Bitter & Twisted Competition

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bigfridge

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Hi All,

The First Weekend in November is getting close so it means that we need to start thinking about the Top Twister Brewers Championship held in conjunction with the Bitter & Twisted - International Boutique Beer Festival. Due to last year's 'stealth' marketing campaign we ran a small but very successfull competition with most entrants being impressed with the standard of judging and feedback provided.

This year's competition will be held at Potters Brewery on 4th-5th October, with the Pro-Am taste-off being held at the Bitter & Twisted festival. Entries close Wednesday 1st October. There will be more details on this shortly.

Last year's Top Twister Brewers Championship had the unique distinction of being the first competition in Australia to sponsor the winner to compete on the international stage. The NSW Brewers Guild covered all entry fees and transport costs for our Top Twister to enter the American Homebrewers Association's National Homebrew Competition. The winner was also invited to brew a batch of their beer at Potters Brewery.

The AHA National Homebrew Competition is the largest beer competition in the world and this year had 5,643 entries submitted by a total of 1,307 brewers from the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. Twenty-eight categories were judged in each of the ten competition regions (nine US regions and one Canada region).

The 2007 Top Twister brewers were Chan & Eileen Lay of Richmond, Victoria and are active members of the Bayside Brewers club in Melbourne. Due to the difficult task of judging more than five thousand entries across the USA, the National Homebrew Competition is held in two rounds with the 1st round resulting in 825 beer, mead, and cider entries qualifying for the Final Round. I am delighted to say that our Top Twister advanced to the final round after placing 3rd with their Wit beer in Category 16 ( Belgian & French Ale) for the South West Region !

David
 
The winning Top Twister from last year, as brewed at Potter's, is on tap now at the brewery.
Tastes quite good, too.
 
Hoping to enter a few beers this year.

Also going to book it in with the "minister of finance and good will" to be there for the sun, fun and beer.


See what happens........... plenty of time yet.

cheers
 
Hi - anyone know if we are getting any closer to having the style guidelines defined for the 2008 comp?

Looking at last year's guidelines its confusing - there is no category number for the "Australian Ale" and category number 12 appears twice, i.e. for "Porter" and for "Belgian and French Ale"

Plus it says there are 11 classes A to K - but there are actually only 10 - class I is missing.

Just to show what i mean I've attached are the detials from last year's comp, this same info is also currently on the NSW Brewers Guild website...

Cheers,
Greg

View attachment 2007_TopTwister_details.pdf
 
Hi - anyone know if we are getting any closer to having the style guidelines defined for the 2008 comp?

Looking at last year's guidelines its confusing - there is no category number for the "Australian Ale" and category number 12 appears twice, i.e. for "Porter" and for "Belgian and French Ale"

Plus it says there are 11 classes A to K - but there are actually only 10 - class I is missing.

Just to show what i mean I've attached are the details from last year's comp, this same info is also currently on the NSW Brewers Guild website...

Cheers,
Greg

Hi Greggo,

I am glad that you found all the 'deliberate' mistakes in last year's info - proves that you have read it :rolleyes:

We made some changes last year and some errors slipped through.

The styles are based on the BJCP Style Guidelines with Australian styles added. As long as you enter your '18A. Belgian Blond Ale' as 18A we can slot it in the right place.

But I will also make sure that we correct the information.

Thanks
Dave
 
Great, thanks Dave

when do you think you might have it all squared away and posted?

Cheers,
Greg
 
Have entry forms been released for this yet?

Just suddenly realised how close this is... running out of time gulp.
 
Good Day
I can't find the drop off sites. Have they been determined? :icon_cheers:
 
Have entry forms been released for this yet?

Just suddenly realised how close this is... running out of time gulp.

You'r running out of time :unsure: the organisers are having the same problem !

The next few months are certainly comp season with state comps for most states being schedule plus Bathurst, Castle Hill and the National Conference. Just to make things interesting I have to go to the USA in October.

[Gloat Mode On] Reluctantly I will be attending the Great American Beer Festival while I am there where I have signed up as a volunteer to work on a few of the breweries stands, plus I will be attending a Sensory Evaluation workshop run by the Siebel Institute. [Gloat Mode Off]

So, with all this going on we have moved the comp date to 1/2 November with entries closing on Monday 27th October.

