Kit Beer Bos At The Nationals

[tangent]

Wow, you guys are pretty fiesty about competitions and positive affirmations.
You're all great!
Does that feel better?

I feel a bit out of place here, I'm just into homebrewing for drinking beer.
The fact that the all-grain ones taste better to me may just be personal taste, but I'm into pale beers.

 

[PostModern]

just to add fuel to the fire. Could you get some wort from a local microbrewery and add your own yeast and enter a comp?

By the current standard, yes. Essentially, that's what "fresh wort" kits are.

So how does that differentiate between commercial and homebrewed beer? You pitched the yeast.

Dave, by what you've said, you don't even have to have pitched the yeast ~at home~? How is a BoP beer a "homebrew"?

 

[Weizguy]

do you really think that a BOP recipe is going to take out many prizes ? In my experience they are all about convenience and quick turnaround, whereas prize winners are all about selection of methods and materials.

Hi David

A few days ago I could have asked "Do you really think that a 3 tin kit beer is going to win BoS at the Nationals?"

Cheers
MAH

Is that not, then, an indication of brewing prowess?
...to be able to imagine that 3 tins, selection of an appropriate yeast (or even the included yeast), along with some sanitation, fermentation assistance and good bottling technique might make a satisfying beer, of an existing style (or at least later matched to a style within the style guidelines).
Is this not selection of methods and materials?

Anyway, who's to say that a Berliner-style weisse, had it been allowed to compete in the AABC, may not have knocked out the 3-tin wonder, and we would not have this thread, but another one about whether such an obscure style be allowed to compete against "real" beer styles?
That's academic now, isn't it? The AABC pre-emptively denied it's eligibility to ensure that the "weird beer" was not allowed to compete!

Seth (with tongue semi in cheek) out

 

[user 384]

do you really think that a BOP recipe is going to take out many prizes ? In my experience they are all about convenience and quick turnaround, whereas prize winners are all about selection of methods and materials.

Hi David

A few days ago I could have asked "Do you really think that a 3 tin kit beer is going to win BoS at the Nationals?"

Cheers
MAH

Is that not, then, an indication of brewing prowess?

Hi Seth

Personally I wouldn't say it is an indication of brewing prowess as I think brewing is more than sanitation, fermentation and packaging. All essential components, but not the essence of brewing.

Cheers
MAH

 

[barls]

so by saying he did not mash its not brewing then.
what if he had a boil in there and the kits are just a base to which he modified, then its extract brewing

 

[AUHEAMIC]

Could someone clarify if they are called Brewing competitions or Beer making competitions

 

[bigfridge]

Dave, by what you've said, you don't even have to have pitched the yeast ~at home~? How is a BoP beer a "homebrew"?

It is probably more correct to call it an amateur brew (as in AABC). To be honest I don't think that the BOP's make up a significant part of competition entries. We all tend to brew for the satisfaction of brewing, BOPS cater to the convenience market.

But if you say that it must be fermented 'at home' - does this rule out brewing at a mates place ?


Dave

 

[PostModern]

In "a home"?

EDIT: actually, I think MAH's idea here of exclusion being more useful than definition. You could stipulate that the beer must not be fermented at commercial beer making premises.

 

[bigfridge]

In "a home"?

A "brewing home" - could be a new market for the Health Care industry

 

[bconnery]

Without weighing into the rest of the debate I would say that brew on premises beers wouldn't have much chance of winning. This is based on my limited experience. The few friends that I've known who've done them have had beers made that, while tasty, were not very close to style. One mate chose an Irish red ale recipe and ended up with a beer of a colour more akin to a paler pale ale. It did have a lovely hop level though.

Perhaps their more popular recipes, which appear to be those of beers of the corona ilk might be closer to style, but hardly flavoursome enough I would think.

As I said, based on limited experience...

 

[Kai]

I feel a bit out of place here, I'm just into homebrewing for drinking beer.

