# New National Brewing Competition



## Ray_Mills (29/3/05)

Hi
The IBUs (Illawarra Brewers Union) would like to run a National Craftbrewers Competition and we need feedback from all Craftbrewers out there if you are interested in entering.
Next weekend is a two-day festival at Thirroul, (northern suburbs of Wollongong). Called The Thirroul Seaside Festival it has a huge local sponsorship with TV, paper and radio advertising and editorial.
We feel we have the ability and people to run a national competition, (last year and this year we are running the NSW State Competition.)
The organisers are interested and the Craftbrewers in Australia can have another Major competition to enter.
We know this competition will be close to the Bathurst competition, being 4 weeks difference. If you feel its too close to Australias major competition let us know.
Ray


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## AndrewQLD (30/3/05)

Great idea Ray, you will definately get a few entries from me. I don't think it makes any difference how close it is to the Baturst comp, and if you can get the publicity that you say then it could well turn into the biggest comp in Australia  .

Please keep us informed of developements as they happen.

regards
Andrew


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## Guest Lurker (30/3/05)

Close competitions are good. I am slowly learning that if you are serious about a competition, you need to brew specifically for it, at the right time for the beer to peak at the competition. So the closer together in time the better I reckon.


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## big d (30/3/05)

sounds good ray.im interested and also cant see any problem being close to the bathurst comp.

cheers
dave


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (30/3/05)

I know it is early days Ray but would you be looking at using the same judging guidelines as are used in the state and national competitions?

I too would be interested BTW.

C&B
TDA


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## Ray_Mills (30/3/05)

Hi
Its early days but we were thinking of doing a dozen BJCP catagories and working within the BJCP guidlines. Will keep you posted
Ray


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## Asher (30/3/05)

Would give some of the guys studying to become BJCP Judges an actual opportunity to get accreditation points too...  


I'd enter something.
Asher for now


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## GMK (30/3/05)

Hi Ray

This is only my opinion... 2Cents inserted into AHB....

I would have the new comp approx 6months before/after the Bathurst Comp.

My Reasoning is as follows:

This gives brewers six months from one competition to the other in which they will have time to:
- act on feedback from the comp.
- time to brew again taking stock of/incorporating the feedback they received
- the standard should get higher as everyone will be making better beer with the feedback that they receive.
- should also allow better sponsorship as the the two comps will not be held 2 close together and therefore competing for the same sponsorship dollars.Especially as Bathurst and Woolongong are in the same state and not that geographically far apart...
- the BJCP guidelines are good - but i think their needs to be a better enhancement/development/incorporation of the Australian styles - both past and present.

Beer For Thought....


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## Ray_Mills (30/3/05)

Hi
The six months before Bathurst is the State run competitions. leading to the nationals. No need for a big Competition at that time.
Someone has to put their hand up and make a change. Why re-invent the wheel with guidelines when they have been done over many years by the BJCP.
Now that we have a number of brewers studying the BJCP, this gives the Australian craftbrewer a chance to enter beers and be judged by some, I am not saying all, BJCP judges, to BJCP guidlines.
It will not happen over nite, it will take many years for the Australian Nationals to accept the guidlines.
The good news is we now we have better local grains, imported grains, imported yeast and a much more educated craftbrewer through the net than we did say 5 years ago.
With this, we can now make beers as good as any craftbrewer in any country. The standard of beers now entering State, National and Bathurst is very good and excellent, not by a hand full of brewers but my dozens from around the country.
With this information we can run a competition with some and not all of the BJCP guidlines as a starting point.
My thoughts
Ray


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## Dunkel_Boy (30/3/05)

I'd be all for it... 12 dozen categories covers a hell of a lot of ground too, and we can always enter the same (or a different) beer into the Bathurst one if we wish.


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## sosman (30/3/05)

Ray_Mills said:


> It will not happen over nite, it will take many years for the Australian Nationals to accept the guidlines.
> [post="51713"][/post]​


I have no problem whatsoever having a comp run to BJCP guidelines.

Are you suggesting the current Australian guidelines are somehow inferior to the BJCP ones?


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## Ray_Mills (30/3/05)

Hi

If you look at the current Australian Guidlines and the BJCP I think you will notice a huge difference.
We do have to be carefull on some styles in the Australian guidelines not in the BJCP.

I believe we have some unique Australian styles

1. Sparkling Ale
2. Australian Pale Ale
3. Australian Lager.

I can't see why we can't have these styles in the long term part of the BJCP guidelines. It will take a lot of work from dedicated Australian brewers but it can be done as we do have the contacts.

Ray.


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## big d (30/3/05)

absolutely love the name sparkling ale.its a dead set classic aussie icon.
now if i could only brew one.  

cheers
big d


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## normell (30/3/05)

big d said:


> absolutely love the name sparkling ale.its a dead set classic aussie icon.
> now if i could only brew one.
> 
> cheers
> ...



