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Author Topic: 6 bottles? Really?  (Read 3604 times)

Offline Cliffs

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Re: 6 bottles? Really?
« Reply #45 on: March 01, 2022, 09:09:18 am »
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?

I cant speak for Bluebonnet, nor can I speak for the organizers of NHC, but knowing how much work comps are, 30 bucks an entry is reasonable to me, 10 bucks is an absolute steal

I've not entered any competitions yet but would like to. $30 doesn't sound that crazy to me. Golf sucks, motorcycles are too dangerous, and the chances of me getting my life ruined by a gold digging lingerie model are pretty small. I'll spend my money on beer judging.

thias is sorta my thinking too. As far as hobbies go, homebrewing is one of the cheaper ones out there.

Offline Homebrew_kev

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Re: 6 bottles? Really?
« Reply #46 on: March 03, 2022, 04:50:33 pm »
I already get really annoyed with beer judging. I make beer for myself, not for a judge. Competitions are fun, but there's no way I'm shipping 6 bottles across the country just to get feedback from a judge saying i entered my beer in the wrong catagorey. I'll stick to my local beer competitions.

Offline HighVoltageMan!

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Re: 6 bottles? Really?
« Reply #47 on: March 04, 2022, 05:47:14 am »
I already get really annoyed with beer judging. I make beer for myself, not for a judge. Competitions are fun, but there's no way I'm shipping 6 bottles across the country just to get feedback from a judge saying i entered my beer in the wrong catagorey. I'll stick to my local beer competitions.
I get it. If you're making beer for yourself, friends and family, make it the way you want. What the heck, it's your beer!

I compete a fair amount and I can say that I brew differently when I compete. I do brew for judges and it's quite a challenge. but then again, pro's don't brew for themselves either. They brew to sell beer. I look at it as a challenge. When I win I'm ecstatic, not so much when I lose. I will say competing has made me a way better brewer than if I had only brewed for myself.

When I brew for myself it's a little more relaxed and when I brew for comps, I pay closer attention to the beer. I enjoy both, but it's not for everybody.
« Last Edit: March 04, 2022, 05:49:05 am by HighVoltageMan! »

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: 6 bottles? Really?
« Reply #48 on: March 04, 2022, 09:38:00 am »
I enter so few competitions, that I don't brew for them; rather I enter a good beer in a category that fits the actual profile, rather than what I may have originally intended.  The local competition for my club only requires two bottles per entry, so giving up 2-6 bottles isn't too big; 6 bottles per entry would be bordering on my tolerance for bottling (from keg)....Cheers to those who enjoy the competitions and are willing to send out so much of their precious hobby product!
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline Homebrew_kev

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Re: 6 bottles? Really?
« Reply #49 on: March 05, 2022, 06:33:09 am »
pro's don't brew for themselves either. They brew to sell beer.

I have some exeperience in a professional brewery. You're right, the beer they brew is ment to be sold (milkshake IPA, anyone?) ... but awards don't mean that much. The bulk of people buying beer don't know what great beer is. There's a lot of breweries in my area that don't make good beer, yet they still survive. It takes time to get people on board with the beer you make. I get really annoyed when we make a good beer, but it doesn't sell as quick as they wanted, and so they'll never make it again.

I am concerned with making beer the best way I know how, and with more exeprience comes better beer. I don't need a judge to approve of my beer.

Offline ScallyWag

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Re: 6 bottles? Really?
« Reply #50 on: March 05, 2022, 10:01:42 am »
I brew such small batches, by the time I've put in that much time & effort I feel like I don't have enough to spare for competitions.

I have a half-dozen friends & family that I enjoy sharing my beer with, but when a beer turns out superb, I almost don't even want to share that one.  "Oh, that... uh, that's just some lousy batch of {mumble mumble mumble}, you probably would like one of these instead."  I will share the really good ones with my best buddies, but aint no random stranger judge gonna score any of my scarce primo beer from me.  I'm selfish that way.