# Nsw State Homebrewing Competition 2008



## Stuster (14/7/08)

This is to announce the NSW State Homebrewing Competition for this year will be held in Ashbury, Sydney on the 6th & 7th September. Entries should be received by Friday 22nd August at the drop off points or Friday 29th August by post. (This late date has been given due to the unfortunately late notice of this competition but it would be appreciated if entries could be in by the 22nd, if only to give them time to settle after transport.)

Full information for this year's competition is now available. Flyer information is here View attachment Comp_flyer_PC.pdf
and the full competition terms and conditions along with the entry form and bottle labels is here View attachment NSW_State_Comp_flyer_new.pdf


Champion Brewer will get a free conference package to the AABC and the brewer of the Champion Beer will get the chance to brew with Matt Donelan at St.Peter's Brewery. We are pleased to announce the competition has been sponsored by Country Brewer and Dave's Home Brew, who will be providing prizes for winners and place getters. 

The categories will follow the AABC guidelines which can be accessed down the page at AABC Org. Category information follows the categories and style guidelines here with full styleguides available here. Winners and place getters from this competition qualify for the National competition in Melbourne which will be run as part of the National Conference on 23rd October (see the ANHC banner at the top for full details on that).

Please contact me by PM or at [email protected] for more information if required.

I'd like to encourage everybody to enter. This competition is definitely not only for experienced brewers. For me, the best part of competitions is getting feedback on your beers and there will be a number of very good judges judging this year who can give you great information on your beers that should help you develop your beers. Good luck to all. :beer:

Full results are available here. View attachment NSW_State_Competition_2008_Full_results.pdf


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## Jazzafish (14/7/08)

Keep us posted with drop off points and entry forms when available.

Cheers,
Jarrad


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## Korev (14/7/08)

Excellent news - well done guys

Peter


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## wabster (14/7/08)

Excellent, can't say I'll be entering this year, but will sure be watching the process and outcomes with interest, Cheerz Wab


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## Andyd (14/7/08)

Great work Stuster,

And if anyone is wondering, yes the ANHC are giving a free conference package to the Champion Brewer for this event (in line with and under the same conditions as the other state competitions this year).

Get brewing NSW, and good luck!

Andy


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## the_fuzz (22/7/08)

Is there anymore info on this yet?


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## Linz (22/7/08)

WWWH,

I think the guys are busy rounding off the ISB comp(this coming weekend) before getting to involved with the State comp yet...Just get brewing and bottling and be ready to drop off your entries as soon as it comes to light

Brew well

Linz


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## crozdog (22/7/08)

Whats_Wrong_with_Hahn said:


> Is there anymore info on this yet?


As per Stuster's original post, the date & venue have been set; The styles are as per the AABC. That should get you going.

FYI, we are currently in the process of sorting out prizes & drop off points as well as getting the ISB comp sorted as Linz mentioned.

What in particular you want to know? 

happy brewing.


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## the_fuzz (22/7/08)

crozdog said:


> As per Stuster's original post, the date & venue have been set; The styles are as per the AABC. That should get you going.
> 
> FYI, we are currently in the process of sorting out prizes & drop off points as well as getting the ISB comp sorted as Linz mentioned.
> 
> ...




My bad, I didn't click on all of the links in the OP -  

Cheers guys


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## crozdog (22/7/08)

Whats_Wrong_with_Hahn said:


> My bad, I didn't click on all of the links in the OP -
> 
> Cheers guys


no worries, feel free to ask if there are any other queries.


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## Stuster (1/8/08)

Just to let everyone know, I've updated the first post on this thread with all the information on this year's competition. The flyer and entry forms etc are all there. 

Entries due by the 22nd at the drop off points or the 29th by post. Champion Brewer will get a free conference package to the AABC and the brewer of the Champion Beer will get the chance to brew with Matt Donelan at St.Peter's Brewery. We are pleased to announce the competition has been sponsored by Country Brewer and Dave's Home Brew, who will be providing prizes for winners and place getters. 

Good luck to all. :icon_chickcheers:


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## Stuster (1/8/08)

Can anybody who's interested in judges drop me a PM or an email to [email protected] We already have a number of names and I'm hoping for more so we can get this done quickly while giving people quality feedback on their beers. There may even be some places to stay for those out of town who are coming up (or down) for it. First in, best dressed of course. 

Edit: Also for those who want to come along and see how a beer comp goes, we're also in need of stewards. A great job which can involve lots of tasting of the best beers of the show without having to do all the writing that judges have to do.


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## petesbrew (1/8/08)

hey Stuster, 
On page 2 it states 2 bottles, minimum 500ml, then on the label sheet (last page) it's 2 bottles, minumum 375ml.
Just wondering what's correct?
Pete


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## Stuster (1/8/08)

petesbrew said:


> hey Stuster,
> On page 2 it states 2 bottles, minimum 500ml, then on the label sheet (last page) it's 2 bottles, minumum 375ml.
> Just wondering what's correct?
> Pete



Hmm, good call. I've been in two minds about that. Minimum 500ml it is though to make sure we've got enough for the judges to do a proper evaluation. I have updated the pdfs in the first post. Thanks for picking it up. :beer:


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## Tony (1/8/08)

And only one entry form to fill in............ great work!

Doing some mad brewing atm.

I have 3 beers fermenting and 2 more in cubes for the yeast cakes.

brewing again tomorrow night too 

cheers


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## Barry (1/8/08)

Two bottles per entry might bring mine to a 40 bottles. I better start labelling


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## Stuster (1/8/08)

Barry said:


> Two bottles per entry might bring mine to a 40 bottles.



