Averagely Restricted Homebrew Competition - Official Rules

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by VikeMan, Aug 18, 2017.

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  1. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    This competition is open to all BAs.

    Deadline and Information Required
    Entries must be received by 30 November, 2017. Judging date is TBD, but soon after 30 November.
    Send two completely unmarked bottles of your beer along with the following information:

    Real Name (let me know if it's okay to use it when announcing the winner, if you win)
    Beer Advocate Screen Name
    Declared Style
    List of All Ingredients Used (actual recipe (amounts/process) optional, but will be required if you win)

    Styles
    Any BJCP 2015 Beer Style is acceptable, except for the following styles:
    American IPA
    American Stout
    Specialty IPA (which is where NEIPAs go, according to Gordon S.)
    Saison
    Strong Bitter (aka ESB)

    Ingredients Allowed
    Entries must be brewed only with any/all of the following ingredients (from the first 5 Averagely Perfect projects), plus one Optional Additional Ingredient at the discretion of the brewer:

    Fermentables
    Belgian Pilsner Malt
    Carapils
    Chocolate Malt
    Crystal 40
    Crystal 80
    English Crystal Malt (~55L)
    English Dark Crystal (~80L)
    Flaked Oats
    Flaked Wheat
    Honey Malt
    Invert Sugar #2
    Maris Otter
    Munich Malt
    Roasted Barley
    Toasted Oatmeal
    Two-Row Brewer's Malt
    Vienna Malt
    Wheat Malt
    Extra Light DME
    Golden Light DME
    Pilsen Light DME
    Maris Otter LME

    Hops
    Cascade
    Centennial
    Chinook
    Citra
    EKG
    Galaxy
    Hallertau
    Magnum
    Mosaic
    Northdown
    Saaz
    Simcoe
    Target
    Willamette

    Yeast
    US-05
    WLP001
    WLP004
    WLP565
    WLP650
    Wyeast 1056
    Wyeast 1084
    Wyeast 1318
    Wyeast 1469
    Wyeast 3724

    Water (with any natural or built mineral profile)
    Acids for pH adjustment

    Location
    Entries should be sent to me, VikeMan. Send me a BA private message for the address.

    Judging
    I will organize and steward, and will therefore not judge. Judging will be done similarly to a BJCP Best of Show Round. The criteria for choosing a winner will be which beer is subjectively "the best" by panel consensus. But because there is no preliminary round or scoring, judges will be advised to disqualify any entry that (by consensus) is grossly not to style. Any judging notes (remember, this is BoS-like judging...no score sheets per se) will be transcribed and provided (upon request) to entrants via BA private message.

    Glory
    The winner will be announced on the forum and the recipe will be posted on the Homebrew Recipes sub-forum. (Names of non-winners will not be announced, though participants can of course choose to talk about their own entries if they want.)

    The prize will be bragging rights.

    Disclaimer: This competition is by and for home brewers who are BA members, but is not an official Beer Advocate event and is not necessarily endorsed by Beer Advocate.
     
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I'll have no problems finding 3 willing and available craft beer lovers/homebrewers in my area to judge, but I'd prefer to have BJCP judges if I can get them, since the "BoS round" style judging will loosely use BJCP style guidelines. But bottom line: I'll go with what I can get.

    If you are a BJCP judge and can support an early December date in the Harrisburg/West Shore area, please let me know via private message.
     
  3. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    To clarify... the competition is open to all BAs, except VikeMan and any judges who volunteer.
     
  4. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    Hmm. Sounds like I need to rethink. I was expecting NEIPA to be omitted but it sounds like all Specialty IPAs are out?
     
  5. Naugled

    Naugled Pooh-Bah (1,944) Sep 25, 2007 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    For Reference:

    US-05 SafAle American Ale
    WLP001 White Labs California Ale
    WLP004 White Labs Irish Ale
    WLP565 White Labs Belgian Saison I
    WLP650 White Labs Brettanomyces Bruxellensis
    Wyeast 1056 Wyeast American Ale
    Wyeast 1084 Wyeast Irish Ale
    Wyeast 1318 Wyeast London Ale III
    Wyeast 1469 Wyeast West Yorkshire Ale
    Wyeast 3724 Wyeast Belgian Saison
     
  6. Naugled

    Naugled Pooh-Bah (1,944) Sep 25, 2007 New York
    Pooh-Bah

    Need clarification on the "Optional Additional Ingredient".

