Competition Information

How the National Homebrew Competition Works

The National Homebrew Competition is an AHA/BJCP Sanctioned Competition. The entry shipping window is usually the last two weeks of March (specific dates will be posted in late January). All submitted entries will be judged during the month of April using BJCP score sheets and the 2008 version of the BJCP Beer Style Guidelines. All entrants will receive score sheets for their entries following the completion of each First Round competition.

The competitions take place during the month of April, and NHC Winners are usually posted the first week of May. First, second, and third place winning entries that score 30 or above from each of the NHC First Round Judging Centers receive ribbons from the AHA and qualify for entry into the NHC Final Round competition.

The Final Round judging takes place in June on Thursday during the National Homebrewers Conference. The brewers of the winning entries in the NHC Final Round are awarded medals and prizes at the Grand Banquet & Award Ceremony, held on the Saturday evening of the conference. Please see the NHC Rules & Regulations for details about the competition.

Rules & Regulation Changes for 2013

Due to the phenomenal response to the competition which sold out in record time last year, there are several changes for the 2013 competition. See NHC Sees Changes in 2013 for an early overview.

The changes will also be highlighted in the 2013 National Homebrew Competition Rules & Regulations.

Thanks to ALES Club!

The AHA thanks Mark Heise, Jamie Singer, Joel Rathgaber, Dean Holroyd, Dave Holowaty and the rest of the Ale & Lager Enthusiasts of Saskatchewan (ALES) club of Regina, SK, Canada for acting as the Canadian qualifying competition for the NHC for many years. The ALES club agreed to coordinate their club competition, the ALES Open Homebrew Competition, with the NHC schedule each year, used the NHC MS Access database and supplied the entrant and winner information to the NHC Director. 

In 2013, the ALES Home Brew Open competition will take place in Regina, SK, CAN however the competition will no longer act as a qualifying competition for the NHC for Canadians. This year, all Canadian entrants must select and enter one of the eleven (11) NHC First Round competitions in the U.S.

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