Wow. Good stuff, Barry. Looking forward to tasting some of them if I get a chance. :beer:


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## Tony (1/8/08)

Barry, you have been one of my main driving forces to brew better beer. Competing with you in competitions is always an interesting experience........ there is always the thought that......... Barry may enter a beer into my catagory  better make it a good one!

and with 40 bottles on their way id say its a fair posibility.

your the one to beat as always mate.

Dont know what i will have to enter......... we will see closer to the date.

cheers


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## Barry (1/8/08)

Good Day Tony
Most of the entries are for feedback and the rest are for feedback too. Quality always beats quantity in home brewing that is why we brew. I have always learnt far, far more from the average/bad beers that I have entered in good comps such as NSW and Bathurst than I have had from the better beers, great unbias feedback. So all new brewers out there enter your beers and get the best and cheapest evaluation that it is possible to get.
Tony, looking forward to taste some of your great beers. :beer:


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## Tony (1/8/08)

100% agree mate!

I too learnt huge amounts from judging feedback sheets. You can then go back and taste the beer, reed the sheets and get a free education in how it should be and what is wrong, that you may not have noticed till its pointed out.

you can then fix it!

Thats what i did anyway and the beers just got better and better.

I have always found competing at a high level drives you to learn more and do better. I Used to be involved in competition shooting with the SSAA. The newcastle club at the time had some of the best shooters in the country and standing by them each saturday drove me to do better. They helped me and others learn, taught us tricks of the trade, and provided and endless source of motivation and inspiration. I just wanted to be as good as they were.

Ended up wining medals at Australian national competition level. 

I have used similar values with my brewing. I started out like everyone, knowing nothing and built from there.

And then there was barry in the comps. I always wanted to do well in comps like you barry, and not just win a medal or 2, I still havnt achieved the goal of the consistancy of great beers you seem to produce every year.

Thats whay i call you the B52 

They land all over the comp and they are all just as good as the other!

I too recomend any new brewers to send their beers in.......... you will learn where your brewing lies in the grand scheeme of things and know how much work is needed to make it better! and in the end thats what i love about comps..........Its driven me to make better beer and that makes me and all who come to drink it the winners 

cheers


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## bjl (7/8/08)

Hi all,

This will be my first competition and as a new AG brewer and I am mainly entering to get some feedback on my beers, and what I need to do to improve them.

Is there a link explaining the point system, possible score totals and what areas of the beer are judged etc etc.

It sounds like it would be a great event to attend but unfortunately I'm rostered on that weekend. Good luck to all.

Thnks
BJL


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## newguy (7/8/08)

If they're using the BJCP score sheets the breakdown is 12 points for aroma, 3 for appearance, 20 for flavour, 5 for mouthfeel and 10 for overall impression/drinkability. 50 points total. In north america the judge's points are averaged; I've noticed that folks in your neck of the woods add them all together for totals out of 100 or 150 depending whether there are 2 or 3 judges.

More info on the BJCP website, here.


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## Stuster (7/8/08)

bjl, the scoring will be just as newguy says based on the BJCP judging. He's given a good run down of how that works. The styles we'll be using are in a file that I put in a pdf in the first post of this thread. There's more info available at the AABC on that. Link.

joshuahardie, I'm not a kegger but I do know that a number of brewers enter beers filled straight from the keg without adding more yeast/sugar. Hopefully, one of them will come by in a minute and let you in on the secret. If nobody does, there a. Great that you are entering. IMO the feedback is the best bit but you never know how you'll do until you enter.


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## joshuahardie (7/8/08)

Stu, 
I moved my post to a thread to hopefully get a bit more exposure.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...mp;#entry340760


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## Thommo (7/8/08)

Josh,
I'm in the same boat as you. Haven't done it successfully yet but I've picked Doc's brains a few weeks ago and he has a brumby tap (or picnic tap) that he uses, pressure turned right down low, kegs as cold as you can get them (2deg ish) and he puts the bottles steralised in the freezer for 30 minutes before he fills them. Something along those lines, without having actually tried it myself.

HTH, and hopefully someone can shed a bit more light.


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## bjl (7/8/08)

Thanks everyone for the replies. I've got my styles sorted, just wasn't sure about the points system. 
Cheers
BJL


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## Jazzafish (7/8/08)

Thommo said:


> Josh,
> I'm in the same boat as you. Haven't done it successfully yet but I've picked Doc's brains a few weeks ago and he has a brumby tap (or picnic tap) that he uses, pressure turned right down low, kegs as cold as you can get them (2deg ish) and he puts the bottles steralised in the freezer for 30 minutes before he fills them. Something along those lines, without having actually tried it myself.
> 
> HTH, and hopefully someone can shed a bit more light.



I follow a process like that, with a beer gun come counter pressure filler.

Standard tap to bottle works for me too. However I clean/sanitize my lines and taps first. I also pour a slow pint to balance the taps temperature with the beer and get the right speed of transfer. Also gives me something to drink!  Cap on the foam if possible(the less oxygen in the bottle the better). I also get a little loss of carbonation with this method, so I up the kegs carbonation prior to bottling.

She'll be right.


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## kabooby (7/8/08)

I have been using the same method.

It has been a bit hit and miss. The Stout I entered in a recent comp did not have any comments of low carb. A beer I entered recently in another comp got reports of low carbonation.