Forms etc will be available this week.

Thanks
Dave
 
Good Day
I can't find the drop off sites. Have they been determined? :icon_cheers:

Hi Barry,

If you can organise to get your entries plus any other locals to ESB we will pick up the freight costs.

If any one else has a group of brewers that can band together and use a local HB shop as a drop-off point we can do the same deal.

Thanks
Dave
 
Dave, does that now mean the comp is on the same weekend as the festival?
 
Dave, does that now mean the comp is on the same weekend as the festival?

Yes, that is the plan.

Judges & helpers will get free entry to the festival if they can give us one session of judging.

I have already got your name down ! :ph34r:

Dave
 
Is there any more info on the comp yet.

I am looking around for an entry form / drop off locations?
 
Hi Barry,

If you can organise to get your entries plus any other locals to ESB we will pick up the freight costs.

If any one else has a group of brewers that can band together and use a local HB shop as a drop-off point we can do the same deal.

Thanks
Dave

Damn it, Janet!
That's what comes from not following threads!
I didn't know this had been postponed till I was having a yarn with Barry yesterday.
I kegged a couple of beers a week ago & with all the comp cutoffs closed, decided not to bottle any.
Hmmmm, If only I could be bothered with a CPBF.......

'Maybe next year' seems to be a recurring theme,
Pete
 
Good Day
Can anyone tell the pick up date from ESB?
 
BUMP :icon_cheers:

BUMP - That is a good way to describe the current situation. The road has turned very bumpy due to the lack of support that we have got this year from certain quarters. So it has not been possible to run the B&T 'Top Twister' competition this year - sorry everyone. The B&T people are still very supportive and helpfull and we will all be going to have a great weekend on the first weekend in November.

To make up for the late cancellation, we will run the Competition as a HAG event later in November. I am just waiting on confirmation of a few things and then I can release the full comp details. But we are looking at holding the comp on the 29th November with entries closing on 22nd November.

This will be run as a BJCP registered event by the HAG club (Hunter Advanced and Grain brewers) - so if you haven't had enough of beer comps (Just HOW MANY were there in Sep/Oct ????) all offers of help are appreciated.

Please keep an eye on the this thread and the HAG Brewers website for the details. They will be available in the next few days.

Looks like there are some entries to pick up at ESB - is there any other clubs/groups that would like to submit entries?

Thanks
David
(Just one of the HAGs)
 
This will be run as a BJCP registered event by the HAG club (Hunter Advanced and Grain brewers) - so if you haven't had enough of beer comps (Just HOW MANY were there in Sep/Oct ????) all offers of help are appreciated.

Hey we wernt alowed to enter the Sydney mobs comp! :p

Sad news about the B&T mate but good news about a HAG comp.

Was Hunter All Grainers Descrinimatry? I supose it is hey. I like the new "Hunter Advanced and Grain brewers" to fit the name!

cheers

PS. I presume drop off will be Potters? I wont be able to make the comp, its my brothers 30th Bday that day. :rolleyes:

cheers
 
Damn, didn't realise this had been canned.
I had been saving a few of my finer beers for this comp.

Hope everything works out for you guys. I see the B&T has been moved to Maitland this year too.

Beers,
Doc
 
BUMP - That is a good way to describe the current situation. The road has turned very bumpy due to the lack of support that we have got this year from certain quarters. So it has not been possible to run the B&T 'Top Twister' competition this year - sorry everyone. The B&T people are still very supportive and helpfull and we will all be going to have a great weekend on the first weekend in November.

David
(Just one of the HAGs)

David very sorry to hear that, "having been there, done that", when it comes to canceling comps half way down the track.

My remarks apply to my neck of the wods, but having run 3 comps now, it seems that whilst we have increasing numbers of people happy to enter comps (which is good) however the people and other resources available to run comps is shrinking. Generally you can just get by on judging day, but it's the effort and support needed in the lead up is not understood and seems to be a huge problem. It's not that it can't be done it needs people wth a sense of ugency and appropriate experience.Otherwise organisers will simply burn out and drop out

Whats the answer ? Not sure, maybe limit comp entry to recognised brew club members, that might encourage club membership and reduce comp size to managable proportions. Maybe only one major comp in the state and more club level events untill ther resources are available . Either way I think it's a debate we need to have .

Chris
 
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