# Brewcomp Winners



## phantom (11/1/05)

How many of our esteemed forum posters have entered and placed 1/2/or3 in an amateur comp state and national in recent years?
What style?
what position?
Which comp?
K+K,extract,or ag?

It,s time to have a boast.

S.A amateur brew comp 2001 colonial pale ale 3rd,extract
" " "" " 2003 kolsch 1st,extract.
:chug:


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## Ray_Mills (11/1/05)

Hi
Gee do you really want to know
Ray


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## phantom (11/1/05)

For sure.It will give an indication of your cred and may just unearth a recipe from the past yuo could share with someone to enter a comp this year,or better still encourage a newbie to have a try.


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## Doc (11/1/05)

Phantom,

The majority of the regular posters to AHB have placed in both state based and the national based comp.

Maybe you want to be more specific about what recipes you are looking for.

We don't tend to blow our own trumpets around here.

Beers,
Doc


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## phantom (11/1/05)

Just curious was all.Maybe you guys are more accomplished and your list of winners is 2 long to print.Its nice to be humble but you,d probably be surprised how many are interested.


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## GMK (11/1/05)

OK - all my successes have been with Kits & Bits

2000
ACT STate Championships:
6 beers top 3 of which 2 x 1sts, 2x seconds 2x 3rds - all eligble for nationals..
Categories were:
Aus Dark, Pale Ale, Strong ale (Barley Wine), cider, 

Entered 4 beers in the Nationals that year:
2 xSeconds - Aus Dark & Cider.
2 x6th places...Barley Wine & Pale Ale 

2001
ACT State Championships:
6 beers top 3 of which 2 x 1sts, 2x seconds 2x 3rds - all eligble for nationals..
Categories were:
Aus Dark, Pale Ale, Strong ale (Barley Wine 1st), cider, Kit Beer (1st)
Entered 4 beers in the Nationals that year:
2 xthird - Pale Kit Beer & European Pale Ale.
2 x6th places...Barley Wine & Cider

Moved to SA Now - not entereed any comps since...
Doing All Grain and some Kits & Bits.
They abolished the Pale Kit Beer Category in 2002...Not Happy

But very pleased to make the best kit beer in ACT and the third best in the countryin 2001  

won a couple of books in local Beer style comps in ACT - best being encylopedia of brewing - Beer, Wine and Spirits for my Barley WIne in a strong Ale comp that was my best ever scored beer 141 out of 150 - not bad for a kits and bits Beer Maker/ Fermentation Assistant up against alot of those All grain Brewers 
 :unsure: :blink: :wacko: h34r: 

Might enter another comp one day - see how my All Grain Stacks up.


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## chiller (11/1/05)

Phantom I'm with doc on this one. There are many brewers here on the list that have won awards and many who haven't because they choose not to enter a competition. 

If you really want recipes let Google be your friend, there are many sites world wide that have wonderful collection.

Try Stout Billy's for a start. Has both all grain and extract.

GMK ... my screensaver cut in while reading your post and I got a stack overflow error.


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## Rubes (11/1/05)

Now be honest



> We don't tend to blow our own trumpets around here.



You would if you could :blink:


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## johnno (11/1/05)

Well I have always thought it would be a good idea in the recipes section to have a cartegory for brewers that have placed in a comp.
IF they wanted to post there.

cheers

johnno


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## phantom (11/1/05)

I,m not hunting for recipes,I merely was interested!

SORRY I ASKED
Maybe you moderators who are blessed with such powers would like to erase my post and pretend it never happened.


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## big d (11/1/05)

:lol: :lol:  
i will be honest.havent won or placed in a comp cause i havent entered for various reasons.one of them being the bloody high postage cost to send one or more bottles around the country.
and also im probably too harsh a critic of my own beers.

anyway im planning on sending a few beers to various comps this year outta curiosity.the first being the melbourne beerfest comp.

cheers
big d


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## bonk (11/1/05)

Johnno, there is a forum/thread with some recipes in it. check on the main listing.


Phantom,

mate, i could be talking out of turn here, but i think people might have got the wrong end of the stick about your post. aside from being humble people, it would take some of them weeks to post their placings.

as for me well, i've done well at the darwin and katherine shows - maybe not as prestigious as some shows down south however, a first place is still a first place B) 

however my only claim to fame is getting a 3rd placing at the qld comp and a 6th place at the nationals in the pale ale category.


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## Weizguy (11/1/05)

Phantom,
Don't feel intimidated. Sarcasm runs deep in a lot of brewers. You must let it fall like rain from your umbrella.
My career isn't special, I'm sure. Sometimes prizes give encouragment. Especially when you drop a sample beer into a brew shop, and they enter it in a comp, and you get a phone call telling you that your brew was best in show. Not blowing my trumpet, just exuberant over the win.

I have posted my Belgian recipe elsewhere in the forum. I have no shame in answering the question.

The 2 other winning beers were a wheat and a Wit (both at Bathurst).

I can understand that some would like to keep their light under a bushel, but they might be willing to send you a private reply.

