# The 2006 Nsw Homebrewing Championships



## berapnopod (27/9/06)

The 2006 NSW Homebrewing Championships - Call for Judges and Stewards


The NSW homebrewing Championships will take place on Saturday,
21st of October at the Potters Brewery in Cessnock. We are looking
for Judges and Stewards to help out on the day. If you would like
to do either, then please go to the comp. website
(http://nsw.craftbrewer.org/), click on the "register here" link and
fill out the form.

If you have never been to a homebrew competition before, but want to be
involved, or just want to know how it works, consider signing up as a steward.
Being a steward is a great way to learn how to judge beers! If you feel
up to judging, don't let lack of any formal qualifications or experience
stop you. We encourage new judges to sign up. New judges will be paired up
with more experienced judges. Its the best way to learn!

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to PM me directly.

Berp.


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## bigfridge (5/10/06)

berapnopod said:


> The 2006 NSW Homebrewing Championships - Call for Judges and Stewards
> 
> 
> The NSW homebrewing Championships will take place on Saturday,
> ...



Hi All,

It is just under a week to go until entries close for the 2006 NSW Brewing Championships. Entries have started to roll in, so get your's into your nearest dropoff point before next Wednesday. The entry form and other details are available here. 

We also need more helpers. Judging will start at 9AM on Saturday 21st October, and there will be an awards dinner on Saturday night.

Accomodation is available in multishare rooms at the YHA Hostel for Friday and Saturday nights at a subsidised rate of $15 per person per night. The hostel is a few minutes walk from Potters Brewery - Full details can be found here.


If you would like to arrange your own accomodation (Potters have a courtesy bus available), there are all prices/styles of accomodation available in the nearby vineyards, although vacancies will be at a premium due to a major 'opera' event that weekend.

Looking forward to seeing you (or your entries) at the Comp.


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## Jye (5/10/06)

Is a single Coopers plastic bottle ok instead of 2 smaller bottles? and is there a preferred mailing address for out of state entries?

Cheers


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## bigfridge (5/10/06)

Jye said:


> Is a single Coopers plastic bottle ok instead of 2 smaller bottles? and is there a preferred mailing address for out of state entries?



Jye,

The 2 bottle requirement is to ensure that the beers progressing to the 'Best of Show' judging round use fresh bottles. If you don't have 2 bottles than we can still judge your beer and will re-seal and keep the single bottle cool in case it progresses.

Entries can be mailed to Mark's Home Brew shop - details on the entry form.

Good luck ....


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## Doc (9/10/06)

Filling out the forms right now and I notice there is no number associated with Category E. Austalian Ale.
Extrapolating from all the other category numbers it appear it should be '16' but can someone please confirm.

Beers,
Doc


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## berapnopod (9/10/06)

Doc said:


> Filling out the forms right now and I notice there is no number associated with Category E. Austalian Ale.
> Extrapolating from all the other category numbers it appear it should be '16' but can someone please confirm.
> 
> Beers,
> Doc



Doc, I suggest just write something like (eg):
E. International Ale; B. Australian Pale Ale.

and don't worry about the number. 16 is the BJCP cat. for belgian and french ale.
but if you have the style name written down, it should be nice and clear. If the form *requires* a number, just put down "10" but make sure you're clear on the style - thats what is important.

Berp.


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## Doc (9/10/06)

Cheers Berp.
No probs.
Hope the Cellarmaster and Chief Steward are on their toes 

Doc


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## Tony (21/10/06)

Well the day is here :super: 

The best of luck to all people entering and a big thunbs up to all those that organise these events and show up to help out and judge.

I would have been there with bells on but moving house has priority at the moment.

The suspense is killing me......... i dont care if i come first or last (first would be good though) i love the comps to see how my beers are going and get some positive and negative feedback from judges.

It is one of the best ways to learn i recon.

I have entered my:

Schwarzbier
Belgian trippel
English strong (old) ale
Robust porter that never made it to the mash paddle
and a roggenbier.

cheers

tony


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## Tony (22/10/06)

So how did it all go?

Are there any comments, reports, sketchy results from the day?

God i wish i could have been there  

cheers


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## goatherder (22/10/06)

It was a top day out Tony, it's a shame you couldn't be there.

It was a really well organised and run day. I met heaps of great people and drank plenty of good beer. The venue was most excellent - there's no better place for a homebrew comp than a brewery I reckon!

As for the results, we will have to wait for the official announcement from the organisers...


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## MHB (22/10/06)

The results won't be long in coming, we know that a lot of people will want to get entries organised for the nationals.

The BJCP exam that is on today at Potters Hotel and Brewery is I think the only reason for any delay, well that and the need to double check the paper entry forms against the spreadsheet (sorry about the typo, no doubt I will live it down eventually).

As well as to those involved in the organising, judging, stewarding and logistics of the competition I want to send a special thanks to the team at Potters.

We couldnt have been better looked after; the venue was sensational as were the beers that were very generously laid on. The couple of jugs of the soon to be released Red Ale, matured in Hunter Shiraz Barrels, couldn't have found a more receptive and appreciative audience.

So Luke and Josh - Thanks again.

If you are in the Hunter Valley, I would urge you to call in to Potters and enjoy a couple of fine beers.

