# Aiba 2008



## Millet Man (27/2/08)

Hi Guys and Gals,

Just wondering how many of the "day job" brewers will be coming to Melbourne for the AIBA awards / exhibitors get together on 27-28 March.

It's our first year entering and I'm keen to catch up with fellow brewers for a quiet drink.  

Cheers, Andrew.


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## revdrjbob (27/2/08)

Dude,
I'll be heading down for the AIBA on behalf of FIBC in Wollongong.
I'm sure we will find time for a beer or two, I'll be the guy not drinking lager. Drop me a pm if you want to catch up ( nothing suss).

TIM


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## sah (27/2/08)

Good luck to both of you and to all the professional brewers who contribute to AHB.

Andrew, I clearly remember being very impressed tasting your lager a couple of years back. It's probably got better still.

And Tim, well you're on fire, go the Parkyn's Shark Oil, go the Pigdog. Go Five Islands!

regards,
Scott


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## etbandit (27/2/08)

Does anyone know if the Beertopia Festival will be held in conjunction with the AIBA for 2008?


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## Wasabi (27/2/08)

etbandit said:


> Does anyone know if the Beertopia Festival will be held in conjunction with the AIBA for 2008?



Sorry guys, no Beertopia this year, it was losing too much money and no one wants to touch it again.

There will be an exhibitors tasting (similar to last years) but it's a private function open only to people who have entered.

Bradford


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## dr K (27/2/08)

Kurtz or one of his several selves will be around.

K


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## Gerard_M (27/2/08)

Millet Man said:


> Just wondering how many of the "day job" brewers will be coming to Melbourne for the AIBA awards / exhibitors get together on 27-28 March.
> Cheers, Andrew.



Andrew
I am going to be at the day-time activities on the 27th, but won't be attending the awards as we won't be entering any. The Friday I will be on a course, either Royal Melb or Metro, but I will be at Mountain Goat on the 28th. These plans may all change as soon as we get ATO approval.
Cheers
Gerard


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## Ross (28/2/08)

Andrew,

I'll be down this year - look forward to catching up.

cheers

Ross


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## Millet Man (28/2/08)

Looks like it will be a good chance to put a few names to faces or vice versa, should be a good couple of days. :beer: 

Cheers, Andrew.


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## dig (28/2/08)

Yep, I'll be there. Mind you, I go every year...

Have to defend my trophies and all that. All draught entries this year. Nothing special, just racked into kegs whatever was pouring through the taps at the time. The standard is rising so quickly, I don't really rate my chances this time around.


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## dig (1/3/08)

Wasabi said:


> Sorry guys, no Beertopia this year, it was losing too much money and no one wants to touch it again.
> 
> There will be an exhibitors tasting (similar to last years) but it's a private function open only to people who have entered.
> 
> Bradford


Hi Bradford

I noted that for our draught entries this year, we had to sign over the entire contents of our kegs. Does this suggest that there'll be a range of craft beers served from kegs at the dinner or at trade tasting on Friday? I've been to a lot of AIBA dinners and I've concluded that the organisers deliberately serve up crappy beer to prevent anyone from becoming intoxicated.


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## Gerard_M (1/3/08)

OK so if Lt Col Nathan Jessop picks up a trophy this year his speech may go something like this

Son, we live in a world that needs beers, and those beers have to be brewed by men in small breweries. Whose gonna do it? You Lion-Nathan? You, C.U.B ? We have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for mega-swill beers, and you curse the micro-breweries. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what we know. That mega-swill beers, while tragic, are a waste of tap space. And our existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want craft brewed beer, you need craft brewed beer. We use words like character, hop flavour, & aroma. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent creating something. You use them in an advertising jingle. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain my craft to a man who drinks the very beer I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you let your brewers loose and brew real beer. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think of micro-breweries!

Gerard


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## browndog (1/3/08)

Bravo, bravo Gerard bravo.


cheers

Browndog


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## brendanos (1/3/08)

XXXX for champion lager this year?


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## dig (1/3/08)

brendanos said:


> XXXX for champion lager this year?


