Australian Amateur Brewing Championship

[Charlie]

Further to what DrK mentioned, club support to this is crucial - not sure what the Vic boys do, but in the ACT, we hold the ACTABC as close to the Nats as we can.

Plus the CBC club comps are held to support the brewers getting feedback and being able to re-brew. We have 3 club comps a year, roughly 7 months, 4 months and 2 months before the qualifying rounds. The styles available in the 7 month comp are those big beers that need a good 6 months to be hitting their straps - high gravity belgians, strong ales/lagers and the like (realistically you need to brew some beers years in advance). The 4 month comp has lagers and the darker ales which are at their best after a few months, and lastly the 2 month comp is for all those fresh beers - English and US PAs, wheats, wits etc.

With suitable notice, this gave our members the chance to brew a style, have it judged when its at its best, and be able to re-brew incorporating the feedback and have it at is best again for qualifying ...

 

[Darren]

Could someone please point me to the list of winners and the judges for that category. Was it ever posted?? BribieG??

I looked at the AABC website and it did not appear to be there.

cheers

Darren

Edit: State of Origin would be nice

 

[MattC]

Thats fair BD, are you aware of where the majority of Brewers that entered the QABC are from? Could be a good starting point to strengthen a Area/s??

Next year i will be making the monthly pilgrimage to Brisbane for BABBS I reckon to enhance my Brewing for these sorts of things, well worth the once a month trip me thinks..

There is talk about a Sunny Coast Club but it seems no-one in the area wants to put there hands up to get it going, I would if I was there but am to far away to be any organiser of sorts, would definetly be a member though... It would be a good base I reckon but maybe some of the good brewers aren't to interested anymore? I reckon Screwy would be a goer though... :unsure:

And I think that Bundaberg should get something happening actually, as its the next point north and their is quite a bit of interest their now with the Qld Champion and his Buddys, Andrew could be a real tutor for us up here to strengthen QLD'S chances to go further..... :beerbang:

CB

:icon_offtopic:

Hey CB how about the WIBBAB (Wide Bay - Burnett Amateur Brewers) incorporating Yourself, Screwy, Andrew QLD and the rest of the Bundy crew... and I would of course love to be a part of it If I lived in Hervey Bay Still.

Cheers :beer:

 

[Andyd]

Further to what DrK mentioned, club support to this is crucial - not sure what the Vic boys do, but in the ACT, we hold the ACTABC as close to the Nats as we can.

Same deal in Vic - we run Vicbrew about 3 weeks prior to the AABC.

As for leading up, at the Melbourne Brewers club meetings we encourage a range of club brews and tastings to gear people up to be ready for competition.

Andy

 

[Bribie G]

Could someone please point me to the list of winners and the judges for that category. Was it ever posted?? BribieG??

I looked at the AABC website and it did not appear to be there.

cheers

Darren

Edit: State of Origin would be nice

Darren, it got buried in this current thread, it's just a very 'top line' summary but it's post #68 :icon_cheers:

 

[bradsbrew]

Got my feedback today. Thanks for the constructive feedback, I will put it to good use, hopefully. Jayse your feedback sheet will be copied and go onto the bar wall. much appreciated everyone.

Brad

 

[haysie]

"A good beer can score at state level, but it must be exceptional to score in the Nats."



I think you hit the nail on the head.

CRaig

Huge call Craig. Why have a state comp in the first place? If the nats are the be all and end all, lets just enter there? Which of course would be detrimental to craftbrewing as a whole, under the current state qualify I see it as the same people winning every award, then performing modestly at nat level and the same brewers taking the cake.
Kudos to the "same ole"aka Geelong winning all those flags brewers taking everything home and setting the standard.
On the other hand, how do you encourage new blood? Really, lets get real, BJCP qualification seems almost "dont question me, I know what I`m doing" Us and them thing.

 

[browndog]

Huge call Craig. Why have a state comp in the first place? If the nats are the be all and end all, lets just enter there? Which of course would be detrimental to craftbrewing as a whole, under the current state qualify I see it as the same people winning every award, then performing modestly at nat level and the same brewers taking the cake.
Kudos to the "same ole"aka Geelong winning all those flags brewers taking everything home and setting the standard.
On the other hand, how do you encourage new blood? Really, lets get real, BJCP qualification seems almost "dont question me, I know what I`m doing" Us and them thing.

Haysie,
Just because your beer scored a place in the state comps, how can you expect it to score in the Nats when there are 4 other states submitting as good or better beers? You seem to have a serious chip on your shoulders mate.

 

[Steve]

I dont see any mention of scores? Chips? Fair go, grow up mate! Browneye, are you the auditer? re this forum!

Think i'll go put the popcorn on. This is better than the Sullivans!

 

[browndog]

I dont see any mention of scores? Chips? Fair go, grow up mate! Browneye, are you the auditer? re this forum!

edited, bad language directed at a muppet

Nothing like a sore looser,

Aww .... come on. why the post deletes, I don't care a whit what Haysie said, I'm just standing up for the guys who go the extra mile and organise events like the AABC etc etc, they don't deserve the **** they cop.

 

[matho]

just got my sheets back

thanks to the judges for the informative score sheets and everyone else involed

i knew that my beer had lost its edge since the nsw comp and the information confirmed it.

cheer's
matho

 

[Stagger]

It's great to see passionate craft brewers, this is truly a wonderful thing. My statement was about the nationals being the three best beers from each state, all very good beer. To win at a national level or to even place it must be better than very good, it must be exceptional. One of our very best brewers, here in Canberra, cleaned up in our comp, he even came first AND second in the beer of show BUT did not even place at the nationals.

The fact that a beer has gone through to the national is a great accomplishment, hopefully when reading the judging sheets it will give some room for improvement.