The one feature of this years NSW State competition that I would like to draw particular attention to is the judging standard.
To the best of my knowledge this was the highest concentration of trained or in training judges ever to examine beer in a state level competition, I believe all those who entered will be pleased by the consistency and quality of the judges reports.
High quality feedback from our peers will give all of us the opportunity to improve our brewing.
That is I think the best reason to enter a competition.

MHB


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## homebrewworld.com (22/10/06)

Cant agree more !
What a top Venue and the guys really looked after us ! :beerbang: 

As Goathearder said, it was great to meet some of the most enthusiastic brewers around.
Some of the entries were really speacial, and great to see a really well run comp.

I too sugest you all drop into Potters a try their selection and take a few bottles home with ya!
Im glad i am not sitting the exam today, as i am a bit under the weather,must have been something i ate  
Congrats to all the winners,
Cheers


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## Weizguy (22/10/06)

G'day all,

I just returned from the beer comp, in which I judged (as an apprentice), and sat the BJCP exam.
Just tidied up some bottles and crates to be returned to MHB, and rushed inside to check AHB.

I hope I'm not giving too much away by stating that a few categories were won by AHB members, including some Hunter people.

There will be some coverage in the Newcastle Herald tomorrow, after a brief interview with the Scoreroom Organiser (David Lamotte) and the Grand Champion (??) by phone from Potter's Brewery this afternoon.

I saw many very happy brewers and judges at the NSW competition and I give thanks to all the organisers, judges, the invaluable stewards, the sponsor, the cellarman and the host (Potters).

Good luck to all the brewers whose beers now qualify for the Nationals.

Beerz
 Seth


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## homebrewworld.com (22/10/06)

Weizguy, how was the exam ??
How do you feel you went?
Cheers !


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## beer slayer (22/10/06)

A big cheer for Potters brewery For a great venue for the comp and there hospitality. Truly a great day and well organised. :super: Definitely worth a visit!!!

I think a special thanks should also go to David Lamotte and Andrew Walsh for makeing the day run soomthly.

Congrats to the winners and well done. Good luck to all sitting the BJCP exam today hope you all did well!!

As mentioned it was great meeting some fellow AHBs and trading stories and a few beers.


Cheers

BS


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## bigfridge (22/10/06)

Just to sound a bit like a cracked record, it did go very smoothly in excellent surroundings. Luke and Josh (the brewers at Potters) went out of their way to make sure everything was great. And this was on top of one of their busiest weekends due to Octoberfest and Opera in the nearby vineyards.

Their new Octoberfest beer was delicious. In fact I saw that there were a few 'helpers' still sampling this morning when we were cleaning up after the exam. The taps were still 'open' for our brewers.

So if you like good beer I would suggest that you signup to help at next years comp. 

I am just double checking everything now and will publish the (long awaited) list later tonight.

Dave


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## Tony (22/10/06)

Wow.... after reading this i really wish i had of been there...... next year when we are living down there.

Big thanks to all........ i wil also give potters a great word..... I poped in to sus out the steup and taste some produce and Luke and his beers were teriffic.

Man..... red ale in shiraz barrels, now i am going to have to drop in again.

PS.... happy Bday for friday Luke 

cheers

Tony.



Oh the suspense is killing me B)


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## wee stu (22/10/06)

Congratulations to all concerned in what sounds like an excellently run comp. 

Did anyone take pictures of the venue and the judging? 

(This is something I totally forgot to do at ANAWBS  )

awrabest, in fraternity, stu


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## Weizguy (22/10/06)

homebrewworld,

The exam faced us with some tricky beers and, as usual, a lot of questions to get through in the time.
So, no real surprises and no excuses for a bad result.
I gave some answers which lacked some specifics, and may have undersold some other answers that I knew more info and could have done better. It's a race against the clock as much as a memory test, but overall - a fair exam...

Wee Stu, there were a number of photographers, including Luke (from the brewery) and IIRC the Newcastle newspaper (Newcastle Herald) had a photographer covering the judging.

Happy times, good company and good beer.

Seth


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## homebrewworld.com (22/10/06)

Weizguy,
Well done mate.
I do agree that its a race against the clock, thats my only gripe with the whole setup.
I would love to sit the exam again, but i wont be as i cant write any faster than i did last year.
I cant see why one must race against a clock for a beer judge exam.
Thread hijack not intended, 
Anyway hope you are happy with your result,
cheers
HBW


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## /// (22/10/06)

As the organiser of the beers for the Exam I did try and throw some curly ones in. Did anyone pick the fault with Beer #1?

Many thanks to my fellow organisers and Potters/Luke/Josh. The generosity is outstanding from the boys and it a venue hard to beat. Never a bad beer is had at Potters.

Hanging around comps for the last few years it is wonderful to see folks keen to judge and do so with some backing; rather than having to rope any tom/dick/harry into the job.

Rock on!

Scotty


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## Trent (22/10/06)

Scotty
I now know what the fault was, but I picked it as an very bad case of DMS (not correct - or only partially so). 
Anyway, just to add to what the others said, the weekend was fantastic, good to put faces to names, and MASSIVE thanks to those that made it possible (Mark, Andrew, David, Potters, stewards, judges, etc...), and a special mention again to Luke and Josh at potters for going above and beyond the call of duty by a long way. If you ever find yourself wine touring in the hunter, you would be doing yourself a dis-service if ya miss Potters. Very big thanks also to MHB for putting up all the prizes on top of organising. If ya can make it next year, please come along, you wont be disappointed.
All the best
Trent
PS That exam had to be the quickest 3 hours I have ever experienced!