I dont really want to overcarb my kegs to fill a few bottles, then I would have to drink overcarbed beer untill it settled back down.

More practice for me

Kabooby


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## goatherder (8/8/08)

I've had naught but trouble bottling from kegs for comps. Low carb and the occasional infection. Now I bottle and prime a few samples out of the primary for comps and keg the rest. I've gone full circle with picnic taps, CP fillers and carbonation caps but now I'm back to what works for me.


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## Stuster (8/8/08)

Can anybody who's interested in judging/stewarding this competition let me know. I know a number of you who are planning to judge but it would just be good to have confirmation of who can come. PM me or preferably an email to [email protected] 

Also, anybody who hasn't judged before but would like to give it a try, come along and steward for the day. It just means pouring out the beers for the judges but you also get the chance to hear what the judges say about the beers and of course try some of the beers. B)


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## Doc (8/8/08)

Stuster said:


> Also, anybody who hasn't judged before but would like to give it a try, come along and steward for the day. It just means pouring out the beers for the judges but you also get the chance to hear what the judges say about the beers and of course try some of the beers. B)



And you get to taste the good ones 
I'll be stewarding (if commitments and logistics align).

Doc


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## Barry (9/8/08)

Good Day Stu ( tried to mail this to you but couldn't for some reason)
In case you didn't get my PM put me down for the two days. I will attempt to get other ESBers involved if needed. A couple of our experienced judges will be away at the time. So we are down on experince a bit.
Let me know if I can help in anyway before the comp starts.
All the best, Barry.


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## Stuster (9/8/08)

Good to hear it, Barry. Pretty sure I've got you down already.


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## SJW (11/8/08)

> I've had naught but trouble bottling from kegs for comps. Low carb and the occasional infection. Now I bottle and prime a few samples out of the primary for comps and keg the rest. I've gone full circle with picnic taps, CP fillers and carbonation caps but now I'm back to what works for me.



2 questions.

Can we enter 375ml bottles in the comp?

Whats the best way to bottle from my kegs? I have Cellis so before I have just turned them right down and filled slow. Should I add a little dextrose to the bottles to make up for carbonation loss?

Steve


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## petesbrew (14/8/08)

Noob question here.
Which is style and which is category?
eg. 9. STRONG LAGER
9.2 Traditional Bock

Just trying to fill out the comp details correctly.


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## Peter Wadey (14/8/08)

petesbrew said:


> Noob question here.
> Which is style and which is category?
> eg. 9. STRONG LAGER
> 9.2 Traditional Bock
> ...



Styles come under Category, so
Category = Strong Lager
Style = Trad Bock

Rgds,
Peter


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## Stuster (14/8/08)

SJW, we'd prefer 500ml bottles, but we'll accept 375ml bottles if that's all you have. The bigger bottles just ensure there's enough for the judging but if you only have smaller bottles then that will do. I have no idea about filling from kegs I'm afraid but I think there's some info higher up in the thread.

petesbrew, 9 is the category, 9.2 is the style. HTH. 

Edit: Damn, too slow. Thanks Peter.


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## petesbrew (14/8/08)

Stuster said:


> SJW, we'd prefer 500ml bottles, but we'll accept 375ml bottles if that's all you have. The bigger bottles just ensure there's enough for the judging but if you only have smaller bottles then that will do. I have no idea about filling from kegs I'm afraid but I think there's some info higher up in the thread.
> 
> petesbrew, 9 is the category, 9.2 is the style. HTH.
> 
> Edit: Damn, too slow. Thanks Peter.


Cheers Pete & cheers Stu... 

couldn't find HTH in the abbreviations, so glad i have this translator site saved as a favourite.
http://smspup.com/smsSpeak.php

Had my very nice AG porter i was gonna enter as well, but seeing as I'm down to the last few bottles, I can't bear to share! Next time...


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## Peter Wadey (20/8/08)

Stuster said:


> SJW, we'd prefer 500ml bottles, but we'll accept 375ml bottles if that's all you have. The bigger bottles just ensure there's enough for the judging but if you only have smaller bottles then that will do. I have no idea about filling from kegs I'm afraid but I think there's some info higher up in the thread.



Stu,
From which we can take it you will also cope with 1 x 750ml longneck.

750ml is usually plenty anyway unless you were going to do a BOS round, but there is no indication from the above advice to SJW that that is what you want it for, so no need to waste the 2nd bottle.

Rgds,
Pete


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## Tony (20/8/08)

Packed up my enteries this arvo

Will drop them off at MHB's shop tomorrow arvo.

And cross my fingers, wait paciently and have a home brew 

Stu............ where is the prety picture on the flier?

cheers

Edit: Will there be a BOS round? I have packed 2 or each.

The comp kind of snuck up on me and i have 2 wheat beers and an APA in fermenters, 2 of them ready to bottle that wont make it in time. Life goes on.......... i will have to enjoy them myself. The Dunkelweizen is fantastic too


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## Stuster (20/8/08)

Tony said:


> Stu............ where is the prety picture on the flier?



It's in the first pdf file in my first post, Tony. Should be able to see it at Mark's shop as well. Fame at last. :icon_cheers:


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## Tony (20/8/08)

Ahhh yes there it is 

not the fame im after though  

Good luck to all enterants and may the best beer win!!!!!!!!!

I cant wait for the judge feedback on my beers, especially after my 12 months of brewing hell.

cheers


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## Stuster (22/8/08)

Just a reminder that today is (officially) the last day for getting your entries to the many home brew shops who are kindly acting as drop off points. There is some flexibility with the dates this time due to the short notice so if you are having difficulty getting them there then let me know and we'll see what we can do.  

