13)

Really late notice, but if anybody is going to enter this, I can give you the phone number of the bloke who you can drop your beer off to. Entries will be accepted on the day as well, although they will need to be cold.
Winning beer gets some sort of a beer label thingy, dont really know what that all means
Cheers
LB -


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## manticle (16/10/13)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> Okey dokey, finally obtained an entry form.
> 
> Can't seem to post a link or a file from work, so PM me your email address for a copy.
> 
> ...


BJCP is aroma, appearance, flavour, overall impression and mouthfeel. Not stupidly different really. They also average points out for a final score so 2 x 42 from 2 judges might give an end score of 123, even though it only adds up to 84. judge's decision is final, no correspondence entered into.

More about how it's judged (did I like it? vs what's it trying to do and does it succeed?) and what beer is compared to whichever other beer (as mentioned - aipa vs munich lager might be odd) are important but if you support this stuff, you can make informed suggestions for improvement. I bet the first beerfest was different to how it is today (Melbourne Brewers Beerfest I mean). Now it's BJCP sanctioned, 20-30 entries per category, socially organised weekend, subsidised meals etc. Bet the first one was three people and a bowl of apples but someone had a crack and it built from there.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (17/10/13)

manticle said:


> BJCP is aroma, appearance, flavour, overall impression and mouthfeel. Not stupidly different really. They also average points out for a final score so 2 x 42 from 2 judges might give an end score of 123, even though it only adds up to 84. judge's decision is final, no correspondence entered into.
> 
> More about how it's judged (did I like it? vs what's it trying to do and does it succeed?) and what beer is compared to whichever other beer (as mentioned - aipa vs munich lager might be odd) are important but if you support this stuff, you can make informed suggestions for improvement. I bet the first beerfest was different to how it is today (Melbourne Brewers Beerfest I mean). Now it's BJCP sanctioned, 20-30 entries per category, socially organised weekend, subsidised meals etc. Bet the first one was three people and a bowl of apples but someone had a crack and it built from there.


Fair call, Mants.

I'll give you an anecdote. LRG goes into servo to put fuel into his bomb. He has been using this same servo almost exclusively for the last 9 months.

He goes to pay. Lady at counter says "Because you've used Premium fuel, you can enter this competition". LRG "Sweet".

LRG goes to car. Looks at form. Comp has been going since 25th September and finishes on Tuesday 22nd October, less than a week away. And LRG fills up with premium fuel minimum twice a week to keep his bomb going longer than it should.

But only gets told about said competition 5 days before it finishes.

Herendethelessen about Tassie.

Stuff gets organised - but often too late, and too haphazardly. To get your entry form sorted a week before a comp - it's normal for Tas, but not the way stuff gets done on Mainland comps. Plus if you had 2 weeks to get a beer sorted for comp - you'd be struggling as a number of brewers have indicated.

I've been giving the bloke some very nice informed suggestions, sent him the BJCP judging sheet and style guidelines, so if his judges do get a Black IPA, then they're at least somewhere to understanding the beer style (yes I know it's not an AABC style, but at least to understand an IPA). I'm not sitting behind a computer screen whinging to an audience and not helping.

And $25 to see a fake Bon Jovi band, less than a week before I holiday isn't money I want to spend.


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## dago001 (17/10/13)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> Fair call, Mants.
> 
> I'll give you an anecdote. LRG goes into servo to put fuel into his bomb. He has been using this same servo almost exclusively for the last 9 months.
> 
> ...