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## bigfridge (23/10/06)

Trent said:


> Very big thanks also to MHB for putting up all the prizes



Well the results have been uploaded to here in PDF format. Congradulations to all the winners !

One thing that hasn't been said is a big vote of thanks to Mark's Home Brew Shop for donating more than $1300 of his own money for all the prize winners. In the absence of other sponsors we were trying to work out the best prizes to give when Mark came up with 'give them the run of the shop'.

All prize winners will receive a gift voucher for $100, $50, $30 or $20.

Due to some small differences between the way NSW and the Nationals categorise the beer styles, placing in a category does not automatically flow onto qualification for the National Competition. The second page of the results lists the qualifiers for the AABC. Eligible brewers can download an entry form from the VicBrew website. Note that entries close within a week, but they have been advised who has qualified so there is some lattitude with the closing date. But for the best possible result, please get your entries in ASAP. 


Thanks again to all the helpers.

David


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## Boozy the clown (23/10/06)

Who is this Barry Cranston fella? 

Is he a member here? Not that I personally want award winning beer but 'Crikey' he must know a thing or two about brew.


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## Tony (23/10/06)

yep... big thanks to MHB, verrrrrrry generous of you mate. :super: 

Congrats to les on that breliner weise and barry on an outstanding performance as usual  You are going to have to write a book mate  and all other placegetters

and the one beer i least expected to score did well.... its always the way hey.

cheers


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## Ross (23/10/06)

Well done Barry, great results as always - Trent, 2 x 1st & a 3rd, awesome stuff mate  
Congratulations to all the place getters, especially AHB members & good luck in the nationals to those qualifiers. 
Hope sponsorship goes better next year guys, good on yer Mark for stepping in :super: .

2 bottle entry put me off being interstate, but maybe next year  ...

cheers Ross


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## Doc (23/10/06)

Awesome job by the organisers, judges and sponsors.
And to the AHB members that have excelled; Barry, Les, Trent etc.
I'm very happy with my results too.

Beers,
Doc


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## Trent (23/10/06)

Congrats to all the winners, especially to Weizguy for claiming best of show, with probably the lowest alcohol beer in the show! He also did pretty well with possibly the highest alcohol beer in the show (a 13.7% old ale). Well done to Doc, Barry, Weizguy, Goatherder, Barry, Tony, Kieth and any of the other board members that claimed a spot. I am over the moon with my performance too. Was a blast of a weekend, cant wait till next year. Best of luck for the nationals, everyone.
By the way, Boozy, Barry Cranston is on here, under the name of Barry. He knows more than a thing or 2 about beer, and if you ever open some comp results and notice Barry's name absent, we had better start calling him to make sure he is OK. Probably the most winningest brewer in Oz, and a very friendly chap to boot.
All the best
Trent


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## Barry (23/10/06)

Good Day
I just to thank all who made the comp such a great, enjoyable one. Luke and Josh two of the nicest , generous blokes you would ever meet (you must go to Potters if you get a chance), Mark from Mark's Home Brew Shop a most generous and enthusiastic supporter of home brewing, Andrew whose organising made the judging run so smoothly, David who is posting results after midnight which only indicates the amount of effort he has put in and all the others (not Scotty because praise will only make him worse  ). The actual comp day is just the tip of the ice berg in regards to the work put in by all the hard working home brewers, so thanks to all involved.
It was great to meet all the old friends again and meet so many new ones.
PS Lindsay Dive and I use code names to hide our true identities


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## Stuster (23/10/06)

Tony said:


> and the one beer i least expected to score did well.... its always the way hey.



Too true.  

Congrats to all the AHBers who did well, especially Les and Barry. (Seems like there are quite a lot of AHB winners. :super: )

Thanks to all those who did the work running the comp and to MHB for generous support. :beerbang:


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## Ross (23/10/06)

How was best in show awarded? Not the highest scoring beer?

& congrats Weizguy, should have realised that was you  

cheers Ross...


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## DJR (23/10/06)

What the... i came 2nd in the APA class? Whoa, i didn't think i put in an entry! I completely forgot what i put into the comp!!! That recipe is in the Recipes section under "hop monster APA" - i guess it was a bit more balanced than i thought after 2-3 months in the bottle. (and should i wake up the demons by saying that beer was no-chilled?)

Congrats to everyone that was a winner, being a judge i can tell you that there were some really fantastic entries coming out ( i loved Trent Maier's AIPA ), there were a few poor ones too but i guess you get that!


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## berapnopod (23/10/06)

/// said:


> As the organiser of the beers for the Exam I did try and throw some curly ones in. Did anyone pick the fault with Beer #1?



Neither Trev nor I (the two proctors) got it. We thought it was a classic example :blink: 

The beer was left in the sun for a couple of days in a clear bottle.

Must be those new Tetrahops or sommink. h34r: 

Berp.


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## warrenlw63 (23/10/06)

Well done to all the winners and placegettes.  

Just one odd question though. Weiz's Berliner being judged in the Belgian section? I would have thought a Berliner Weisse would have been judged in the wheat beer section. Hate to state the bleeding obvious. :blink: 

Well done all the same Weizguy. I've heard it's a fantastic drop and well deserved.  

Warren -


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## Tseay (23/10/06)

Congratulations Guys. Well done !