Good luck to all as well. Somebody's going to be happy to win a free conference pass. :super:


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## Stuster (28/8/08)

A reminder that tomorrow is the last day for postal entries which means that if you haven't posted them, you're too late to post them now.....Doh. Anyway, hope you did post them in if you wanted to enter. (If anybody has forgot and still wants to enter, drop me a pm now.)

Also, last call for judges and stewards. In case you're undecided, there should be a few kegs of beer on hand for those who get thirsty after judging and there'll be a BBQ lunch as well. There may also be some sleeping space available for those from out of town (or even those who live nearby   ).


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## Tony (28/8/08)

I dropped mine off with MHB on thrusday last week.

fingers crossed

both that they get there and they do OK 

cheers


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## Stuster (4/9/08)

Tony said:


> I dropped mine off with MHB on thrusday last week.
> 
> fingers crossed
> 
> both that they get there and they do OK



Tony (and all the northerners), your beers did get here and are sitting quietly in a fridge in the hall minding their own business (or at least, I hope they are  ).

Just wanted to put out a last reminder to anybody who wants to come along and judge/steward on Saturday. Let me know if you do.

Good luck to all and may some of the BOS beer end up in my glass. :lol:


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## goatherder (4/9/08)

Stuster said:


> Tony (and all the northerners), your beers did get here and are sitting quietly in a fridge in the hall minding their own business (or at least, I hope they are  ).



Good news Stuster. Big thanks to MHB for arranging the transport. Much appreciated.


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## Tony (4/9/08)

Oh Goody goody 

Just hope the yeast settles out in time now.

Cant wait to get the feedback on my beers. I look forward to comp season for the education from score sheets.

Thanks mark! Very much appreciated!

Scott..... did you enter your Dunkel? That one might bring the title back to the hunter 3rd year running. bloody nice beer.

cheers and good luck all!


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## goatherder (4/9/08)

Nope. Entered it in the ISB German comp and it got caned. It picked up a yeasty vegetal type aroma. I tried a bottle after I got the results and it was exactly as the judges described. I'm hanging on to my last bottle for a while to see if it develops into a full blown infection. I was a little bummed, it was a cracking beer in the keg.



Tony said:


> Scott..... did you enter your Dunkel? That one might bring the title back to the hunter 3rd year running. bloody nice beer.


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## floppinab (4/9/08)

goatherder said:


> It picked up a yeasty vegetal type aroma. I tried a bottle after I got the results and it was exactly as the judges described.



Hmmmmmmm, Interesting.

I entered a Dark Lager that crozdog and myself put together in that comp and it went down a very similar path. By the time it got to the comp it wasn't too bad but distinct cooked veggies which was pointed out by the judges. I thought them all a bunch of duds with no idea :blink: however I picked up the last bits of the keg heading the same way.
I only just got to cleaning the keg today, prolly about 3 months after the brew first going in. Whoa nelly, very strong veggies.

I wonder what specifically caused this type of infection?????


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## Tony (4/9/08)

God knows what they will find in mine then


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## mikem108 (5/9/08)

Is there a general schedule for the day. What time would we be finishing up and BBQing? .....Need to organise a lift home


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## Stuster (5/9/08)

mikem108 said:


> Is there a general schedule for the day. What time would we be finishing up and BBQing? .....Need to organise a lift home



Well, 10am start. One flight before the BBQ which will make lunch around 12:30-1. Another flight after lunch would make it 3-4pm. I'm hoping we can squeak in three flights (perhaps unrealistically) for some judges and that'd make it more like 6pm for those with some stamina. We'll see how we go though.


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## Flex Broker (6/9/08)

Holy shit, dude. 6pm? No sleep til Brooklyn, then.


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## Stuster (6/9/08)

Well, I'm probably dreaming about the third flight. More like 4-5pm finish in reality I guess.  

Although on a day like today, what could be better than staying inside drinking in a beer  scout hall.


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## wabster (6/9/08)

Yeah not the nicest day out there for sure, though as you imply, it IS good weather for indoor activities  I look forward to seeing everyone there, Cheerz Wabster


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## Weizguy (7/9/08)

Ummm, Stu...the scout hall was a bit chilly alright.

Had a great weekend with the judges and stewards, as well as the guys with the tin soldiers today.

I really appreciate the care that was provided to me ...and the beer... Oh, the beer. This, however, is not the time or place to pre-empt the result. I enjoyed the last round of judging today and am happy to say that there wasn't much in it for the top few beers in all the flights I judged.

My email address is on all my feedback sheets, if you want to discuss, while the memories are still fresh.

Thanks again to Phil for the accom, company and conversation.

Les out :icon_cheers:


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## Stuster (7/9/08)

Well, the NSW comp is now done and dusted (at least except for all the paperwork  ) so it's results time folks.  

First, Best Brewer this year (for a change) went to *Barry Cranston*. This entitles Barry to the free pass to the National Conference thanks to the ANHC.

Second, Best Beer this year was won by *Darren Robinson*. Congratulations, Doc. And that entitles Doc to a day brewing at St Peter's Brewery with Matt Donelan. (I'll PM you with all the details soon, Doc.) There's also free entry to the AHA National Homebrew Competition in the USA as well.

Third, I'm attaching the full results to this post (and the first post). Let me know if there are any mistakes with names and so on. Score sheets will be sent off when the organisers' work and family allow them time to get to it (but will be soon). In two cases, there were ties in the scores and the placings were then decided based on the opinions of the judging panel.