I dont get it - I only use diesel in my ute?? - Nah, really a fair call LRG1. It has only been thrown out there to try to get some entries in. I have nothing to do with this at all. Just trying to promote the hb side of things. BTW the bloke organising it is one of the best blokes you will ever meet. Turns out I have known him for about 20 or so years. He has worked for breweries in a PR type role before and was a killer Volleyball player. Also a homebrewer from memory. He seems pretty keen to get some home brewers showcasing our brews, putting on demonstrations etc.
But I digress - he is very keen to get the homebrew comp up and running, if not this year, then next year. The only way for it to be what we want, is to make it what we want, hence I will be staying in contact with him during the year to make sure that if it goes ahead next year, we will have a decent comp/representation. And lets face it, NW Tassie needs more of this type of event, why should them bloody Northerners and Hobartians have everything. Its a shame that it so late in the year, as we could use it as a comp to feed into the Canberra Comp, which is Tassies feeder event into the AABC
Section 23 - Specialty Beer - with a description of the beer, should cover the Black IPA entry.
The most popular band in NW Tassie is a band called Gypsy Rose - who use backing music (although the guitarist is more than competent). The lead singer stands on stage with a big air moving fan in front of her, bowling her flowing locks about ala Stevie Nicks, rehashing top 40 and classic hits from the past. You can catch them quite often at Shearwater if you like (I prefer not to). A Bon Jovi rip off band for $25 bucks sounds extremely good to me in comparison. But I understand where you are coming from.
Cheers
LB


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (17/10/13)

@LB - Are you dropping entries in? I tried to organise to get mine picked up from DECC yesterday and (my fault) forget them, and Cam couldn't of course pick them up.

I wanted to enter - just to support it and I reckon my Belgian is up to scratch and maybe the V/M from the swap, which is average, but at least a decent enough beer and dead clear now (visuals are everything to change HB perception).

I can get them into town tomorrow (I think), but it'll be a matter of someone to pick them up or help out.

Given there's been a large increase of brewers - both new and mainland experienced ones coming in here, we should be able to put together something. It just could have given us more notice.

If I hadn't been on holiday, I'd be more than happy to do a demo of the ghetto system. h34r:

I reckon something along the lines of an Oktoberfest or beer festival without dodgy bands (and therefore reduce the cost) might have done the trick.


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## dago001 (17/10/13)

I'm not too sure if I can get entries over there in time. I was hoping to get there tomorrow but the handbrake has me looking at houses instead, so I will see how it goes
Cheers
LB


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## jlm (19/10/13)

So did anyone make it out? I guess Paul did and is probably still there.......We had a pretty good day at our event at Railton. Lots of punters enjoying the vitamin D provided from the big orange ball of fire in the sky......I forget its name as I haven't seen it much lately.........Day moon or something......


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## probablynathan (26/10/13)

any updates on how the event went? did anyone go?


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## somnar (6/11/13)

if you think 3 tallies are too much.. have a look at this tassie comp on the 23rd November http://www.battleofthebrews.org/


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (8/11/13)

somnar said:


> if you think 3 tallies are too much.. have a look at this tassie comp on the 23rd November http://www.battleofthebrews.org/


didn't see the 48 stubbie minimum, but if it's true. ..

I kinda get it - I assume that the punters get a big number of beers to taste. 

But no one who brews good enough beer will bother with 48 stubbies. Most have kegs or bottle with tallies reluctantly. 

And why would you knock out 24 tallies worth of beer (assuming that's per variety) when 2 or 3 tallies per variety will get you to the nationals via your state affiliate comp?

It seems and I could be wrong, that home brewers are providing free beer for some mob to profit from, trading some recognition in a small capital city for the privilege. 

And yes, I know itmechanic is a success story, but compare it to AABC or even state comp winners who've gone pro.


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## Amber Fluid (8/11/13)

Comps in Tassie are crap imo. Entrants get ripped off having to produce either a/ a ridiculous amount to submit or b/ you do not hear a result or receive any feedback of the comp.

How can they justify having to submit 48 stubbies AND $10 here?...... another freebie for the judges no doubt.....


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## Yob (8/11/13)

48 stubbies of infected saison is a tough afternoon


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## jlm (8/11/13)

Didn't this thing happen last year too? Sounds like they're trying to organise a pissup based around a homebrew comp, ie turn up, pay $10, get to drink some beers and have some food. Its a bit ******* dodgey if you ask me.


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