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## bigfridge (23/10/06)

warrenlw63 said:


> Just one odd question though. Weiz's Berliner being judged in the Belgian section? I would have thought a Berliner Weisse would have been judged in the wheat beer section.
> 
> Warren -



We use the BJCP guidelines (why re-invent a wheel that has already covered a lot of ground).

Berliner is included with the sour beers with the Lambics and Flanders (http://www.bjcp.org/styles04/Category17.html) and we combine this with the 2 Belgian Categories.

There is not much wheat taste in there.

David


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## warrenlw63 (23/10/06)

bigfridge said:


> We use the BJCP guidelines (why re-invent a wheel that has already covered a lot of ground).
> 
> Berliner is included with the sour beers with the Lambics and Flanders (http://www.bjcp.org/styles04/Category17.html) and we combine this with the 2 Belgian Categories.
> 
> ...




:lol: :lol: In defence of the decision I guess Berlin and Belgium both begin with a "B". :blink: 

Warren -


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## bigfridge (23/10/06)

Ross said:


> How was best in show awarded? Not the highest scoring beer?
> 
> cheers Ross...



Well spotted Ross.

No the highest score doesn't immediately translate to BOS due to differences between the judging panels - one table could be judging a little harsh while the next could could have just had a run of awfull beers then goes a little over the top when they hit a good one - There are internal checks within each flight to ensure that the best beer does come first in its category.

The winning beers from each category are re-judged by a panel of 5 judges to determine which one best fits the style guidelines - this one becomes the Best of Show (usually after much discussion!)

David


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## bigfridge (23/10/06)

warrenlw63 said:


> bigfridge said:
> 
> 
> > We use the BJCP guidelines (why re-invent a wheel that has already covered a lot of ground).
> ...



Oh, so they do ! I hadn't noticed as we only look at the character of the beer and not their names


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## DJR (23/10/06)

Yes, we were being a little harsher in scoring than most tables when we were doing the Belgians. The Weisse was a fantastic drop but i don't think we really knew how to score it against a commercial example since the commercial example is so rare. That said, we definitely did think it was the best of the Belgian/French class, however we didn't really give any beers higher than 40/50 individually on our table, whereas plenty of other tables did. I guess it's good to see that it did win champion beer, since it was the best beer that i tasted on the day, closely followed by Trent M's AIPA.


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## Linz (23/10/06)

bigfridge said:


> warrenlw63 said:
> 
> 
> > Just one odd question though. Weiz's Berliner being judged in the Belgian section? I would have thought a Berliner Weisse would have been judged in the wheat beer section.
> ...




Then why allow the Nationals to be judged differnetly to state level then?? 

Just to revert or to some; retard to some very vague and dubious guidelines seems quite silly, example given was Russian imperial STOUT(Stout style in State) is going to be judged in 'Strong ale' at National????

Me thinks the wheel has a flat spot.......but another thread to cover this point...

Beers

Linz


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## bigfridge (23/10/06)

Barry said:


> David who is posting results after midnight which only indicates the amount of effort he has put in and all the others (not Scotty because praise will only make him worse  ). The actual comp day is just the tip of the ice berg in regards to the work put in by all the hard working home brewers, so thanks to all involved.



Barry, Thanks for noticing - it has been a big weekend !

Got back late from Potters after the exam (too many great guys hanging around to leave), interviews with the local paper, check and re-check that the results were correct, add up the Champion Brewer (Well done again Barry) and Champion Club (there was only 1 point between the Hunter and ESB guys) and get it up on the internet.

Only have to stuff 600 pieces of paper into envelopes (the right ones I hope), get a new cartridge for my printer (it is just about as exhausted as some of the organisers) print some certificates, lick 55 stamps and post them off.

Then relax until next time.

Oh, one thing that hasn't been mentioned is that Potters beer is on tap in many pubs around Sydney etc - so ask for it at your local, or move to one that does have it.

But you do need to come to the brewery to get samples of the 'specials'.

Dave


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## DJR (23/10/06)

bigfridge said:


> (there was only 1 point between the Hunter and ESB guys)


Do you mean ISB? Oh yeah!

Edit: doh, ESB...


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## bigfridge (23/10/06)

Linz said:


> bigfridge said:
> 
> 
> > warrenlw63 said:
> ...



Hi Linz

Thanks for your help BTW - you worked like a trouper all day.

The Nationals is governed by a comittee drawn from the participating states - not everyone agrees on everything. After a lot of work we think that we do things pretty well in NSW, but other states are entitled to their opinion as well.

The National rules state that it is preferred that the states use the same guidelines but that it is not compulsory. We just have to do extra work to adjust the results to fit the National guidleines.

BTW there will be some vacancies for the NSW reps on the National committee soon if enyone wants to step forward and 'be part of the solution', just let us know.

Dave


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## bigfridge (23/10/06)

DJR said:


> bigfridge said:
> 
> 
> > (there was only 1 point between the Hunter and ESB guys)
> ...



The new ISB guys did well, but it was ESB (Peakhurst ie near where Barry lives) that was a point behind.

David


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (23/10/06)

Congrats to all AHB'ers who managed a first or placing :super: 

C&B
TDA


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## DJR (23/10/06)

bigfridge said:


> DJR said:
> 
> 
> > bigfridge said:
> ...



Oh well, next year then! Good to get a 1st, 2 2nds and 1 3rd anyway for a new club entry.