Thanks go to the Country Brewer and Dave's Home Brew for their sponsorship of this competition. It's great that they're really helping to improve the standard of brewing here through the feedback people get from judges. Thanks also to the other home brew shops that acted as collection points and all the judges and stewards who did such a great job. Anyway, before I get all Oscars on you, I'll attach the results.  

Oh, and lastly, it'd be great if those who've done well at the comp could post their recipes in the database. There are a number of judges who'd be happy to see some of those recipes after tasting some great beers this weekend. And it's not only the beers that placed that were good. There were a great number of really excellent beers. :icon_cheers: 

View attachment NSW_State_Competition_2008_Full_results.pdf


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## Doc (7/9/08)

Well done Barry.
Was hoping to win that lucky ticket to the ANHC, but you have pipped me again 
Normally I'd think that 3 1sts would cut it ......... 
Look forward to buying you a beer at the AHB Sydney Pubcrawl next year 

And a big thanks to the organisers, judges and stewards working well into Fathers Day weekend, and getting the results out so quickly. TOP DARTS.

Look forward to going head to head with you at Bathurst Barry 

Beers,
Doc


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## matti (7/9/08)

congrats to the winners and well done Stu and guys for taking the beast by the horn and organising the event ,again.

I see that Grant Moss did marvelous well. 
Onya Kabooby for plenty of placings and the win.

matti


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## Hogan (8/9/08)

matti said:


> congrats to the winners and well done Stu and guys for taking the beast by the horn and organising the event ,again.
> 
> I see that Grant Moss did marvelous well.
> Onya Kabooby for plenty of placings and the win.
> ...




Well done Kabooby.

Cheers, Hoges.


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## floppinab (8/9/08)

matti said:


> well done Stu *and guys* for taking the beast by the horn and organising the event



I think particularly to one of those guys, Phil (crozdog) who along with Stu ran the show. I lifts me lid, all twas good.

And thanks to all who brang some samples along, particularly Keith with plenty of lovelies from Potters on the Saturday.


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## kabooby (8/9/08)

Congratulation to Stuster, Crozdog, Trev and everyone involved in organising the event. It was well organised and ran smoothly.

A couple of heaters wouldn't have gone astray, and maybe 2 more bread rolls  

Kabooby


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## MartinS (8/9/08)

A big thank-you to everyone involved. I had a great weekend, and it was really good to meet so many of you, although I still have no idea which handles go with the faces.  Stu and Phil did an incredible job pulling this together, especially given the short notice. A big round of applause BEER to you. :beer: 

If anyone I judged has any feedback on my judging (be it good, bad or ugly), or questions about my comments/handwriting, I'd love to hear from you. 

Martin.


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## Flex Broker (8/9/08)

Thanks to Stu, all the judges and those hard working stewards. Congrats for Doc and Barry. It was a great weekend, although no one warned me how much hard work judging was. Can't wait to get our results sheets back.

I'll put the recipe for our imperial IPA and our robust porter when I get a chance.


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## petesbrew (8/9/08)

Shit yeah! Third place in Category 12!!!  
Looking forward to recieving my tasting notes now!
Congrats Doc, and everyone else who entered.
Thanks to all who ran the comp.
Pete


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## Doc (8/9/08)

petesbrew said:


> Shit yeah! Third place in Category 12!!!



Well done Pete.
I take it that is the same beer (Belgian Pale Ale) I had of yours about 1-2 weeks ago ? It is a cracker.

Beers,
Doc


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## petesbrew (8/9/08)

Doc said:


> Well done Pete.
> I take it that is the same beer (Belgian Pale Ale) I had of yours about 1-2 weeks ago ? It is a cracker.
> 
> Beers,
> Doc


Thats the one!
Thanks to all on here who helped me with the recipe & convinced me to go liquid yeast over dry. 
Castle Hill comp, here I come.


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## mikem108 (8/9/08)

Doc,
I'm still trying to get the smell of your "grapefruit juice" 2IPA out of my nostrils and the spasm inducing bitterness off my tounge. Certainly a memeorable beer, but the Shwartz had me coming back for more- great beer, you got that recipe around?
Michael


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## Doc (8/9/08)

mikem108 said:


> Doc,
> I'm still trying to get the smell of your "grapefruit juice" 2IPA out of my nostrils and the spasm inducing bitterness off my tounge. Certainly a memeorable beer, but the Shwartz had me coming back for more- great beer, you got that recipe around?
> Michael



Hahahahah, yep, that is one hoppy mother of a beer. Just think though, it has aged and mellowed a bit 
Will dig up the Schwarzbier recipe tonight and put in the RecipeDB.

Beers,
Doc


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## Flex Broker (8/9/08)

I have never tasted a beer quite like that Impy IPA, Doc. Basically like eating hop pellets. I never thought our Ruination clone would be so completely dominated in hop intensity, but ours (weighing in at a mild 154 IBU and 9% ABV) seemed like a lightweight. Apparently one of the judges suggested we should have entered it as a barleywine instead. Must have turned out maltier than we anticipated.


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## Doc (8/9/08)

Flex Broker said:


> I have never tasted a beer quite like that Impy IPA, Doc. Basically like eating hop pellets. I never thought our Ruination clone would be so completely dominated in hop intensity, but ours (weighing in at a mild 154 IBU and 9% ABV) seemed like a lightweight. Apparently one of the judges suggested we should have entered it as a barleywine instead. Must have turned out maltier than we anticipated.



