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Author Topic: storage conditions  (Read 2724 times)

Offline violaleebrews

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storage conditions
« on: May 10, 2011, 06:32:52 pm »
does anyone know if the beers are stored in a cooler or at room temp before judging?

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: storage conditions
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2011, 07:20:06 pm »
I would think most competitions keep them in cold storage prior to judging, provided they have the space.  That's what happens at comps in my area, but it may vary.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline MDixon

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Re: storage conditions
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2011, 07:00:24 am »
IME most comps store cold if they can, if they cannot, they store at room temp in a cool room. We keep them ALL at one person's home and then sort and categorize before coolerizing for the comp. I hear a lot of fear from people entering comps and worrying about how beers are stored. If anyone is that concerned about it, drop them off in person on the last possible date for the comp.
It's not a popularity contest, it's beer!

Offline tumarkin

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Re: storage conditions
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2011, 07:38:51 am »
+1 on the drop off if at all possible. your beer is more likely to suffer from conditions during shipping than it is after it arrives at the comp. for our FL homebrew circuit comps, much of the beer is hand carried by 'homebrew railroad.' takes some communication & cooperation, but it's worth it. previous posts have summed up the storage issue very well - coolers will be used whenever possible, but that's not always the case. at least you know that all the beers get the same treatment as yours.
Mark Tumarkin
Hogtown Brewers
Gainesville, FL

Offline jeffy

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  • Tampa, Fl
Re: storage conditions
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2011, 08:12:51 am »
+1 on the drop off if at all possible. your beer is more likely to suffer from conditions during shipping than it is after it arrives at the comp. for our FL homebrew circuit comps, much of the beer is hand carried by 'homebrew railroad.' takes some communication & cooperation, but it's worth it. previous posts have summed up the storage issue very well - coolers will be used whenever possible, but that's not always the case. at least you know that all the beers get the same treatment as yours.

I sometimes wonder if some of the clubs "garage-condition" the competing clubs' entries, but I'm sure that never happens. ;)
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
Homebrewing since 1990
AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member
BJCP judge since 1995

Offline brandon

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Re: storage conditions
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2011, 07:15:30 pm »
Ours have always been in a walk in cooler of some sort over the years. When our club comp was held at Boscos it was their Tax room. Now that Rebel Brewer is around we just use their walk in cooler. The competition location is less than a mile from Rebel and we have access to a walk in cooler there.
www.EMBRACEtheFUNK.com <---My Sour Beer Website

Offline violaleebrews

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Re: storage conditions
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2011, 07:44:31 pm »
i shoulda thought about the trip there.  i packaged it the best i could.  i only had two entries at this year's NHC and one i was really hoping would do well.  they said that it was a gusher which has only happened to me when it wasn't referigerated.  the ride from holland, mi to madison, wi musta been more than it could take.  poor thing.

this was my first competition and even though i didn't make it to finals the whole experience was really positive.  there's always next year!


Offline smkranz

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Re: storage conditions
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2011, 06:08:53 am »
Our club has run the Maryland Microbrewery Festival HB Competition for three years now, this will be our fourth.

Entries are received either at my home, or at one of four other drop-off points, which are homebrew shops.  The entry period is about two weeks, and they all have refrigerators where entries are kept until we pick them up.

The next evening, two to four of us get together one evening to enter the data into competition software, print the labels, apply them to the bottles, and apply a piece of clear packing tape over each label to protect it from moisture (either condensation, or melted ice in a cooler on judging day).

The next day the entries are put back into refrigeration until competition day.

Early on competition day, the entries are moved to coolers with no ice in them, but with ice on hand, and allowed to warm up a little bit because judges don't want the beers too cold.  With each pull, our stewards ask the judges if the beer temp is holding up, and when they start getting a little warm, we sprinkle a little bit of ice into the coolers.
Steve K.
BJCP Beer & Mead Certified
Midnight Homebrewers' League
http://www.midnighthomebrewers.org