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## mikem108 (23/10/06)

2007 Battle of the Clubs!


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## Wreck (23/10/06)

Hi,

Picked up a first and a third (?) in the wheat section. Did a double decoction for the weizenbock, so I'm glad it was with the effort.

One question though. Was that 3rd correct? It only got 74, and someone else's beer is listed as a qualifier for AABA. Don't want to claim someone else's place. 

Cheers,
Wreck.


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## stephen (23/10/06)

Have to agree with everyone else on how well organised the weekend was. As it was my first time judging for real (not the training I did for BJCP exam) I must say that I felt I judged with a level of confidence that 8 months ago I didn't have. So a big thanks to Dave Lamotte for the journey through the BJCP styles over the last eight months.

Also a big thanks to everyone that participated in some manner in the comp, be it stewarding, judging or just being a very supporting fiancee (Hi Lara!) The atmosphere was fantastic for the whole weekend. No big egos just friendly people with a common interest. 

As for the BJCP exam, as Trent said, "where did that three hours of my life go?" Quite an intense delving exam but appropriate for what we, the examinees, are striving to acheive.

Lastly, for those unfortunate to share a room with me at the YHA hostel, next year I will try and get a room by myself with sound proof walls so my snoring doesn't cause permanent hearing damage to fellow room mates.

A great weekend

Regards

Stephen


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## bigfridge (23/10/06)

Wreck said:


> One question though. Was that 3rd correct? It only got 74, and someone else's beer is listed as a qualifier for AABA. Don't want to claim someone else's place.



Wreck,

Thanks for your honesty, but it is all ok. Sorry but you need to score a minimum of 90 to be eligible for the Nationals. 

Robyn Brown is from Victoria and as a non-resident is not eligible for major prizes or to bump out any NSW qualifiers - hence you took third in the category. As there was no eligible NSW qualifiers for 3rd I believe that Robyn can go through to the Nats from our comp.

But I am waiting on confirmation from the Nats committee.

David


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## Wreck (23/10/06)

bigfridge said:


> Wreck said:
> 
> 
> > One question though. Was that 3rd correct? It only got 74, and someone else's beer is listed as a qualifier for AABA. Don't want to claim someone else's place.
> ...



Ok, no worries. Couldn't see it doing too well at AABA even if it was eligible. Keen to see how the weizenbock goes though. 

Thanks to all the organisers by the way. Sounds like a pretty good day. I'll definitely have to come along next year!

Thanks,
Wreck.


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## Linz (23/10/06)

bigfridge said:


> BTW there will be some vacancies for the NSW reps on the National committee soon if enyone wants to step forward and 'be part of the solution', just let us know.
> 
> Dave




Thanks for the response David.

Little Squares would be interested, as would myself and probably many others.

How and when will this be announced??(maybe new thread time??)


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## Tony (23/10/06)

I have one small question....

I know this is not determined by the state body but i have had a quick look at the guidelines for the AABC and My Roggenbier that qualified is not listed in their style listing under wheat beer as it was in the BJCP system.

Not complaining, just wondering if i should enter it under wheat and hope thay judge it or should i dump it in the dreaded "specialty" can of worns :blink: 

cheers


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## Ross (23/10/06)

Tony said:


> I have one small question....
> ...or should i dump it in the dreaded "specialty" can of worns :blink:



"can of worns" "rice gulls" - You'll have to bring out your own phrase book soon Tony  Congrats with the beer mate & good luck in the Nationals...


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## MHB (23/10/06)

Well we got a mention in today's "Newcastle Morning Herald". It always amazes me what some journalists can do with a half hour conversation.

View attachment 9643


MHB


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## Stuster (23/10/06)

That's coming up as a damaged file, MHB. Can you repost it/link to the story?


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## MHB (23/10/06)

Fixed

Cheers

MHB


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## Spun (23/10/06)

I'm stoked that my Scottish 80/- got a 1st at ANAWBS last week and now a 3rd in the NSW comp, as well as qualifing for the nationals! Not too shabby for my 5th all-grain brew (the less said about the scores all-grain 1 and 2 got in recent comps the better!). The recipe is now up under "Spun's Scottish Surprise".

Cheers
Spun


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## bigfridge (23/10/06)

MHB said:


> Fixed
> 
> Cheers
> 
> MHB



Mark,

Nice job of scanning - thanks for taking the time to do it. That's one less job that I will have to do.

It would be nice to see what this week's Examiner has to say about their new local hero.

Dave


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## bigfridge (23/10/06)

Tony said:


> I have one small question....
> 
> I know this is not determined by the state body but i have had a quick look at the guidelines for the AABC and My Roggenbier that qualified is not listed in their style listing under wheat beer as it was in the BJCP system.
> 
> ...



Tony,

Not you again - didn't we a problem with your entry last year  

I have just asked the question as I missed that one. There is a passionate debate raging about Seth's Berliner so I have just thrown your Rye into the mix.

I will let you know as soon as I hear.

Thanks
David


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## MHB (23/10/06)

It is good to see "Good Beer" getting some media attention.
Regional ABC radio gave the NSW Championships some air time a couple of months ago, David and I got to say our bit, I have a follow-up interview this Saturday on local ABC (2NC 1233) between 11:30 and Noon and have just invited Weizeguy along to tell the listener about his beer.

For those outside the Hunter, our local paper has a weekly beer review. Over the last 3 years we have gone from having 0 to 4 breweries operating and a couple more in the works.

The rising awareness of how good beer can be can only be good for the home brew community.


