I just finished entering, packaging and paying for shipment on my entries into Babble Brew-off 2011 http://www.babblehomebrewers.com/ . It is one of the upcoming contest within the Midwest states happening within the next few months. Other contests are Drunk Monk Challenge on March 12th, http://www.knaves.org/DMC/index.htm , also the same day is IBU Open http://iowabrewersunion.ning.com/ . Later in March on the 26th is BOSS' Chicago Cup http://www.bossbeer.org/competition.html . These are just a few of the contests that members of homebrew clubs and individual homebrewers enter to receive feedback and hopefully win some ribbons or other awards.
These contests are held by various homebrew clubs throughout the world and continuously through the calendar year. MUGZ own contest is held in mid- November each year. These contests have a varying amount of entries, some as little as 60 entries up to large contests that exceed a 1000 entries. The goal for the homebrewer is to have their beer evaluated fairly and impartially, so that they receive honest and unbiased feedback. Most of the time your family and friends will drink a beer no matter what and usually not give a true unbiased opinion. The feedback brewers receive can help them improve their beer and the brewer continues to perfect their craft.
At the contest the beer is judged within a category which is a set of guidelines describing the different beer types http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2008_stylebook.pdf . This helps the judges understand what beer it is that they are judging and it makes it easier to identify faults in the beer. The judges are a range of people: professional brewers, BJCP ranked judges, to experienced people in the beer industry and even some people that are considered Novices. The BJCP judges have taken a 3 hour test and then the test is scored. The resulting scores are how a judge is ranked, I myself am a certified judge. To learn more about the BJCP test and judge rankings follow the link http://www.bjcp.org/index.php. Judging beer is truly done seriously it is not just sitting back and swilling beer and pronouncing a beer a winner.
The contest day is usually at least broken into a morning and an afternoon session followed by an awards ceremony. The session is further broken down into judging categories and if needed are further divided into sub categories. Each judging flight is judged at least by two judges and if possible by more. The flight has usually 6-11 beers in the flight. The beers are scored and then ranked by the scores. If the category contains all of the entries the top ranked beer goes onto be judged in the Best of the Show (BOS) competition held later in the day. If the category is split amongst different flights a mini BOS is held to decide which beer will win the category and then proceed onto the BOS. The afternoon session goes on the same way. Then the BOS round is held with the winning beers from the categories depending on the contest. This means 25-35 or more beers. The BOS is a knockout round, survival of the best beers. An overall champion and a runner up are named. The awards ceremony is held that name the top three in each category and then the Champion and runner up. Depending on the contest a champion beer can have been selected over several hundred other entries quite a feat.
This being said not every homebrewer, let alone a majority of homebrewers enter their beers into contest. Many homebrewers are quite satisfied with the beer they make and do not look to receive further feedback than from friends and families. If a homebrewer enters or not is totally their decision and as long as they are happy with what they decide it is fine either way. Again there is no right or wrong to this portion of homebrewing, because remember that homebrewing is for the brewers enjoyment!
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