Hahahahah, I remember entering a beer at either the NSW Comp or Bathurst comp about 5 years back as an Imperial IPA, and when the judging sheets came back the comments were "Not hoppy enough", "Needs more hops", "Where is the Pain" etc. And I thought it was hoppy.
After many trips to the US I've now gone through the Lupulin Threshold Shift, and know what a real hoppy beer should taste like 
That one had 180gr of dry hops (19 litres) !!

Doc


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## BOG (8/9/08)

I can't believe it. I got 5th for my ESB. I'm wrapped!!

I was thinking I would be too embarrased to put something into a comp. (this was my first) .
Seems my brewing is not so bad afterall. 

104.5 points. Only 7 points off first ! Wow....

I'll await eagerly the judging notes to see where I can improve and get that 1st next year.....




BOG


P.S. Thanks to Screwtop for the Beersmith assistance and the origional receipe. (now heavily modified..of course!)


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## Korev (8/9/08)

Congrats to Barry. PS I note that the IIPA that we brewed was scored with a 15pt difference. Obviously kegging makes a difference.

P1


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## Barry (8/9/08)

Congratulations to Stu and Phil for not only taking the baton and running with it but also scoring a gold for organisation. Had a great couple of days, still remember a few new names. Had a mouthfull of Doc's wonderful schwarzbier (thanks to the most generous Phil because it was very short supply) which was a most worthy BOS. Hope to see a few of the faces at Bathurst next Friday and Saturday (they are asking for judges), a really great weekend.
Korev, I should have added more hops, plus I will shout you a beer in Melbourne.


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## Andyd (8/9/08)

Let me second Barry's sentiments - running a competition (let alone a state-wide comp) is no mean feat, and if it hadn't been for these guys there may not have been a comp at all. Congratulations to Stuster and all who judged or helped on the organising group. I hope someone shouted Stuster at the end of the day!

And of course, congratulations Barry - we're looking forward to seeing you down here in sunny Melbourne!

Regards,

Andy


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## Stuster (8/9/08)

Some beer seemed to find it's way to me along the way, Andy.  

Just to make it clear to those who didn't come along this weekend, it was very much a joint effort between me and Phil Crossley (crozdog) to get the comp off the ground. There is a heap of work involved in running it, but it was so much easier done together than it would have been otherwise. :beer: 


And yep, that was some beer, Doc. We were wondering if there was more malt or hops in that recipe, by weight. :unsure: :super:


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## Tony (8/9/08)

Congrats to Barry and Doc. 

And a huge thanks to all the people involved. All that work! Not un-noticed!

Im happy with my result with the Old Ale. Still going strong in its 3rd year. I have kept the past 2 state comp score sheets to compare with this one. Will make great reading!. Only 5 bottles left and no more comp duty for them. They are destined for my tummy  Not even AABC. I have entered more of this beer to comps in the last year and a half than i have drank. My turn!

The rest of my enteries..........after all the problems i have had im hapy with how that did. The stout and Porter were not to style as such...... mainly after feedback of flavours and nasties that may lurk that i cant pick up. Education material. 

My Scottish 70/- was brewed with US-05 so probably too dry for style but once again....... want feedback to help impvove on a style i have never really tried comercially.

Cant wait for those score sheets!

cheers


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## Weizguy (8/9/08)

Andyd said:


> Let me second Barry's sentiments - running a competition (let alone a state-wide comp) is no mean feat, and if it hadn't been for these guys there may not have been a comp at all. Congratulations to Stuster and all who judged or helped on the organising group. I hope someone shouted Stuster at the end of the day!
> 
> And of course, congratulations Barry - we're looking forward to seeing you down here in sunny Melbourne!
> 
> ...





andyd said:


> Congratulations to Stuster and all who judged or helped on the organising group. I hope someone shouted Stuster at the end of the day!



I sure did, and a few samples of the Quadrupel Weizenbock to anyone interested as well.
The house beer to keep the guys motivated was very nice. Smiles all round.



Tony said:


> Congrats to Barry and Doc.
> 
> And a huge thanks to all the people involved. All that work! Not un-noticed!
> 
> ...



Not sure how many 70/- there were in the comp, but I picked up a bottle of 70/- after the comp and a few other randoms. May be able to give some feedback by pm or in a HAG thread.

I also tasted Doc's beer and thought it needed more malt to balance, but I'm sure it's hard to balance something that bitter. Happy to discuss my feedback sheets. Big job, judging strong ales. Big day, but that beer stood out like the proverbial dog's bits. A big beer, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about more than a pint. Then again, I was like that with my Ruination 2IPA. The style has grown on me. Now I have to warp through the Lupulin threshold shift and come out alive.

Les out :beerbang:


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## Insight (9/9/08)

I'm almost ashamed to just be a contestant when so many guys gave up their time (over fathers day weekend) to judge and steward. Many thanks to those involved, particularly Stu & Phil for putting the comp together.

Congrats of course to Barry and Doc; we beginners can only aspire to be your nemesis in years to come  

For me, I'm stoked to pick up 1st and 3rd in the Lucky Dip category 13. I'll post the Rye APA in the database tonight in case anyone's interested. It was also number '10' for those who sampled the NSW Xmas in July Case swap beer.

See you all in Melbourne for ANHC!


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## crozdog (9/9/08)

Guys, 

I just posted the Pics i took over the weekend in the gallery here 

I've forgotten a few names - sorry.