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## Weizguy (23/10/06)

G'day again.

I am the Les Wever mentioned in the newspaper article above.

Congrats to all the winners, now that they've been announced. I heard that Trent was being hailed as the new Barry Cranston. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but he has done well nonetheless.
It was great to hear people talking about my beer with admiration. I thought that I was the only one who could do that. I really enjoyed bringing the joy of beer into people's day, and I think that I'm gonna take more time to do the beer evangelist thing. Testify!

You see, I have been interviewed by the Newcastle newspaper, my local Port Stephens newspaper (who are going to visit my workplace to photograph me tomorrow), and now Mark's invitation to do a spot on local ABC radio. Shame that I don't have any spare bottles of Berliner to share with the radio dude. Only 2 left for the Nats. Not sure if that's gonna be a good thing, as it looks like I'll have to put it in a light wheat category?

I did not expect to do so well with my Berliner. What a freaky beer, and who ever heard of a light beer winning a State Comp, let alone a sour one? Here's hoping that the doors have opened to allow other people's weird-beers to realised.

Some AHBers will be happy to know that they may have tasted or be currently in possession of one of my winning Berliner Weissbiers. Yep, it was my Xmas in July case swap beer.

Enoough chest-beating for now. The competition was only good because of all the competitors, quality of entries, and all the people who attended to judge, prepare, serve, collect, collate, observe, maintain, oversee, control and, most of all, enjoy!
Thanks again to the venue, and the strong NSW homebrew community.

After talking with Barry and Lindsay Dive, I'm seriously thinking of changing my Forum name to Les the Weizguy. Any thoughts from Admin?

A hearty big Beerz from me.

Les out


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## Doc (23/10/06)

Weizguy said:


> After talking with Barry and Lindsay Dive, I'm seriously thinking of changing my Forum name to Les the Weizguy. Any thoughts from Admin?



Congrats, Les the Weizguy.
Anything is possible. If you are serious, drop me a PM.

Doc


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## Stuster (23/10/06)

bigfridge said:


> Tony said:
> 
> 
> > I have one small question....
> ...



While you're at it, could you ask about my American rye. This is another qualifier with no home to go to in the Nationals.


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## Ross (23/10/06)

Les,

So was your winning beer the one you just brewed for the case swap or 3 years old as per the newspaper article? Congrats again & best of luck in the nationals...

cheers Ross


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## /// (23/10/06)

[/quote]

This is another qualifier with no home to go to in the Nationals. 
[/quote]

I'll say nothing but ..... how suprising!

Scotty


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## DJR (23/10/06)

At least my APA has a home  

Les, great work on the Berliner, really was a fantastic drop.


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## Gough (23/10/06)

Congrats to all, and in particular to Les, Trent and the other Newcastle brewers. It was great to see you all again and I got to judge some great beers to boot! Thanks also to Luke at Potters for his hospitality.

Thanks to Dave and Andrew for their organisation and to Mark for his sponsorship. A good weekend had by all  Best of luck at the Nationals to the qualifiers,

Shawn.


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## bigfridge (23/10/06)

Stuster said:


> While you're at it, could you ask about my American rye. This is another qualifier with no home to go to in the Nationals.



Ah crap - another one I missed.

Leave it with me.

Dave


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## Weizguy (23/10/06)

Ross said:


> Les,
> 
> So was your winning beer the one you just brewed for the case swap or 3 years old as per the newspaper article? Congrats again & best of luck in the nationals...
> 
> cheers Ross


It's the case swap beer. Oh, yeah!
I (mistakenly) advised Fran that the beer was 3 months-ish old, and it was misreported as 3 years. I thought I was clear enough, but maybe I was not. The beer was brewed on 11/5/06, so that makes it about 5 months old.

I got the age on the Old ale wrong, too. it was brewed on 7/7/02, so I suppose that means it's not 5, but it's into it's 5th year. I'm a bit scared to divulge the recipe, coz it's mostly junk, however lovingly crafted. It's gravity dropped from 1.094 to 1.001 over 5 months.

Les out


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## Boozy the clown (23/10/06)

hooray for weird beers! :beer: 


I always thought it was "seth out" as a sig, or am I just drunk again? :blink:


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## Stuster (23/10/06)

bigfridge said:


> Ah crap - another one I missed.
> 
> Leave it with me.
> 
> Dave



Thanks.

Boozy, Seth and Les and Weizguy all work together on the brewing.  

Seth, we did say it was a good beer. Congratulations. :super:


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## wee stu (23/10/06)

Boozy the clown said:


> I always thought it was "seth out" as a sig, or am I just drunk again? :blink:



I think this may just be a case of another "les" coming out of the cupboard  

PS if anyone else understands this post to this point, can they please send Boozy a PM  

Well done, again, to *all * the AHB winners. 

Spun - well done, you got the highest scoring Scottish in both shows


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## Weizguy (24/10/06)

Boozy the clown said:


> hooray for weird beers! :beer:
> 
> 
> I always thought it was "seth out" as a sig, or am I just drunk again? :blink:


Maybe it always was, and maybe it isn't now...

Maybe it will be again, when the name changes.

Anyway, what about my emoticon, isn't that important, too?

