[chinaski]

I think it's important to identify why you are entering a competition- for feedback?  for ribbons/medals?  bragging rights (?) because you are judging it anyway so why not enter?

If its feedback you are after- join a club, find out how are judges, and ask them if they would judge your beer.  Listen to what they have to say.  Or enter competitions that you find fit your criteria for being fairly priced.

I have gotten good feedback to improve my brewing from competitions, particularly if I enter the same recipe into several competitions, read the feedback carefully, and taste the same beer after reading the feedback to judge for myself.

I wouldn't question the pricing too much- there are too many reasons why prices vary to worry about.

[narvin]

after helping with many comps and seeing the amount of time and energy they take to do correctly, even the "high" NHC costs seem like a bargain

I will say the Bluebonnet does it correctly, and for $10 / entry. What is the difference here? Is the NHC 3 times better than the Bluebonnet?

Perhaps some of us are spoiled by getting the bargain price of 10 bucks.

And what is the real need for 6 bottles?

Is national better than regional?  By definition, yes.  Are the bragging rights better?  Yes.  Are the judges better?  Who knows.  I don't enter competitions anymore because I know I'll get more consistent feedback from people i know and trust.

[Bel Air Brewing]

after helping with many comps and seeing the amount of time and energy they take to do correctly, even the "high" NHC costs seem like a bargain

I will say the Bluebonnet does it correctly, and for $10 / entry. What is the difference here? Is the NHC 3 times better than the Bluebonnet?

Perhaps some of us are spoiled by getting the bargain price of 10 bucks.

And what is the real need for 6 bottles?

Is national better than regional?  By definition, yes.  Are the bragging rights better?  Yes.  Are the judges better?  Who knows.  I don't enter competitions anymore because I know I'll get more consistent feedback from people i know and trust.

As the Bluebonnet has entries from across the US, it is national in scope. But, anyone can enter as you are not required to be a member of the AHA.
As of last year, they were the largest single site competition for brewers. Maybe that will change this year.

26,000 bottles entered in 2021 at the NHC? The Bluebonnet had 4,000 bottles in 2021.

[fredthecat]

I might think we make the world's greatest beer...but we all know you cannot be an unbiased judge of your own brew.

im not sure if the first part is part of the clause youve written, but i feel like if you believe anything close to this (which i perceive you likely do, based on other posts) you should explain more of your process and recipes that makes your beer so great.

im not being snarky, i did check the bluebonnet thing for 2021 and saw you won in at least one category. but i like to read aspects of how people do their homebrew here, especially when there seems to be a certain uniqueness or success to it.

that low-oxygen full basement brewery guy had a setup almost opposed to my concept of homebrewing, but it was very interesting to see.

[Bel Air Brewing]

I might think we make the world's greatest beer...but we all know you cannot be an unbiased judge of your own brew.

im not sure if the first part is part of the clause youve written, but i feel like if you believe anything close to this (which i perceive you likely do, based on other posts) you should explain more of your process and recipes that makes your beer so great.

im not being snarky, i did check the bluebonnet thing for 2021 and saw you won in at least one category. but i like to read aspects of how people do their homebrew here, especially when there seems to be a certain uniqueness or success to it.

that low-oxygen full basement brewery guy had a setup almost opposed to my concept of homebrewing, but it was very interesting to see.

Certainly every brewery will claim they make great beer. As home brewers, we are no different. To be honest, if you don't tell me your beer is excellent, or at least very good, I probably do not want to drink it. And certainly your beer, like most of the brewers on this forum, is excellent.
Do you want the best pilot flying your plane, or just an average pilot. Beer is no different.

The beer we brew is good. Maybe not the world's best, but darn good!

Full disclosure, we have had a few beers that were not good. Flawed to be precise. And this was pointed out on this forum. We are not perfect, but we do our best.

We were lucky last year with 2 Gold, and a Bronze Medal being awarded in the Bluebonnet. Probably will not do well at all this year. A full debrief will be posted here, with the results.

My brew process has been posted here before. I am hyper anal about a few things. But most on this forum tell me what we do, and my detail for some things, does not affect the flavor of the beer.

But 6 bottles?

[dmtaylor]

The prices  were raised to cover costs, as it was losing money.

They've got to be doing something wrong.  A simple Pareto analysis would no doubt figure it out.

Meanwhile, I shall never enter NHC.  For one, I'm a crappy brewer.  For another, good Lord, it's way too effing expensive.

[ynotbrusum]

I entered one beer competition in 2021, with one beer - German Lichtbier.  I had no expectations of doing well with a light beer…oddly, it won the pale lager category.  But that was just $15 for the single entry of 3 bottles. That will probably be my only competition again this year, because trying to get beer bottled well from tap is such a pain and hoping it stays fresh and isn’t stored too warm for such a long lead period is disconcerting for the styles I brew.  Good luck and cheers.

[Bel Air Brewing]

I entered one beer competition in 2021, with one beer - German Lichtbier.  I had no expectations of doing well with a light beer…oddly, it won the pale lager category.  But that was just $15 for the single entry of 3 bottles. That will probably be my only competition again this year, because trying to get beer bottled well from tap is such a pain and hoping it stays fresh and isn’t stored too warm for such a long lead period is disconcerting for the styles I brew.  Good luck and cheers.