Could not agree more Big D, it says all that is aussie beer.
When you figure how to brew, let me know please

Normell


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## GMK (30/3/05)

i also like the idea of an Australian wheat, esp as there is now a couple of Honey wheats being made in Aus..Bees Nees, cascade have made one as well, .

maybe an aus bitter - along the lines of the original Ballarat Bertie Bitter.

Just thoughts and ideas....


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## WillM (23/12/05)

I've been searching for a description of the Australian styles, can someone point me to where I can find them, or are they still in development?

Thanks


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## sosman (23/12/05)

WillM said:


> I've been searching for a description of the Australian styles, can someone point me to where I can find them, or are they still in development?
> [post="99268"][/post]​


A copy of the oz guidelines can be found at http://www.vicbrew.org/Files/styles.pdf

The BJCP guidelines are at http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.html


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## WillM (23/12/05)

Thanks sosman. The vicbrew ones are what I'm looking for. 

I might integrate them into my BJCP guides in beersmith. A shame they don't go to the same detail as the BJCP like OG/FG & IBUs.


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## sosman (23/12/05)

WillM said:


> Thanks sosman. The vicbrew ones are what I'm looking for.
> 
> I might integrate them into my BJCP guides in beersmith. A shame they don't go to the same detail as the BJCP like OG/FG & IBUs.
> [post="99279"][/post]​


My personal opinion, and I know this is not shared by at least one member of the Vicbrew committee, is that we should work with the BJCP to add the unique Australian substyles to the BJCP guidelines and then use them.

I would encourage you to contact your state representatives with your views on this.


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## tdh (28/12/05)

Have to agree with Sosman, great idea.

tdh


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## WillM (28/12/05)

I wonder if there are any Australian Styles written in such a way, in terms of detail and format, that could slot into the BJCP guidelines?


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## wee stu (28/12/05)

WillM, you might also want to check out the guidelines used in the Australian Classes at ANAWBS in 2005.


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## WillM (30/12/05)

Thanks for these links, very educational. 

Given it's the time of year for beer, I put some thought into how I would organise things, naively thinking it would be and easy job. (I'm no expert of beer judge, just thought it would be a good way to understand the styles better).

At first I thought, the BJCP was all mixed up, starting with yeasts, then colours then moving into marketing names and countries. As I came to understand it more, I can appreciate great job they have done.

So here are my thoughts for any gurus out there:
a) American Lager & Premium could almost read Australian - without stretching the imagination too far.
B) Add in a few local categories, where the judges believe there is an interest
c) Just build on the great work that has been done here, letting our styles fit in with the other great beer countries, and in time advertising them to the world.

Here's how I tried to break it down, might be of some use to someone (assuming I can get an attachment to work).

Anyway thanks again and good luck with the comps and more importantly the beers.

Will

edit - can't get an attachment to work


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## pottsy76 (1/1/06)

yeah ill be in for sure
makes no difference to me how close comps are
the more feedback i get about my beers the better
cheers :chug:


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## Kevin (3/1/06)

Consider the BJCP guidelines a starting point. They are written after great care and consideration of worldwide examples of style, both current and historic. They are simply a target and common language for the brewer and judge to have a meaningful evaluation discussion.

They are not a comprehensive set of every style brewed, nor are they a limit to brewer creativity. They do evolve, with styles added and dropped in each update.

At the very least, many competitions write a new style for entry. Here is probabaly the best example of how creativity can be encouraged, while having a lot of fun! 

http://www.crunchyfrog.net/dixiecup/index.phtml My favorites were the "Big and Stupid" and the "Malt Liquor" categories.

This competition routinely asks for more than what's in the BJCP guidelines.

The addition of styles that are Australian, whether formally or informally, is a natural part of this evolution, IMHO.

Kev.


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## sosman (3/1/06)

Kevin said:


> Consider the BJCP guidelines a starting point. They are written after great care and consideration of worldwide examples of style, both current and historic. They are simply a target and common language for the brewer and judge to have a meaningful evaluation discussion.
> 
> They are not a comprehensive set of every style brewed, nor are they a limit to brewer creativity. They do evolve, with styles added and dropped in each update.
> 
> ...


Hey that works for me. The challenge is for us aussies to get some agreement on a style or two that is pretty close to some folk's heart.

In an attempt to move have (yet another) go at this can be found at http://brewiki.org/AussieStyles/Sparkling_Ale. It has prompted a fascinating discussion of the history of the style over on another forum.

paul

PS this thread was started some time ago and I don't actually know what happened to the comp that was proposed.


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## WillM (3/1/06)

So looks (to me) like the way to run a comp. is to choose a few BJCP styles that are popular (or have an interest) in the area (of the comp), add a couple of australian ones, and away we go.

In the end we have good guidelines and we get to make better beer.


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## Jazzafish (3/1/06)

Just give me some styles and some dates, and I'll start brewing! Booya!


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