Well, that's the beauty off blind tasting. If nobody submits anything better....

I must admit, I find it rather funny when Swan brews a better Tooheys New than Tooheys and they subsequently breww a better XXXX Gold than Castlemaine.


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## brendanos (1/3/08)

Hypothetically speaking, could the beer submitted for judging at the beer awards be significantly different to their bottled counterparts?


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## dig (1/3/08)

brendanos said:


> Hypothetically speaking, could the beer submitted for judging at the beer awards be significantly different to their bottled counterparts?


Yes. Though it's getting better. Many years ago when I was a steward, the winning HP that year turned up with no label, a generic crown and no date code. Who knows what was in the bottle or from where it came... Beers now have to look right.


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## Wasabi (1/3/08)

dig said:


> Hi Bradford
> 
> I noted that for our draught entries this year, we had to sign over the entire contents of our kegs. Does this suggest that there'll be a range of craft beers served from kegs at the dinner or at trade tasting on Friday? I've been to a lot of AIBA dinners and I've concluded that the organisers deliberately serve up crappy beer to prevent anyone from becoming intoxicated.



ha ha ha ha...yes I know what you mean. There has been a significant change in the management of the awards this year, and if things pan out there should be a good range of beers from all around the world on each table. The problems of the past have been observed and we're doing our best to counter that. Possibly to the point tha we're in for a knuckle wrapping, but Kerry and I have decided it's worth it 

Alas they won't be from the keg due to logistical and "other" reasons preventing Crown from serving them. We are going to try and get a few on tap for the exhibitors tasting though.


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## Wasabi (1/3/08)

brendanos said:


> Hypothetically speaking, could the beer submitted for judging at the beer awards be significantly different to their bottled counterparts?




Deans right, things have improved. The rules state that the beer you submit must be commercially available and the same. Our auditing process is much more advanced these days. 

* If the beer appears in a bottle with no label, it's flagged (though we appreciate that many people are use to the HomeBrew awards where you MUST submit in an unmarked bottle.

* ANY beer entered in the low alcohol category is analysed and if it breaches the alcohol limit it is disqualified before it's even tasted.

* We do random audits. If the beer we get from your brewery doesn't match the profile of the one you submitted, questions are asked.

And probably the big one, a GOLD you get for you draught doesn't apply to the bottled version, even if it's from the same batch.

The RASV have had to deal with the "Whats in the bottle isn't what they sell" problem from the wine shows for a good number of years, it's just fortunate that brewers are generally more honest -))


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## Wasabi (1/3/08)

brendanos said:


> XXXX for champion lager this year?



Not wanting to be an apologist, but one of the biggest hurdles the micro/homebrew culture has to overcome is their perception of an award winning beer. Each beer is judges against a set of guidelines for a particular style. If that style dictates low bitterness, light flavour, lots of adjunct, and an Australian brewer makes a beer that fits those guidelines....then they have achieved their goal.

The AIBA isn't about the tastiest beer in the world, it's about the best beer in the world, and that's one that fits the guidelines. Despite, for example, the plethora of wonderful pale ales out there, it's quite a challenge to make one that fits the guidelines. And those guidelines are what removes the judges bias and hopefully makes it a lot fairer.

This year we also have a greater number of International Judges, which I have been campaigning for as I think an international event needs that sort of input.


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## dig (1/3/08)

Wasabi said:


> * ANY beer entered in the low alcohol category is analysed and if it breaches the alcohol limit it is disqualified before it's even tasted.


Hopefully within the +/- 0.2% allowed us by the ATO. The cut off for 'reduced alcohol' at the aiba is 3.5% and that's where I target the mid I've entered. Sometimes it's a bit more and other times a little less. 

Last year, between judging and the awards dinner, someone phoned from Victoria wanting a mixed case of Colonial beers and specifically, the four that I entered in the awards. Not the current seasonal, not my best seller, just the four I entered. Sure, no problem. I suspect that the beer went to an AIBA operative checking for commercial availability and trueness of type. I applaud the AIBA if that was the case.