The judges at the nationals was one of the strongest I have ever seen. It was a great event hopefully we all can see it as that.


Craig

 

[randyrob]

Jayse your feedback sheet will be copied and go onto the bar wall.

+1 what an enthusiastic lad

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Now here is my gripe, I receive feedback and cant even read them, illegible.If you are a judge, write more than three words and make it readable.Cant improve if you cant read it.
GB

 

[samhighley]

Jayse your feedback sheet will be copied and go onto the bar wall.

Haha, yeah, the feedback sheet I got from Jayse had writing going vertically up each side of the sheet, and then he'd filled almost the entire back of the sheet as well. His writing is pretty big, so it wasn't actually that much information. Amusing nonetheless.

 

[raven19]

Depending on the vagaries of Australia Post, everyone should have their feedback by mid next week.

Thanks for that update Charlie, looking forward to reading up on the feedback.

Again - great work done by all in organising this event.

 

[user 3246]

Received my feedback today and my 3rd place glass for my brown ale, Also hard to read the feedback, however i found the feedback to be close to what I thought, a little big for a NE Brown Ale.

Thanks to the organisers, judges etc for putting on this event

Cheers

PJ

 

[bradsbrew]

Do we recieve a certificate or something for a 2nd place. I have recieved my feedback. Would like to have something to put on the bar.


Brad

 

[Darren]

I still cant find judges names and state of origin. Could the organisers please post a link to these?

cheers

darren

 

[dj1984]

Do we recieve a certificate or something for a 2nd place. I have recieved my feedback. Would like to have something to put on the bar.


Brad

You should of got a beer glass, mine come with the score sheets.

 

[bradsbrew]

You should of got a beer glass, mine come with the score sheets.

Nah, All I got was a single envelope with the scoresheets inside.

 

[Ross]

Nah, All I got was a single envelope with the scoresheets inside.

Mate, really sorry, picked up the glasses at the comp, i thought I had told you when I rang you.
Meant to hand out at the weekend, but got fuddled by beer & good company...

cheers Ross

 

[bradsbrew]

Mate, really sorry, picked up the glasses at the comp, i thought I had told you when I rang you.
Meant to hand out at the weekend, but got fuddled by beer & good company...

cheers Ross

No worries Ross, will get it off you next time I'm in the shop.

Cheers

 

[Andyd]

My statement was about the nationals being the three best beers from each state, all very good beer. To win at a national level or to even place it must be better than very good, it must be exceptional.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is not necissarily true that the beer that finds its way to AABC was even present in the state competition. The rules state (D1 in the rules doc) that

"If the original beer is no longer available, entrants may submit a
different beer in the same or a different style in that category."

So while I agree with Craig's sentiment, it's certainly possible for a beer to slip through that has never actually been evaluated before - so assuming that all beers getting to nationals will be exceptional may not be a good basis for evaluation...

Andy

 

[Andyd]

Haha, yeah, the feedback sheet I got from Jayse had writing going vertically up each side of the sheet, and then he'd filled almost the entire back of the sheet as well. His writing is pretty big, so it wasn't actually that much information. Amusing nonetheless.

I think I saw that sheet - there's only one word required to describe it... "Special" !

Cheers Jayse!

Andy

 

[smudge]

Nothing like a sore looser,

Aww .... come on. why the post deletes, I don't care a whit what Haysie said, I'm just standing up for the guys who go the extra mile and organise events like the AABC etc etc, they don't deserve the **** they cop.

I'm assuming here (because I didn't catch the blue) that a moderator has stepped in and "moderated". Seems that whoever
moderated the thread has decided that browndog would be offended by some post or other...obviously he's not!

Shame that the public service mentality of "it's in the posting guidelines....follow the rules" has whitewashed a lot of the character of this forum!

Cheers,
smudge

 

[AndrewQLD]

Mate, really sorry, picked up the glasses at the comp, i thought I had told you when I rang you.
Meant to hand out at the weekend, but got fuddled by beer & good company...

cheers Ross

I was wondering about that, any chance you can bring mine to Eagle Heights Ross?

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Ross]

I was wondering about that, any chance you can bring mine to Eagle Heights Ross?

Cheers
Andrew

No problem

cheers Ross

 

[hazard]

Haha, yeah, the feedback sheet I got from Jayse had writing going vertically up each side of the sheet, and then he'd filled almost the entire back of the sheet as well. His writing is pretty big, so it wasn't actually that much information. Amusing nonetheless.

I just got my feedback sheets too. Jayse did same for me - the whole page was covered. Rather than amusing, I found it really helpful to get so much feedback, and there are plenty of comments there that will point me in the way of making a better beer next time - thanks Jayse.

one thing that did perplex me though - After six judges have tasted my stout (I entered bottles from same batch in state and nationals) one and only judge opined that beer was "oxidised with wet cardboard flavour". I've never eaten wet cardboard, so hard for me to compare, and I'm happy to take on feedback but why would one and only one judge notice this?

 

[bconnery]

I just got my feedback sheets too. Jayse did same for me - the whole page was covered. Rather than amusing, I found it really helpful to get so much feedback, and there are plenty of comments there that will point me in the way of making a better beer next time - thanks Jayse.

one thing that did perplex me though - After six judges have tasted my stout (I entered bottles from same batch in state and nationals) one and only judge opined that beer was "oxidised with wet cardboard flavour". I've never eaten wet cardboard, so hard for me to compare, and I'm happy to take on feedback but why would one and only one judge notice this?

It's very much the case that different judges notice different things. Some judges will be finely tuned to a particular flavour or fault. That isn't to say the other judges aren't as good, just that they don't find those flavours as readily as others.

It is a little odd that one out of 6 noticed it, but it could also have been a bottle issue. Different bottles within the batch are different, no matter how similar their bottling.