Enjoy
crozdog


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## Flex Broker (9/9/08)

Always fun to see my baldness from new and exciting angles.


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## campro (9/9/08)

Sounds like it was a ripper of a weekend. Congrats to all involved in making it come together - a class act from the start!

Cheers
Rod


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## redbeard (9/9/08)

Les the Weizguy said:


> I sure did, and a few samples of the Quadrupel Weizenbock to anyone interested as well.



Les your Weizenbock was great, even after judging a flight & stewarding, it tasted fantastic. Im glad you put in the effort and stayed for Sun as well. Good company & good beers.

cheers


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## oldbugman (9/9/08)

A big thanks to stu and phil for putting it on.

a special mention to linz and his misses for bringing the onions on sunday.


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## Barry (17/9/08)

Thanks Stu
Just received the score sheets and certificates which look great. Going over the detailed comments so thanks to all the judges for their indepth evaluations. 
Also a big thanks to all the sponsors.


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## Doc (17/9/08)

Barry said:


> Thanks Stu
> Just received the score sheets and certificates which look great. Going over the detailed comments so thanks to all the judges for their indepth evaluations.
> Also a big thanks to all the sponsors.



Got my results today too.
I likewise congrats the ISB team for running the NSW State Comp (esp Stuster and Crozdog), the sponsors and the judges.
It is awesome to see the level of commitment from the judges with the great level of detail (and judge contact information).

Homebrewing in Australia has certainly come a long way since I started.

Doc


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## petesbrew (18/9/08)

Got mine yesterday too. It was great to read the judges notes.
That certificate is gonna look great on the brewery wall!  
Thanks to the ISB guys, Dave's HBS (where I'll be visiting sometime soon!) and everyone else involved.
Cheers 
Pete


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## floppinab (18/9/08)

Doc said:


> the great level of detail (and judge contact information).



I await the hate mail!!!!!!!! :lol:


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## petesbrew (18/9/08)

floppinab said:


> I await the hate mail!!!!!!!! :lol:


  
Do you get and/or have you had much in the past?


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## kabooby (18/9/08)

Thanks to the judges for excelent feedback. Although some were a bit hard to read, most of them were excellent.

I had a couple of beers that were flat  
Next time I bottle after a long lagering period I will force carb or use fresh yeast

I would also appreciate feedback on my judging, just be kind.

Kabooby


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## KillerRx4 (18/9/08)

Well done fellas. Only a few which require decrypting into english, I might need to take them to a DR for translation. :lol: 

Im mostly happy with the results for my entries. Although not placing well, I think a flaw ive been trying to identify has been. DMS! I could barely drink the beer myself so its good to know what it is. Strange though, i had attributed it to WLP002 since every beer i brewed with it had the same off flavour/aroma.

So thanks to all involved.


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## Flex Broker (18/9/08)

Yeah, just got our results in the mail as well. Generally some really useful feedback, although one of the judges I got seemed afraid to use comments that consisted of more than two words. Thanks again to all involved.


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## Tony (18/9/08)

Got my results today.

Very happy

3 of the 4 beers i entered had faults..... all different and now thanks to the detailed comments about the faults i can go taste then and educate myself a bit more.

After producing about a Kiloliter of infected beer in the last 12 months i loved the comment from one judge saying i should try using a sanatiser :lol: 

I didnt think of that  

Big thanks to all involved!

cheers


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## kabooby (19/9/08)

Hey Tony

You should try coopers Sodium Metabisulpate :blink: 

kabooby


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## barls (19/9/08)

im surprised how well my honey ginger beer did. i knew it wasnt to style but hell i thought id give it a go. 85 not a bad score for it.


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## Barry (21/9/08)

Good day
Is there going to be a drop off point in NSW for entries going to the National?


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## Stuster (21/9/08)

Barry said:


> Good day
> Is there going to be a drop off point in NSW for entries going to the National?



Very good question, Barry. Hadn't thought about that. Is that what normally happens?


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## Barry (21/9/08)

Yes, usually something is arranged with a home brew shop. For example ESB/The Brew Shop might be sending stuff down to Grain and Grape and can add the entries to the pallet. You could ring Dave and ask ( I don't mind asking but I am not officially official). Otherwise we might be able to arrange some joint shipment. I want to avoid Aussie Post. Sent down several entries to the Grand Ridge comp and all the score sheets commented on cloudy, fusels, high fermentation temps etc (and I sent it overnight express). The deadline is 11th October at G&G.


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## Stuster (21/9/08)

Ok. I'll look into it, Barry. Thanks for pointing this out.


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## kabooby (22/9/08)

I would be interested in this as well

Kabooby


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## Tony (22/9/08)

Im going to drink mine :icon_cheers:


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## Flex Broker (24/9/08)

Definitely interested in sending a few bottles down for the nationals. Let me know if you guys end up organising something for this.


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## Stuster (24/9/08)

Still working on this, folks. More news tomorrow for sure.


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## oldbugman (24/9/08)

barls said:


> im surprised how well my honey ginger beer did. i knew it wasnt to style but hell i thought id give it a go. 85 not a bad score for it.



I stewarded, basically it was a good ginger beer, but the judges were a bit perplexed as to whether it should have been entered or not.