    Can this be "any" ingredient, meaning fermentable, hop, yeast or other. Or is it just meant to be "other"?

    If "any", and I choose it to be yeast. Does that mean I have to use it in addition to one of the yeasts in the list, or can I use it in lieu of one of the listed yeasts?

    Just testing the boundaries as I think about what to brew for this.
     
  7. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    It can be anything at all. But only one.

    Either way. You can use as few or as many ingredients as you want from the list. Plus one not from the list.
     
    #7 VikeMan, Aug 18, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2017
  8. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    My thought is that two out of the 5 recipes were IPAs, so it's less of a challenge to make an IPA from the ingredient list. But if enough have a different opinion (and soon!), I'll consider opening it up to non-NEIPA specialty IPAs.
     
    DrMindbender and pweis909 like this.
  9. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Another thought...please don't declare your actual style here on the board before the judging happens. I don't want any potential judges being influenced by what they might read here.
     
  10. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    Reasonable. So much for my plans of adding 4 oz of carafa special to the averagely perfect A(or NE)IPA. You see, it would be like an IPA, only darker. Creative, no?:wink:

    Actually, I had been thinking along the lines of Belgian IPA, something I've never brewed, although have sometimes enjoyed commercial examples. The recipe was looking pretty different from anything we've done, but I'll tuck that away for a future occasion.
     
  11. jlordi12

    jlordi12 Pooh-Bah (1,856) Jun 8, 2011 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah

    Why is IPA not allowed?

    Nvm I get it now
     
    SFACRKnight likes this.
  12. Granitebeard

    Granitebeard Zealot (549) Aug 24, 2016 Maine

    I'm in!!

    Was thinking to the late fall/winter and have something that does all this and I will only use a different yeast. So figured why not. Just because I see no harm is saying it, I will be doing a Wee Heavy.
     
  13. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    Consolation Prize
    All non-winners can say their beer made it to the Best of Show round and tied for 2nd place.
     
  14. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm in. Got a beer brewed that hits the criteria.
     
  15. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Question: does the additional ingredient have to be a single ingredient, or if someone was to choose yeast, could it be a blend? IE, does Bug County count as an ingredient or as numerous additional ingredients. Asking for a friend.
     
  16. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I would consider that one ingredient, as long as it comes that way commercially. Same for something like Falconer's Flight hops. But no "self blended" ingredients.
     
    machalel and Naugled like this.
  17. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    I had a similar thought, for instance, sour beer bottle dregs, from a batch made with commercial lacto and brett strains, blended. Mind you, the ruling doesn't matter to me; I just ordered ingredients for my entry and it will not be a sour beer, unless my sanitation lapses.
     
    Gsulliv2 likes this.
  18. BeerMaverick

    BeerMaverick Zealot (718) Dec 14, 2010 Connecticut

    Thanks for organizing all of this and I'll send you a private message since I'm interested. However, is it a requirement for the winner to publically post their recipe as you talk about above?
     
  19. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Well, yes. Or more likely, I will post the recipe (in standard BA recipe sub-forum format), along with some details of how the competition worked, a link to these original rules, etc. But yes, the winner would have to at least send the recipe details to me so that could happen.

    Much of the point of this exercise is the recipe (choices) from among the allowed ingredients. And others will, understandably, want to brew up the winner.

    Any particular reason you wouldn't want to share the recipe?
     
  20. frozyn

    frozyn Maven (1,435) May 16, 2015 New York
    Trader

    Do Whirlfloc, Irish Moss, gelatin, yeast nutrient, etc.-style additions count as ingredients? My guess is no, but want to clarify before I disqualify myself from the get-go!
     
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