# What NSW comps are on this year?



## Bribie G (5/4/13)

Now that the Old Bar Brewery is firmly established and I seem to have a bit too much spare time to my liking nowadays I've decided to get back into comps this year.

I'm going to enter the ESB comp as a warm up, but what other comps are popular in the State? Apart from the State Comp and the Nats the landscape seems completely different here than in QLD with no strong "central" club along the lines of BABBs so I'm a bit floundering.

I hear the Castle Hill show is a well patronised one. Any suggestions for other popular comps this year, and the dates?

:super:

Edit: checked out Castle Hill - looks amazing, big kudos to Inner Sydney Brewers.


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## barls (5/4/13)

i believe states and castlehill is the same thing this year, i dont know of any other comps this year,
maybe hub running bitter and twisted but not sure on that on. 
castle hill will be august some time.


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## barls (5/4/13)

also despite having a multitude of clubs in and around the area, there are only really two comps being run by clubs, esb you already mentioned and castle hill is isb.
we do need more i think


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## Bribie G (5/4/13)

Aha, thanks. Makes for better focus anyway  - I thought HUB ran the State last year, or is that opening a can of worms? Don't know the story, I hear there were problems.


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## sp0rk (5/4/13)

Coffs and Grafton shows later this month
Both are only in their second year i believe so not that many entrants (all the better for me!)


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## barls (5/4/13)

hub did run the states the last two years but they arent this year.
we will leave it at that mate, dont need to start that up again and besides im hated up there enough by a few of their members for speaking my mind about the comp and the way it was run.
stu will put up the dates of the castle hill one when he gets a chance.


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## Bribie G (5/4/13)

Thanks barls, sleeping dogs etc. Yes I'm entering Grafton to help fly the flag for AG ( Brew Matt has been in touch with me) even though I'm out of the area, however I would say that Coffs is sort of in the outer suburbs of Old Bar :lol:


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## sp0rk (5/4/13)

That reminds me to get back into contact with Matt to get my entries to him


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## waggastew (6/4/13)

Timely topic! Brace for long post............

Being a Mid North Coast brewer I have entered various local comps over the last few years. Most have been associated with the local ag shows and most appear to be going down hill fast. Our local Wauchope Show (the Royal of the North!) was on today and it only got 2 entries, all from one brewer for the whole section. 3 years ago there were at least 25 entries. One of the main problems (and why I did not enter this year) is that the catagories were decided in 1956 and have not changed. Think New, Old, Lager, Bitter, Draught, Pilsener etc. No judges feedback etc

So its got me thinking that I might approach the show society to volunteer to take over the running/organising the section. My idea is to run it as a mini-BJCP type event maybe using some umbrella classes to begin with to ensure enough entires per class e.g. Australian (Pale Ale/Old/PA etc), US (APA/IPA/Amber etc), UK (Mild/PA/IPA), Belgian (Trappists/sours etc), Lager/Pilsener. Judging can use the BJCP format with the highest points in each umbrella category the winner. You could then have a BOS taste off.

To get the numbers I was thinking I could setup a drop off in Coffs, Kempsey, Port, Taree, even up the mountain at Armidale. Judging would be volunteers with attempts made to get at least one BJCP cert to do the top end.

Other thoughts were:
- Get some local sponsors. I know of at least 10 organisations (breweries/pubs/HB shops etc) that would stump up a reasonable amount of cash (or beer) to cover cost of/act as prizes
- Set up a brew rig at the show and brew throughout the day in front of the public, answering questions etc
- Setup a display showing beer ingredients, outline the process, photos of the 'good old days' (metal bin with a can of goo in the shed)
- Offer small tasters (50ml) of a nice hoppy APA to get people talking about good beer

Obviously it all hinges on one thing, the Show Society coming on board. I figure if I can pitch a risk free proposal that makes them more cash than two entries ($4!) I should be in with a chance. I also think there would be plenty of other brewers about to pitch in?

Sorry to hi-jack the thread Bribie but I am sure if it gets up you'll be there with bells on?


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## waggastew (6/4/13)

Sorry, can anyone clarify who will be running the State comp for NSW this year? And when?


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## Bribie G (6/4/13)

From what I can gather it would be the Inner Sydney Brewers via the Castle Hill Show.

The Wauchope exercise sounds interesting, I'd certainly like to participate - what HB shops did you have in mind? Port and Taree are herbal/water distillation outlets mostly.


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## waggastew (6/4/13)

Cool. ESB are a good mob. Is the Castle Hill show still a a little bit close the the NAts for comfort?

True about the loacl HB shops. But having said that the same local HB shops would be more than happy to chuck $30 at an event that will get plenty of K&K brewers and approx 4000 ute driving moonshiners with a taste for methanol laced imitation rum flavour and Black and Gold Cola! Perhaps we could do a 'essential oil' distillation demo as well? :blink:

Having said that I am more than happy to send Ross at CB a grovelling email begging for a $30 voucher as a prize. I am sure he already has me on the MVP customer register with my bi-monthly $150 orders. After overheads etc he is laughing all the way to the bank with the $6 profit. Gotta love a man who does it for the love of it!


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## Bribie G (6/4/13)

Well, a whole year to go - well worth a shot. Of course the main problem on the MNC is the number of brewers, it would be good to get the LHBSs on side, for example I know there are quite a few kit brewers in places like Manning Point but they aren't on forums so hard to get to, a poster in the LHBS would be the way to get to them maybe.

