2008 SOBA National HomeBrew Championship

[Rob Owen]

Ladies and Gentlemen start your burners! Entries are now open for the 2008 SOBA National HomeBrew Championship. Entries will close on 31 July 2008. Judging will be done during August and results announced at the SOBA HomeBrewFest, which this year will be during the BrewNZ week - first week of September.

For entry forms and more information please see www.soba.org.nz

[Dan]

Yeah I Know the feeling, my last few brews were gone before they even carbonated.

[Rob Owen]

I know some people will be pleased and others not so much by this announcement, however, because of the recent Brewer's Guild decision to not support the HomeBrewFest during the BrewNZ week, the deadline for entries in the National HomeBrew Championship has now been extended to 19th September 2008.

This also means our plans for a HomeBrewFest during the BrewNZ week have been put off. Stephen Plowman from Hallertau Brewbar has mentioned holding a Homebrew Festival at some stage hopefully he will be receptive to a presentation of awards at that event.

I am pleased to announce that last year's sponsors Macs All Malt Brewing, BrewCraft, NZ Hops, Cryer Malt and Hallertau Brewbar are once again supporting the SOBA National HomeBrew Championship this year. Macs All Malt Brewing is the main sponsor of the Kit category and Brewcraft the main sponsor of the Advanced Brewing category. Other sponsors will be associated with special awards.

More details to follow.

[Greig McGill]

I really hope we can come together with the BGNZ and get the fest "reinstated" in what I see as the logical place for it. It's probably a good thing in terms of more entries that there's a later deadline for this year, but I reckon having it at a regular time every year is a great idea.

Anyway, as usual, great work under difficult circumstances Rob.

[Dan]

Im sorry that that the NHC didnt tie in with brewnz as you guys had hoped, good for some of us though, get some lagering going on!
Why didnt the brewers guild want to support the homebrew fest during BrewNz? Afraid to be shown up against a homebrew or just too busy with the BrewNz! lol just jokin!

[jt]

It's a shame the Homebrew Fest didn't fly at BrewNZ - perhaps the calendar's full enough without it ?

But does that mean that it has to be dropped altogether though ?
The Fest was as much a reason to enter last year as the feedback or placings - for me anyway.
I'd entered the BrewNZ comps in the past and got my scoresheets back, but that's pretty one dimensional.
If you've got the chance to talk beer, results, brewing and taste a few then it's a whole different ballgame.

Is the Fest dead & buried or is there a chance of resurecting it ?

[Stu McKinlay]

Hopefully something in the summer JT... we need to work out a long term plan and place. We had hoped to get involved with BrewNZ but it didn't look that viable - and there are benefits of u having something at a different time of the year. Maybe something similar to last year, with commercial and homebrewed beer, but without the presentations? It would give some of the out of town winners a chance to brew some beer and come up or down and brag about their winning beers ;-)

[Adam]

How does everyone send their beer in and what is prefered bottle conditioned or riggers?? What do the judges prefer and what tastes best?

[Dan]

Refer to the SOBA site for entry forms and information

Bottle conditioned or riggers?
I dont get what your saying but from last year a minimum of 2 bottles 330ml min, which i,d suggest, sending in a rigger would cost you in freight and most of it would probably go down the sink.
.
What do the judges prefer and what tastes best!
The judges arent there to drink what they prefer, they are there to judge beer based on the BJCP style the beers entered as.
As for what tastes best thats up to the individual and how well a beer is brewed!

[Stu McKinlay]

Brew the best beer you can but feel free to enter anything. The judges will pick up most, if not all faults in in your beer. It'll give you a good basis to learning more about how you can brew better.

I've found that beer keeps its condition a little better in glass than in plastic, so would recommend that (if you can). 500ml bottles were the best, from a stewarding point of view but the 330ml ones are just enough to give 5 judges a 50-60ml sample. Bottle-conditioned are fine, just make sure you state it on the entry form (and whether you want yeast in the glass or left in the bottle).

[Dan]

Was just thinking! with the import hop shortage at the moment its got to limit the categories down alot as many of the bjcp styles refer to the use of a certain origin of hops only i.e english, american, german noble etc.
I guess if you dont have the hops for the job your stuck with either the NZ categories, NZ lager, NZ pale, NZ pils, or styles with little or no hop flavour unless of course you have a stash of imports in your freezer.
I was keen to do a Bohemian pils, but I have no Saaz so will forget about it.
I guess some of the Nz varieties can be substitued for some types of hop but not all.
Then again its up to what the judge perceives I guess.

[denimglen]

I've got a little stash in the freezer, everytime I've bought hops since the news of the shortage I've bought 100g, even if this was three times what I needed. I guess it's kinda unfair on some of the other brewers but I haven't needed to buy hops for a while and BC Auckland still had a decent amount last time I was there.

I think I'll enter the NZPA, an APA (if it's still good at time of entering, was brewed a while ago), and maybe my Scottish Ale or the blond I'm brewing at the moment if it's any good. Hoping to get a little feedback from the experts, not worried about medals at this stage.

[Dan]

Im not worried about medals either, (you dont actually get a medal), Dammit! LOL
but the prizes can be good!