2018 National Homebrew Competition Application Open Through January 30

Participate in the Largest Beer Competition in the World!

You’re invited to enter the 2018 National Homebrew Competition, which is held across 12 first round judging centers in the United States. First round winners advance to the final round at AHA Homebrew Con in Portland, OR. Final round winners will be announced at the award ceremony on June 30.

The Competition Application Period is now open and closes on January 30, 2018 at midnight, MST.

Apply now using your email address (the one associated with your AHA membership) and your AHA member number.

Make sure to review and read the Rules & Regulations for entering the National Homebrew Competition.

Reminders:

  • Application Window is open to AHA members only. Join or renew today!
  • All applicants will be notified by February 15with an alert indicating whether or not their entries have been accepted into the competition. Entrants will then have 72 hours from the date of notification to pay for their entries.
  • Applicants may edit their application up through January 30.
  • To maximize your chances, select as many centers as possible when applying.

We hope you will join us in 2018 to celebrate the homebrewing community!

Cheers,
John Moorhead, Director
National Homebrew Competition

John, first kit? Really? :slight_smile:

NEWBIE here.  I registered to send in 2 samples.  First time doing this.  Can they accept PET containers?  Just wondering as my skill at putting beer from keg into the bottle and saving the carbonation sucks.  I end up with a lot of foam, and still don’t have the carbonation I would like.  Hence, the question as I have a soda pop carbonator that hooks up with the gas “IN” from my CO2 regulators, just like the gas “IN” on my ball lock kegs.  I can up the lbs to 20 lbs or so for a couple of days and then remove the SS carbonation unit and just put on a regular plastic cap.

It does not say that you “can’t” use them… I guess I would assume they are ok as long as they meet the stated requirements:
BEER QUANTITIES
All homebrewers entering the 2018 National Homebrew Competition will be required to send the following quantities of beer for each entry entered into the competition. Bottles/cans not meeting the below requirements will be disqualified
Container Size & Appearance Requirements (includes bottles & cans)
 Two (2) 10-14 oz. bottles/cans per entry are preferred. Bottles/cans larger than specified measurements below are subject to disqualification.
 Bottles/cans less than 10 oz. are acceptable.
 Bottles/cans must not exceed 9.5” tall and 2.75” diameter
regardless of amount of liquid bottle can hold.
 Bottles, cans, and caps must be free from labels, tape or any
identifying marks. Bottles with raised lettering are allowed, but highly discouraged. Grolsch/Flip Tops/22 oz. bombers are not acceptable.

I think the main idea is safety and easy storage. They all need to be the same size so they all stack in boxes neatly. And not explode in volunteers faces, lol

These are the bottles I am talking about:  Midwest Supplies - Wine Making & Homebrew Supplies
They are 500ml or 16.9 fl. oz.    The A&W Root Beer bottle  I have  is 2.83" in diameter (too wide) but only 8.5" tall (in spec).  They are light weight, easy to open and can stand over 150 lbs psi before bursting.  I can fill them to 14 oz  of beer, but would have show quite a headspace.  OR… I can look for pet bottles in pop that are smaller, and they have those in most grocery stores for various sodas.  I would just have to make sure that they meet the overall height, width and amount of fluid ounces then.

Would they consider these PET type of bottles ineligible?  Would like some sort of official take on this.  Or, could the bottle description be changed at the top level (admins) that allow PET bottles not over 20 fl oz to be used?

I’d say you’re in a gray area.  Ask John, who made the original post.  He knows.

Perhaps John will chime back in on the “gray” area.

How do you all manage to put beer from a keg into a bottle for later drinking and preserve the same atmospheres in the bottle as the keg?  That tip would be really useful.  Do they make such a thing as a counter pressure filler for home beer makers that’s not too expensive?

I sent him a PM asking him to check back.

Blichmann beer Fun! Highly recommend it!

I made something similar to the BruBottler (The Brü Bottler: Update + How To Build Your Own | Brülosophy) that works pretty well for me. If you handle everything carefully (especially watching the flow in the bottle so as to avoid excessive agitation, and capping on foam), you can minimize oxygen ingress. There are obviously other methods and equipment that are more O2-safe on the bottling end, but this is a good (and cheap) starter technique for bottling from the keg. I have had very good results (medals and scores in the 40s and stuff) by sending in stuff for competition with this technique. And bad results (rapid oxidation and flavor degradation) when I didn’t bottle well. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Was in Holland today and picked up some Pepsi that comes in a 12 oz small bottle.  2.37" diameter and shorter than a regular beer bottle.  Only problem is it’s clear.  Tried to find some small pop that came in dark brown PET bottles, but to no avail.  Easy to peel off the outer plastic “label” so no label for competition.

Interesting that cans are permitted - I have yet to see one in a competition, but canning seam sealers are becoming more reasonably priced, so maybe that will become a trend with homebrew clubs buying one for communal use…

Sorry late to the party here.

For the PET bottles, the biggest concern is making sure they fit the dimensions stated in the Rules & Regulations. We’re talking about 1500-1700 bottles/judge center in the First Round that all need to be categorized and stored away neatly and efficiently (hence the dimension requirements).

As long as your PET bottles fit the required dimensions, your entries will be okay.

I really like this counterpressure bottle filler, because the thumb-operated valves make it very easy to use.  One hand can operate gas and liquid while the other holds it in place and operates the purge.

https://www.grapeandgranary.com/abt-counter-pressure-filler.html

really wish you guys would accept 22’s or 750 ml bottles.

Thanks for the inputs!!  Then there is this German guy using a Soda Stream (which we have) to purge the bottle of air and a way to slow fill bottles video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd31jsPGjaw .  I bought a small drilled stopper that fits inside a bottle neck, last Saturday, and then I brought home one of the many hypodermic needles we have at the winery, (18G - 1.5" long) and pushed it through the cork from the top and it ends up between the inside and outside walls at the bottom (narrow end).  Now to cut the sharp part off with a Dremel cut off wheel and I can put my finger or thumb over the hole on the plastic part to allow just a bit of gas to escape… slowly.
I can put a hard plastic bottle filling tube inside the rubber stopper and when jammed into the bottle tightens up to make a nice seal.  Will have to give it a try sometime.  Cost?  one rubber stopper and 2.99 bottle filler (plastic), which I will cut some small slots on the deliver end with the Dremel to make sure that it can flow freely.  Little bird special… cheap cheap cheap… Plus I have picnic valve and some hose and ball lock connectors.

Got in a case of the brown PET bottles today and filled one.  Overall diameter is UNDER the maximum allowed and is only 2.712 (must be under 2.750") and height is not as tall as some regular beer bottles I have… Well short of the maximum height.  So, the brand new PET bottles will work.  Light weight for shipping, and are easy to counter pressure fill.  PLUS  they are dark brown and contrary to the Pepsi small bottles I have, which are clear, won’t cause issues of light struck… skunky beer.