However as far as AG goes, I don't know of anyone apart from Bruce and myself in the Taree area, yourself and Warra48 -

our list of allies grows thin


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## waggastew (6/4/13)

I think start with baby steps/transition. All comers Kits/K&K/Partial/BIAB/AG and make it attractive. I know of at least 5-6 AG brewers in the Hastings. They come out of the woodwork. Either way I want a brewer focused comp, light on the seriousness, heavy on the beer!


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## sp0rk (6/4/13)

heeeeey, I'm MNC


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## punkin (21/4/13)

waggastew said:


> Cool. ESB are a good mob. Is the Castle Hill show still a a little bit close the the NAts for comfort?
> 
> True about the loacl HB shops. But having said that the same local HB shops would be more than happy to chuck $30 at an event that will get plenty of K&K brewers and approx 4000 ute driving moonshiners with a taste for methanol laced imitation rum flavour and Black and Gold Cola! Perhaps we could do a 'essential oil' distillation demo as well? :blink:
> 
> Having said that I am more than happy to send Ross at CB a grovelling email begging for a $30 voucher as a prize. I am sure he already has me on the MVP customer register with my bi-monthly $150 orders. After overheads etc he is laughing all the way to the bank with the $6 profit. Gotta love a man who does it for the love of it!



Happy to come and set up the non-live demo for the top of the line water/essential oil units. My beer brewing rig is a little large for carting around.

Would also probably bring a couple of beers to enter into if i could manage to find my bottling gear and some bottles from somewhere, not that they'd impress many people.

I'd help swell you're limited support team anyway


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## sp0rk (24/4/13)

Well, entries for the Coffs show closed this morning!
My wife took in my 3 entries yesterday (a tweaked DSGA, a London Bitter and an Aussie Pale Ale) and also took 300 flyers advertising for the club I'm trying to organise
Sadly forgot to get the flyer printed out in A3 to put next to the exhibits though...
If anyone's going, grab yourself one of the hospitality goodies bags as my flyer is in there


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## Crusty (3/5/13)

Any info on who did what in the way of placings in the Grafton / Coffs home brew competitions?


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## sp0rk (3/5/13)

I got seconds in Pale Ale and Bitter
I was the only entry in the bitter category...
and going off the judges comments (that i had to argue to see), they didn't know what an english bitter is supposed to taste like...

Also, my DSGA went into the Pale Ale category and got marked down for being "A bit dark"
I've checked and it's well within the BJCP guidelines


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## Crusty (3/5/13)

sp0rk said:


> I got seconds in Pale Ale and Bitter
> I was the only entry in the bitter category...
> 
> and going off the judges comments (that i had to argue to see), they didn't know what an english bitter is supposed to taste like...


Thanks Daniel.
It's funny that the judges didn't know what an English bitter was supposed to taste like.
Congrats................ :beerbang:


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## Brew Matt (3/5/13)

Crusty said:


> Any info on who did what in the way of placings in the Grafton / Coffs home brew competitions?


Will put some results up here shortly for Grafton.


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## sp0rk (3/5/13)

It may be me being a bit too sore on negative feedback, but i thought it was pretty close to the Fuller's London Pride i was trying to clone (perhaps a bit too sweet though)


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## punkin (4/5/13)

ow do you get second if your the only entry?


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## sp0rk (4/5/13)

i have no idea


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## mje1980 (4/5/13)

Didn't taste like tooheys new


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## sp0rk (4/5/13)

most likely, lol
I got silence when i asked if the judges were qualified...
(that may have been a dick move)


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## Crusty (6/5/13)

Any results for the Grafton show?


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## sp0rk (6/5/13)

Lol, got an email reply from the head steward today
Apparently I was marked down for being "a little bit flat" and "strange aftertaste"
I'll admit i lowered the carbonation (like a real ale usually is) and it's really sweet/caramelly and super malty
maybe not to their tastes (i think it's great)
And as a result I got 15/30 so they decided it didn't warrant a first place

Brewmatt should have the Grafton results


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## Ducatiboy stu (6/5/13)

God love the Grafton Show. Arthur had been the steward for a 100yrs. There a funny old mob


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## Stuster (12/5/13)

barls said:


> stu will put up the dates of the castle hill one when he gets a chance.


Yes, we are still working on sponsorships and all that so no flyers yet. But just to let everyone know that the Castle Hill Show comp will be the State comp this year and will be on 23-25th August at the castle hill show grounds. So get brewing to the normal AABC styles and there will be information on prizes and all that stuff coming along before too much longer. :beerbang:


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## Bribie G (12/5/13)

3 Months to go

How did that sneak up so fast? :lol:


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## Bribie G (16/5/13)

I'm a bit puzzled, according to the Castle Hill Show Society Site the show was held in March. Do they have 2 shows a year or something?


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## barls (16/5/13)

the actual show is in march, the comp is in august as its when is appropriate for us. ie not too long before the nationals. but long enough to rebrew if you really want to.


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## Bribie G (16/5/13)

Aha, so in other words although it's at Castle Hill, it's just the premises leased from the Show Society? Like when I bred and showed dogs in QLD the State Show was at the Ekka at a different time of year, just leased a pavilion?

Got it.


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## Fatgodzilla (26/6/13)

Deja vu? Kevin Rudd gets up and changes the election to the 24th August .. what a way to celebrate our state titles! Thanks Kev.

The day he got elected was the last time the IBUs held the Nationals! (or was it the States?? .. so long ago, so many beers inbetween!)


Kev loves our beer shows!!!


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