Bottling is a challenge. We use the Beer Gun V2. It is not foolproof! Had a couple bottles that were "gushers", as the beer was a bit over-carbed. We had all of the beers with a slightly higher volume of CO2, as you always lose some during bottling.

I found that bottling with my trusty and inexpensive picnic tap was nearly perfect and trouble free.

Temperature is a reason the Bluebonnet judging is in full progress now. February is often cold, even in Texas. So the beers will not be exposed to high temps.

Good for you, winning the Pale Lager category!

[Bel Air Brewing]

The prices  were raised to cover costs, as it was losing money.

They've got to be doing something wrong.  A simple Pareto analysis would no doubt figure it out.

Meanwhile, I shall never enter NHC.  For one, I'm a crappy brewer.  For another, good Lord, it's way too effing expensive.

Ha! We know better!

[jeffy]

I think that part of the entry price goes toward paying a portion of the salary of the organizers at the BA.  In most homebrew competitions all the people working are volunteers, but not so with NHC.
I've been trying to calculate why they need 6 bottles and can't quite figure it out.
I used to enter all the local (Florida) competitions every year and NHC until COVID shut most everything down.  It has been very liberating not to feel required to brew for and enter competitions.
(I have a few blue ribbons from Bluebonnet and Dixie Cup as well, but they are old and dusty)

[stpug]

...
...

But 6 bottles?

 .  I bet it's planned out as 3 bottles for first round and 3 bottles for second round with the likelihood of mini-BOS per table per round and a spare for breakage/faulty_first_bottle.

[denny]

I might think we make the world's greatest beer...but we all know you cannot be an unbiased judge of your own brew.

im not sure if the first part is part of the clause youve written, but i feel like if you believe anything close to this (which i perceive you likely do, based on other posts) you should explain more of your process and recipes that makes your beer so great.

im not being snarky, i did check the bluebonnet thing for 2021 and saw you won in at least one category. but i like to read aspects of how people do their homebrew here, especially when there seems to be a certain uniqueness or success to it.

that low-oxygen full basement brewery guy had a setup almost opposed to my concept of homebrewing, but it was very interesting to see.

Certainly every brewery will claim they make great beer. As home brewers, we are no different. To be honest, if you don't tell me your beer is excellent, or at least very good, I probably do not want to drink it. And certainly your beer, like most of the brewers on this forum, is excellent.
Do you want the best pilot flying your plane, or just an average pilot. Beer is no different.

The beer we brew is good. Maybe not the world's best, but darn good!

Full disclosure, we have had a few beers that were not good. Flawed to be precise. And this was pointed out on this forum. We are not perfect, but we do our best.

We were lucky last year with 2 Gold, and a Bronze Medal being awarded in the Bluebonnet. Probably will not do well at all this year. A full debrief will be posted here, with the results.

My brew process has been posted here before. I am hyper anal about a few things. But most on this forum tell me what we do, and my detail for some things, does not affect the flavor of the beer.

But 6 bottles?

You're equating piloting a plane to making beer at home? Kinda the definition of a false equivalence.

[narvin]

Most people who think they are experts at something are simply too naive to know how many things they don't know.  I'll take the person with humility 10/10 times.

[Bel Air Brewing]

I might think we make the world's greatest beer...but we all know you cannot be an unbiased judge of your own brew.

im not sure if the first part is part of the clause youve written, but i feel like if you believe anything close to this (which i perceive you likely do, based on other posts) you should explain more of your process and recipes that makes your beer so great.

im not being snarky, i did check the bluebonnet thing for 2021 and saw you won in at least one category. but i like to read aspects of how people do their homebrew here, especially when there seems to be a certain uniqueness or success to it.

that low-oxygen full basement brewery guy had a setup almost opposed to my concept of homebrewing, but it was very interesting to see.

Certainly every brewery will claim they make great beer. As home brewers, we are no different. To be honest, if you don't tell me your beer is excellent, or at least very good, I probably do not want to drink it. And certainly your beer, like most of the brewers on this forum, is excellent.
Do you want the best pilot flying your plane, or just an average pilot. Beer is no different.

The beer we brew is good. Maybe not the world's best, but darn good!

Full disclosure, we have had a few beers that were not good. Flawed to be precise. And this was pointed out on this forum. We are not perfect, but we do our best.

We were lucky last year with 2 Gold, and a Bronze Medal being awarded in the Bluebonnet. Probably will not do well at all this year. A full debrief will be posted here, with the results.

My brew process has been posted here before. I am hyper anal about a few things. But most on this forum tell me what we do, and my detail for some things, does not affect the flavor of the beer.

But 6 bottles?

You're equating piloting a plane to making beer at home? Kinda the definition of a false equivalence.

This is a valid comparison, from the point of simply wanting the best.
Being a pilot since 1974 (I started early), and having a 32 year career flying for major airlines, I equate many things to flying airplanes.

I and my brewing partners approach the production of beer with the same zeal I had for being a professional pilot.

Attention to detail, striving for perfection, each and every time. I have the opinion that you are no better than your last landing, or your last batch of beer!

[Bel Air Brewing]

Most people who think they are experts at something are simply too naive to know how many things they don't know.  I'll take the person with humility 10/10 times.

How many here claim to be experts? Most everyone on this forum is an expert in the art of brewing beer, plus other areas as well.

Expert -noun

  A person with a high degree of skill in or knowledge of a certain subject.

And I want a real expert BJCP judge reviewing my beer!