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## barls (24/9/08)

OldBugman said:


> I stewarded, basically it was a good ginger beer, but the judges were a bit perplexed as to whether it should have been entered or not.


i wasnt going to but was talked in to it by craig, after a few pints


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## Peter Wadey (25/9/08)

Barry said:


> Yes, usually something is arranged with a home brew shop. For example ESB/The Brew Shop might be sending stuff down to Grain and Grape and can add the entries to the pallet. You could ring Dave and ask ( I don't mind asking but I am not officially official). Otherwise we might be able to arrange some joint shipment. I want to avoid Aussie Post. Sent down several entries to the Grand Ridge comp and all the score sheets commented on cloudy, fusels, high fermentation temps etc (and I sent it overnight express). The deadline is 11th October at G&G.



Comrade,
I won't be joining you in representing NSW (& ESB) at the Nationals.
I finished both 1st place beers some time back!
They were mashed in March for our Sydney comp, & while the Stout might be "passable", the ESB was well & truly past it's best before date.

None of the above should come as a surprise to you.

Good luck,
Pete

PS Prob. won't see you & the boys tomorrow night either.
We are currently in battle of wills with 4yr old. She got her father's stubborn gene.


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## mikem108 (25/9/08)

Quick Pete brew something else


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## Peter Wadey (25/9/08)

mikem108 said:


> Quick Pete brew something else



Ha ha, I think I've run out of time.
Besides, fermentation fridge is full with other beers at present 

Rgds,
Pete


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## Stuster (25/9/08)

ESB have kindly agreed to act as a drop off point for entries to the nationals. The national competition are not paying for this, and with the money left in the state kitty we can stretch to one crate full of entries (or possibly two if anybody can point me in the direction of a cheap courier service) so it'll be first in best dressed. So entries to ESB by Monday 6th October to give us enough time to get them to Melbourne by the closing date (11th October).


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## kabooby (25/9/08)

Thats great Stuster. It's not true what they say about you.

kabooby


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## Stuster (25/9/08)

kabooby said:


> Thats great Stuster. It's not true what they say about you.
> 
> kabooby



Doh. I thought it was. :icon_cheers:


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## Barry (25/9/08)

I don't mind paying my share so let me know. Thanks for organising it, much appreciated. :icon_cheers:


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## barls (25/9/08)

stu i do have a mate that runs a courier company if this helps. let me know before saturday otherwise after the long weekend


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## floppinab (26/9/08)

petesbrew said:


> Do you get and/or have you had much in the past?



No pete, thankfully not, we're an accepting lot aren't we!!!!  

The good thing about the judging setup, on the rare (......ahem.......) times there is a fairly wide difference in the judges opinions you can sit back and ask yourself, Is what I'm thinking really right?? given there is clearly differing perception of various food flavours across a range of people. After a while you can pick up what your certain sensivities are and allow for that as well. In most cases you can come to a pretty close consensus.


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## redbeard (26/9/08)

> In most cases you can come to a pretty close consensus.



So it was just my table that biffed it out until Head Judge Stu broke us up, gave us bandaids and condescending looks. Lucky we only had plastic cups, thou they can draw blood if you try hard enough h34r: 

Just joking, it really was all a big happy family, the scores were all in the acceptable points spread or the chains were not taken off at the end of each flight ....


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## oldbugman (26/9/08)

Stuster said:


> Doh. I thought it was. :icon_cheers:



But it is true what is written about you on the back of the scouts toilet door.
:lol:


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## captaincleanoff (29/4/09)

any word on when this year's competition will be held?

I'm keen to enter some competitions, but there doesn't seem to be too many this year.


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## Stuster (29/4/09)

I haven't heard anything yet and speaking to Keith last month he hadn't. Somebody needs to step up to the plate and get this moving. Is anybody interested? If so, contact Keiththebeerguy or Ray Mills and see what you can organise.

The Castle Hill show comp will be running again this year, mid-October. :icon_cheers:


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## Peter Wadey (6/5/09)

Stuster said:


> I haven't heard anything yet and speaking to Keith last month he hadn't. Somebody needs to step up to the plate and get this moving. Is anybody interested? If so, contact Keiththebeerguy or Ray Mills and see what you can organise.
> 
> The Castle Hill show comp will be running again this year, mid-October. :icon_cheers:



Stu,
Did I read somewhere that the ISB's are running the Castle Hill Comp this year?
If so, how come the Hills Brewers aren't looking after the comp. in their own area?

Pete


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## Stuster (6/5/09)

Peter Wadey said:


> Stu,
> Did I read somewhere that the ISB's are running the Castle Hill Comp this year?
> If so, how come the Hills Brewers aren't looking after the comp. in their own area?



Yep, we're running the Castle Hill comp. Chris didn't feel he could run it this year and has done a lot for the past two comps. He asked us if we were interested. Or that's the party line - actually this is the next step on our plan of world domination. h34r: :lol:

Edit: Oh, and looks like there should be news about the state comp very soon. Looking very good for this year's one - should be run very smoothly by somebody who has a lot of experience with comps. :super:


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## Peter Wadey (10/5/09)

Stuster said:


> Yep, we're running the Castle Hill comp. Chris didn't feel he could run it this year and has done a lot for the past two comps. He asked us if we were interested. Or that's the party line - actually this is the next step on our plan of world domination. h34r: :lol:
> 
> Edit: Oh, and looks like there should be news about the state comp very soon. Looking very good for this year's one - should be run very smoothly by somebody who has a lot of experience with comps. :super:




Thanks Stu,
Suggest you pack a cut lunch and a thermos of tea before the attempt at World Domination, though.

Pete


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## BOG (22/6/09)

Any update on a NSW comp yet?

We seem to be the only state without comp.


BOG


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