[Scot (one T)]

The Land of the Muddy Waters is an AHA sanctioned hombrew competition.  Each fall, entries from all over the country vie for one of the coveted Best of Show tap handles. Experienced and new homebrewers alike benefit from the feedback given by BJCP judges and professional brewers, while having the fun of competition. This year’s competition falls on Saturday, November 9th.

   
Entry Information
Online entries are accepted from Monday, October 14th through Wednesday, October 30th, 2013.  Please ship entries for arrival no later than Thursday, October 31st.
The preferred way to enter is on-line at: http://lotmwhome.brewcompetition.com//index.php?section=register

You can register, make your entries, and review the contest rules and entry information. You can also pay online through PayPal;

If you are not able to enter online, you may print out the standard BJCP entry form, complete it, and send it in with your entries. You do not need to include your recipe. www.bjcp.org/docs/SCP_EntryRecipe.pdf
After registration, print out the standard BJCP/AHA bottle ID form for each beer: www.bjcp.org/docs/BJCP_BottleID.pdf  Please include the name of the beer on this label, and send us 2 brown or green 10-14 ounce bottles for each entry. Please zip-lock and rubber band a completed bottle label to each bottle.  Do not use glue or tape to secure the form to the bottle as your entry may be disqualified.   Please send your check/money order with your beer entries.  If paying via PayPal, PLEASE include a copy of your receipt with your entries.You will receive a confirmation email when your shipment arrives.

Entry fees
$8 for your first entry ($6 for MUGZ members) and
a reduced rate of $6 for each entry thereafter.
Please make checks payable to MUGZ, or use the PayPal option.

Preferred Drop-Off Location
Alan Asay
1568 30th St.
Bettendorf, IA 52722
agger503@gmail.com
309-738-1131

Entrants in the Galesburg area may contact Somethings Brewn’ for a possible drop-off site. somethingsbrewn@seminarystreet.com; or 309-341-4118

Label Contest
    For those who have labels for your beers, you may now have them judged as well as the beers they represent. There is a catch though – only beers that are entered in the LOTMW competition may have their labels evaluated. As you fill out your online entry form, you will notice a category for ‘Label’. This is where your entry will be noted. Write the name of the beer on the back of a hard copy of your label and include it/them with your beer entries. We ask that you only submit labels that are crafted and designed by you, the brewer. Please no professional labels. If you happen to be a graphics professional that also brews, that is fine. The labels will be judged the same day as the competition and notification will be sent out as well as listed on the MUGZ website. There is no fee to enter your labels; winner will receive a hand-crafted plaque to display a standard sized label.

Muddy Waters Category
Do you brew a beer you and your friends love that doesn’t fit a BJCP category? If it is the color of the Muddy Mississippi, then this is your category. Beers will be not be judged to any guideline, rather they will be judged more hedonistically as a session beer. The winner of this category will not be eligible for The Best of Show awards. When entering online, scroll down and enter incategory 29A ~ “Muddy Waters”.  Winner of this category will receive a small prize TBD.
 
Judges and Stewards
We could still use some more judges for the event. If you are interested in judging, please contact MUGZ at mail@mugzhomebrew.org or sign up athttp://lotmwhome.brewcompetition.com//index.php?section=register. Judging starts at 9 a.m. Doughnuts, bagels, pop, tea, and coffee will be provided, as well as lunch, for the judges and stewards. For additional information on judging or stewarding, contact Alan Asay at 309-738-1131 or email mail@mugzhomebrew.org or visit our webpage atwww.mugzhomebrew.org
 
Awards
MUGZ will announce the winners at an awards ceremony after the competition, approximately 5-6 p.m. at Blue Cat Brew pub. Winners unable to attend the awards ceremony will have their awards mailed to them in a timely manner. MUGZ will attempt to have the score sheets available at the awards ceremony; otherwise they will be mailed in a timely manner. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place in each qualifying category (except for the previously mentioned ‘Muddy Waters’). The winning beer from each category, (except for the ‘Muddy Waters’), will compete against each other in a Best of Show (BOS) round. The top three BOS beers will win special awards.
 **Again this year!! There will be a separate best of show for the top mead or cider, which will receive a special ribbon.**

This AHA/BJCP-sanctioned contest is organized by MUGZ (Mississippi Unquenchable Grail Zymurgists). LoTMW 2013 is one of the last qualifying events for Midwest Homebrewer of the Year.

OUR ‘BEDS for BREWERS’ OPTION
If you wish to have overnight accommodations, club members will open their homes to provide beds for judges. Please contact Alan Asay at:
309-738-1131 or mail@mugzhomebrew.org so arrangements can be made.

For those who desire more private accommodations, the Holiday Inn in downtown Rock Island is located at 226 17th St, Rock Island, IL 61201 (It is about 2 blocks from Blue Cat Brew Pub, the site of the LOTMW competition.) To reserve, contact Jamie DeRudder, Director of Sales at 309-794-1212 Ext.1205. (877) 410-6681 or (800) 718-8466. Mention you are coming to town for the MUGZ homebrew competition.

Or right across the Arsenal Bridge is the Radisson Hotel, located at 111 E. 2nd St. in Davenport 563-322-4908 or 563-322-2200

For any additional information about the competition, contact Alan Asay atagger503@gmail.com 309-738-1131 or visit our webpage  www.mugzhomebrew.org.

Thanks!

Some Rules for LoTMW
This competition is open to all homebrewers, MUGZ members and non-members. Beers brewed in commercial licensed facilities are not eligible. Judges may not judge a category they have entered. MUGZ will take the utmost care in ensuring that the competition is conducted in a fair and impartial manner. If a problem does arise, contact the competition organizer (Alan Asay), and explain the situation.

The competition organizer will then render a decision that will be final. It is the sole responsibility of the entrant to complete all registration and recipe forms, enclose the proper entry fee and designate the category and subcategory in which he/she wishes his/her entry to be judged. Under no circumstances will registrars, judges or directors categorize entries. Beer will be judged only in terms of the categories and subcategories listed in the beer style list. If entering categories 16E, 17F, 20, 21, 22B, 22C, 23, 24-28, you MUST specify information relating to ‘Special Ingredients/Classic Style’.

Entries must be referred to by category NUMBER and subcategory LETTER. If a category does not have at least five entries in, it will be collapsed into a similar style. If this happens, the judges will be notified, and will judge the beer as the correct style, but it will then compete in the collapsed category. An entry must achieve a minimum rating of “good” (25 points on the BJCP score sheet) to qualify for an award. MUGZ does not have to award first, second or third place if beers are not of proper quality.

Any beer not used in the competition will become the property of MUGZ.

Come and enjoy.

[AmandaK]

Myles and I are planning on making the trek!