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## revdrjbob (3/3/08)

Dudes,
To reiterate, the JW (my hetero-life-mate and attorney) and I will be attending the dinner and stuff representing FIBC. We'll reak havoc, upset old people, and overly have a ball in our quest for the Australian brewing dream... We'll have Acapulco shirts, a suit case full of _fun_, a dictaphone for rare recordings a special music, and we'll probably pick up the rental car and hand gun in Melbourne (I hear it's good for that). Looking forwards to catching up with everyone as I didn't attend last year's do what with the birth of my twins and all that. They're 1 year old in 4 days time! Woo Hoo! Best to use my Dad points while I can. Just a quick question: what time does the Exhibitors tasting start, as the JW and I are due to fly out Friday arvo.

Cool and Stuff, got my kegs sent out today! Keep a look out for a gypsy brewer and his Spic lawyer.
TIM


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## kirem (3/3/08)

Gerard_M said:


> OK so if Lt Col Nathan Jessop picks up a trophy this year his speech may go something like this
> 
> Son, we live in a world that needs beers, and those beers have to be brewed by men in small breweries. Whose gonna do it? You Lion-Nathan? You, C.U.B ? We have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for mega-swill beers, and you curse the micro-breweries. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what we know. That mega-swill beers, while tragic, are a waste of tap space. And our existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want craft brewed beer, you need craft brewed beer. We use words like character, hop flavour, & aroma. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent creating something. You use them in an advertising jingle. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain my craft to a man who drinks the very beer I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you let your brewers loose and brew real beer. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think of micro-breweries!
> 
> Gerard



That is gold.


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## /// (3/3/08)

I actually noted a few grammatical and speeellingerrors in that response from the GOOOOODDDD Reverand.

And by ways of conscience - the Reverend is a good cuddle in times gone by. He is one not bloated, least indulgenced, in southern lands.


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## Wasabi (20/3/08)

dig said:


> Hopefully within the +/- 0.2% allowed us by the ATO. The cut off for 'reduced alcohol' at the aiba is 3.5% and that's where I target the mid I've entered. Sometimes it's a bit more and other times a little less.
> 
> Last year, between judging and the awards dinner, someone phoned from Victoria wanting a mixed case of Colonial beers and specifically, the four that I entered in the awards. Not the current seasonal, not my best seller, just the four I entered. Sure, no problem. I suspect that the beer went to an AIBA operative checking for commercial availability and trueness of type. I applaud the AIBA if that was the case.



Sorry dig, I missed this post. Yes we do take the 0.2% that the ATO give. I'd hate that we were to be considered harsher than the tax man. But when the "low alc" beers are blowing 4.1% on the GC....well it raises a few eyebrows.

On auditing, we're hoping to be able to move to ester and volatile analysis to make sure everyone is treading the line....


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## dig (20/3/08)

I get an independent lab to do my EtOHs and the mid I entered came back as 3.2%, so I'm confident that I won't get disqualified. 5 more sleeps and then off to Melbourne for lashings of ale. Hoorah!


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## Gerard_M (24/3/08)

Gerard_M said:


> Andrew
> I am going to be at the day-time activities on the 27th, but won't be attending the awards as we won't be entering any. The Friday I will be on a course, either Royal Melb or Metro, but I will be at Mountain Goat on the 28th. These plans may all change as soon as we get ATO approval.
> Cheers
> Gerard



Good luck & enjoy the show guys, but a change of plans means that I am not going up to Melb this week. I have treked up & back 3 times in the past 3 weeks & I am over it. I enjoy the country lifestyle far too much to head to a crowded ugly city. Another week of pilot brews awaits as we count down to our opening! 
The golf corses down here are much better than anything on the over-hyped sandbelt.
Cheers
Gerard


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## Ross (27/3/08)

I'm off in a few minutes to the awards & heading back Saturday - Anyone want to catch up for a beer on Friday you can give me a call on 0412 666952.
Looking forward to the break & sinking a few  


cheers Ross


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