I'm in it for the drinking, but I enjoy throwing a beer or two at a competition too.

 

[Hopsta]

Heres what i reckon we should do! And im pretty sure this is already how a lot of comps work.

Call it a "Homebrewing Competition" cause thats what it is, beer brewed at home!

- Have a catagory of the comp for AG brewed beer only.

- A catagory for extract and partial mashers.

- And another catagory for Can Kit and Fresh wort kits.

Brewers are an honest lot so people should enter into the correct catagory.

And BEST OF SHOW is exactly that, the best out of all three catagories, if its a kit beer who cares! He knows he didnt make it himself and so does everyone else!

And if your worried about people lying and entering the wrong catorgory, get over it have a beer and move on.

I reckon thats all pretty simple. :beer:

 

[Mr Bond]

I feel a bit out of place here, I'm just into homebrewing for drinking beer.

I'm in it for the drinking, but I enjoy throwing a beer or two at a competition too.

Me too!
Comps are more for getting feedback from peers on how you are travelling.

I've had 1st,2nd and 3rd's over the years in SA comps and have brewed many beers in between.Some better and some crap ones as well that nobody but me has been exposed to.Getting a place or qualifying for nationals is personally gratifying ,but ultimately means nothing in the real world.We are home brewers with a passion for making beer who some times feel the need to get feed back from others in a comp based system.
Even if I brewed a beer that was number 1 state wise and nationaly I wouldn't let my ego make me think i was a master brewer or deserved any special attention.It s just beer for F#*ks sake.
If you think comps are flawed ,then don't enter em!
If you want to put your ego aside and have your beer blind tasted and commented upon by others then do it,regardless of your method.

dave ( the very average brewer)

 

[therook]

Spot on Hopsta

If you have any concerns...simple dont enter...its your choice

 

[Hargie]

Hay Hargi no more hair jokes you cheeky bugger

...Stagger....i mean no offence....i got the hair style....i just need the brewing talent....



....take this photo as evidence.....



....one National Champion.....one lucky beginner........and some jerk with too much hair.....



.... :lol: ....







.....P.S....well done to Dan...kickin' arse.....bring some to the December Meeting....

 

[goatherder]

I'm in the camp which says kit and AG should compete directly against each other.

If kit beers are knocking off AG beers in comps then it's simply a matter of the AG beers not being good enough to beat them.

AG brewers have the power to tweak every single aspect of their brew. They can source the best gear and ingredients, have total control over every part of the wort creation then ferment the beer exactly as they want. There is no reason that an AG beer can't be better than a K&K beer. Except for the skill of the brewer.

Quite simply, if an AG brewer can't beat a K&K brewer then the AG brewer needs to get better at brewing if they want to win comps.

This is a positive thing for both kit and AG brewing. As better kits come on to the market, the kit brewers get better beer and the AG brewers are forced to improve in order to compete with them at comps. Everyone wins in the long run as everyone gets better beer.

Finally, as a rebuttal to an earlier point, I reject the argument that kit brewing is not home brewing. I think this argument totally underestimates the importance that sanitation, healthy yeast and fermentation management plays in creating beer. A brewer who has a good grasp of these fundamentals will make good beer whether the wort comes from a can or a grain sack.

 

[Gulf Brewery]

Hypothetical questions

1) Imagine someone buys a fresh wort kit from Grumpys.

<snipped>

Comps need to clarify this point, there needs to be a well defined minimum criteria, otherwise they are open to such criticism.

Cheers
MAH

We could consult the BJCP guidelines, but you wouldn't be happy with that either

Pedro (who is ducking for cover)

 

[warrenlw63]

Warren -

 

[deebee]

Worth mentioning...

My kit beers got better as I developed better brewing practices. So it's more than just sprinkling yeast on top. Quite a few things to get right, really.

It actually is harder to make good beers with extracts. So a brewer who wins with a kit beer has done a mighty job.

 

[pint of lager]

I agree with Barry.