Seth out (he he)


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## Trent (24/10/06)

Congrats to Les on his official name change! (Notice how I didnt mention the war?) How many signatures will you have now?
T


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## Tony (24/10/06)

maybe we can enter them under my new "can of worns" catagory  

Thanks ross  

Oh and thanks David for checking up........ i hope im not getting a bad name as a trouble maker :unsure: 

cheers


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## bigfridge (24/10/06)

Tony said:


> Oh and thanks David for checking up........ i hope im not getting a bad name as a trouble maker :unsure:



No Tony, that is my current title with the AABA !

You are known as the poor, entrant suffering at the hands of the recalcitrant NSW organisors. I would post some of the messages that I have received in reply their content would probably violate the AHB acceptable use policies and are certainly unsuitable for polite company.

No news yet ......

David


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## /// (24/10/06)

[/quote]

No Tony, that is my current title with the AABA !

[/quote]


Must be catching!

Scotty


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## stephen (24/10/06)

Les

Congratulations on your fantastic win. For those who don't know, Les puts a lot of effort and research into the brews he makes and works hard to acheive a beer that's in style. I know this as I have seen him brew, picked his brains whilst learning to mash brew (and still do.) It' great to have such a knowledgable brewer living just down the road that I can easily call on.

And also a congratulations to all the class winners on the day.

Regards

Stephen


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## Tony (25/10/06)

Im not going to get a chance to send one off anyway so stuff them.

Im all booked out with moving and finding somewhere to live....... and then i have to work all week too  

I will stick with the well run NSW comp....... bugger the nationals.

cheers


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## bigfridge (25/10/06)

Just a quick heads up for the entrants - keep an eye on your letterbox because all judging sheets, award certificates and prizes were mailed to today.

Thanks again to all the judges, stewards, helpers, Mark's Home Brew, Potters and NNL Beer supplies for all their help and support.

Next year the State championship will be held earlier in June/July to avoid the rush and there will be a hunter valley comp (open to all commers) in March.

I will send an email directly to brewers who have qualified for the nationals explaining what needs to be done to get your entries in.

Thanks
David


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## Doc (25/10/06)

bigfridge said:


> I will send an email directly to brewers who have qualified for the nationals explaining what needs to be done to get your entries in.



Hey David,

Is the email going out tonight ? I emailed Mark this morning re:not getting my entries in the post until tomorrow, but haven't had a reply as to whether them turning up first thing next week will still be acceptable.

Beers,
Doc


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## DJR (25/10/06)

Doc said:


> bigfridge said:
> 
> 
> > I will send an email directly to brewers who have qualified for the nationals explaining what needs to be done to get your entries in.
> ...



I just put mine in the post on Tuesday - hopefully they work out what the hell is going on!


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## bigfridge (25/10/06)

Doc said:


> bigfridge said:
> 
> 
> > I will send an email directly to brewers who have qualified for the nationals explaining what needs to be done to get your entries in.
> ...



Hi Doc,

Yes it is my next job to do.

There is still more than 2 weeks until the National comp so there is plenty of time to get your entries in. 

Obviously, the sooner they arrive the longer the beer has to settle and the easier it is for the organisers to sort and organise the entries.

Working on it now ...........


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## bigfridge (25/10/06)

DJR said:


> I just put mine in the post on Tuesday - hopefully they work out what the hell is going on!



Did you include an entry form ?

Can you ping me a note to tell me what your entries were and I can advise.

Thanks
David


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## DJR (25/10/06)

bigfridge said:


> DJR said:
> 
> 
> > I just put mine in the post on Tuesday - hopefully they work out what the hell is going on!
> ...



Yeah i popped in the entry form and fee, it was all in one of those Aus Post winepaks so should all be sweet. Just filled out the details from the NSW comps so they should be able to work it out.


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## m_peve (25/10/06)

I attended the comp on Saturday afternoon ( first comp attendance ) and helped out as a steward for the last couple of hours. The experience was brilliant. Serving the Stout table, I was able to taste other people's beer and listen to comments from the judges. It has definitely helped my appreciation of taste, aroma etc. BJCP here I come  

Thanks to all involved!! I had a chance to see some of the organisational effort involved during the week leading up to the comp and hats off to all. ( I won't list them all for fear of missing someone ).
Everyone was extremely friendly, helping out with the ettiquette of 'stewardship' and giving tips to a relative beginner. Luke, the Shiraz beer is sensational!!!

Lastly, thanks to Simon, Scotty (you left before I arrived Saturday ), David, Luke and Josh for the week (course) at Potter's. Extremely educational and great fun. - Sorry for this part if it's off topic ( 2nd ever forum post)

Thanks
Pete


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## homebrewworld.com (26/10/06)

Good onya Peve ! keep posting too!.
I was on the Stout table and yep you did a bloody good job as Steward !

Cya next time
cheers
:beerbang:


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## bigfridge (28/10/06)

Hi All,

Well most entrants should have recived their judging sheets back by now and are probably wondering how close they were to winning one of the prizes. So, I have just uploaded a full listing of results here.

Tears & Cheers,
David


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## Samwise Gamgee (28/10/06)

Just wanted to say a big thanks to all involved in the NSW Comp.

I was stoked with my result! I received my certificate and tasting notes yesterday.

Once again, cheers to all involved in the comp!


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## bigfridge (28/10/06)

Samwise Gamgee said:


> Just wanted to say a big thanks to all involved in the NSW Comp.
> 
> I was stoked with my result! I received my certificate and tasting notes yesterday.
> 
> Once again, cheers to all involved in the comp!