And I'm also certain (mostly) that everyone here would share their last beer with you without telling you it was the last. In the same way, everyone shares their recipes. Wouldn't you? Wouldn't it be cool to go to a party/ BBQ/ whatever and drink a beer and recognise it as your recipe? I'd be quite chuffed.

Seth big-head

Seth


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## Ray_Mills (12/1/05)

Hi
I was interviewed on the NQ radio show last month and I knew Greame Sanders was going to ask me "What is your winning secret". I thought about this for a week or so and I really did not have an answer that says, if you do this you will win. I do have some advice if your interested.

1. Decide on a beer style that you know not many will enter, eg, "Schwarzbier". Dont enter a Stout as you will be one of 20 others unless you know its a very good beer.
2. Research that beer style as much as you can (books, net).
3. Formulate recipes for that style. Then pick the recipe that you think should be good.
4. Make the beer and use the best and fresh ingredients as well as the correct liquid yeast for that style.
5. Ferment at the correct temperatures and if the beer is a lager you need to lager with the secondary at least 4 weeks.
6. When the beer is ready do a true evaluation of the beer, or send it to the next competition for evaluation.
7. If you and the judges find faults, rectify those faults in the next batch and the next batch after that.
8. Once you have gone through that process you will have a winner.

One thing I do enjoy with this hobby is formulating recipes and making the beers. Like i said on another post is i have 4 lifetimes of recipes.

All my recipes posted here, craftbrewer site and on Beertools have been brewed. Some i did not like and never brewed again but they were all drinkable.

Hope this help some of you brewers out there
Ray


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## Keith_N (12/1/05)

Phanto
If you are after some AG recipes, drop Gerard from this site a line. He has some really nice beers covering a wide range.
Keith


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## Snow (12/1/05)

I've gotten a few placings in the last couple of years, but to be honest my best beers never even made it to a competition because I drank them all and I knew they were good, so didn't need the feedback. Of course I'm happy to share with anyone who's interested.  

- Snow


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## Gough (12/1/05)

I've never entered a comp, mainly through laziness and lack of confidence to be honest, but I'm going to give it a crack this year. Don't know how I'll go but I think the mash paddle might be a goer. Brewed an ag Aussie Pale Ale style last night that might fit the bill. Will use it as a 'Guinea-pig' I reckon...

Shawn.


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## Snow (12/1/05)

Although the mash paddle is a fun challenge to see if you can brew something good within restricted ingredients and style parameters, it's not particularly helpful in improving your brewing, as you don't get any feedback at all. Gough, I'd suggest you aim for the Bathurst comp as your first go, as you will get meaningful tasting notes (hopefully) for each beer you entered.

Cheers - Snow


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## Gough (12/1/05)

Thanks Snow, I'll try that comp as well. Is the Bathurst Comp in March? I was a bit confused, I thought you had to pre-qualify for the Bathurst comp??

Thanks,

Shawn.


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## pint of lager (12/1/05)

The Bathurst Homebrew comp has in the past been run in conjunction with the Royal Bathurst Agricultural Show. This year, it is running as a seperate event.

The Bathurst Homebrew comp will be judged on the 4-5 March. Entries will close a fortnight prior to this, to allow entries to rest after their travels prior to judging.

Styles and categories are similar to the state comps, but with some variations. 

I shall try and get the official guidelines, closing dates and entry sheets posted on this board for you.

As to winning comps, I have placed at state level a few times, but not in the nationals. Have done OK at Bathurst too.

Brewing and entering competitions is one strand of homebrewing. Good feedback will help your brews enormously. 

Then, the other side of the coin, are you brewing for comps or for yourself? I get around this by brewing some styles that I like strictly to guidelines, and if these are good enough, they go into comps. Other beers, I just brew for myself. Have tasted many fine beers that will never make it into a comp because they fall outside guidelines.

Being given a prize winning recipe by Barry Cranston or Ray Mills is no gaurantee to making a winning beer. You will need to pay as much attention to your techniques as they do. Any advice they give will be solid gold.

Don't forget, when competing in competitions, there is only one brewer in the world with your experience, equipment, ingredients and techniques.


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## Gough (12/1/05)

Putting up the details if you have them handy would be great for myself and a few others I'm sure. Thanks POL.

The point about using someone elses recipe for a comp beer is well made. I'm only interested in entering something I've come up with myself, otherwise what would be the point? Yes all beers will be different to some extent even if based on the same recipe due to the million and one variables between brewers, but if I was to win something using someone elses recipe I think it'd feel a bit empty. The main reason for entering is the feedback and just for the laugh of it in my case, and (apart from drinking the product obviously  ), my favourite part of the HB process is coming up with the recipes. Sure someone elses may form a base - no point reinventing the wheel - but it is much more satisfying drinking something you can really feel is your own product from go to whoa. Especially when it really works! I'd guess that is one of the many reasons people bother to brew their own in the first place, particularly AG brewing. Certainly is for me.  


My 2 cents...

Shawn.


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