Samwise,

Thanks for your thanks, but it is our pleasure !

One of the great things about being involved in a comp like this (either as an entrant or an official) is that everyone has a great time.

There will be another great one next year, together with more regional comps such as Sydney, Illawarra and here in the Hunter - all BJCP based to give the widest range of styles and the best judges !

Dave


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## petesbrew (30/10/06)

Got my tasting notes in the mail on Friday arvo. I had a good laugh at the Participation certificate, but it will be proudly mounted on the wall in the garage/brauhaus! Also was good to see the results on line, and the placings. Congrats to the winners.
Thanks,
Pete


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## evanroser (2/11/06)

Hi,
According to the posts, the 2007 NSW Comp will be held in March. Where will it be held? And will it be advertised anywhere? Is it open to all brewers (K&K, AG,etc)? Could anyone tell me if any K&K recipes did well or are the comps more suited to AG Brewers?

Thanks

Pointy


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## /// (2/11/06)

pointy said:


> Hi,
> According to the posts, the 2007 NSW Comp will be held in March.
> Pointy



Nope - Will be late June 2007

Scotty


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## bigfridge (2/11/06)

pointy said:


> Hi,
> According to the posts, the 2007 NSW Comp will be held in March. Where will it be held? And will it be advertised anywhere? Is it open to all brewers (K&K, AG,etc)? Could anyone tell me if any K&K recipes did well or are the comps more suited to AG Brewers?
> 
> Thanks
> ...



Pointy, you appear to have the wrong end of the stick !  

There will be a Hunter Valley comp held in March, but it hasn't been announced yet.

David


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## evanroser (2/11/06)

bigfridge said:


> pointy said:
> 
> 
> > Hi,
> ...




G'day Big Fridge,
Where will the Hunter Valley comp be held and is it open to all types of Brewers? Also can you shed any light on the rest of the questions in my first post?

Thanks

Pointy


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## bigfridge (2/11/06)

pointy said:


> bigfridge said:
> 
> 
> > pointy said:
> ...



Pointy,

At the risk of repeating myself - the details have not been announced. This is not due to any conspiracy but they haven't been finalised. We are still recovering from the strain of the last comp.

For the comp just finished a full list of results appears at http://nsw.craftbrewer.org - if you entered any k&k beers then you will be able to see where they placed. We don't collect details on production methods as we believe that it can lead to very passionate arguments. But I would say that it is the skill of the brewer and their brewing conditions (ie sanitation, temperature control and selection of the best ingredients) that influence the results in competitions rather than the brewing method used. 

We try to ensure that we have the best trained judges possible and they are reminded to give the as much feedback as they can to the entrant.

HTH,
David


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## /// (2/11/06)

pointy said:


> Hi,
> According to the posts, the 2007 NSW Comp will be held in March. Where will it be held? And will it be advertised anywhere? Is it open to all brewers (K&K, AG,etc)? Could anyone tell me if any K&K recipes did well or are the comps more suited to AG Brewers?
> 
> Thanks
> ...



HIya Mate

As Dave ahs mentioned, for March Potters is keen to run a comp around the Harvest Festival activities in the Hunter at that time. Pretty much that is all that has been discussed for the details, the other bits and peices will be finalised in time.

The NSW Comp for the last 3 years, and any to be run by the organisers, are always open with no distinction made for AG or K+K - i reckon it takes away from the spirit of the competition as good beers are made with both. The comp's are therefore suited to all brewers and all are welcome.

The State will be rolled forward as the time frames to the Nationals are getting awfully short and to make it easier to organise. Potters will host the comp again, likely the last weekend in June. Again, details will follow, via nsw.craftbrwewer.org, this site and the other streams.

Drop us a line if any issues,

Scotty


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## Stuster (3/11/06)

Just a huge thanks to Mark and Keith at MHB. I received my winnings from the NSW comp yesterday and I must say they were fantastic to deal with. :super: (especially since I didn't have to provide any money.  )


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## Tseay (3/11/06)

You won a junior brewer as well ! Way to go :lol:


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## Stuster (3/11/06)

Yep. Lucky me. :lol:


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## DJR (3/11/06)

Wow, great timing, i got my winnings yesterday as well - 4kg of specialty malts in 1kg lots, some hops- free cascade plugs! NZ cascade flowers with a great aroma, some Chinook pellets, Pacman yeast that i smacked last night and have split into 2 starters, one for now, one for later + group swaps. No photo with apprentice brewer though.


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## mikem108 (3/11/06)

DJR said:


> Wow, great timing, i got my winnings yesterday as well - 4kg of specialty malts in 1kg lots, some hops- free cascade plugs! NZ cascade flowers with a great aroma, some Chinook pellets, Pacman yeast that i smacked last night and have split into 2 starters, one for now, one for later + group swaps. No photo with apprentice brewer though.



Did you order these over the phone? How much was the postage or is that included in the prize?


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## DJR (3/11/06)

mikem108 said:


> Did you order these over the phone? How much was the postage or is that included in the prize?



I sent them an email using the ingredients off the "Recipe packs australia wide" post that MHB did (search on "MHB and recipe" to find it), they called me to confirm and i added in some other stuff. Postage is included with the prize winnings so nobody's out of pocket, normally if you're ordering enough for a recipe, ie. at least 4kg of malt, hops and some yeast, then freight is half price.

Got some Rye malt too, have to get that Am Rye recipe off you Stuster...


----------

