First time running this event, designed to be the sister competition of the summer session. Given the styles that people are entering for this competition I'm intentionally giving LOADS of notice so that people have time to age their beers properly. It is not a BJCP categorized competition so the tag line is 'Brew a beer that suits this scene' (image attached). The beer should reflect the following - Warm and comforting. Imagine the type of beer you would go for, settling in for the night, snowing outside, no work in the morning, potentially a festive vibe. Something to be enjoyed slowly and savoured on a dark winters evening.
- The idea is to run it at club level at the local meet ups for members only.
- Each member gets a vote as to the best beer on the night.
- Entrants can bring brew sheets to show how their beer was made, very important if funky ingredients are used.
- Three beers get selected at the meet up and will be sent through to a national final.
- The final will take place in early 2016, likely February to give clubs a chance to vote at their January meets.
Entry fee is €5
Prizes are to be announced closer to the time
Tips to brewing a winter warmer beer -
- This is not limited to the BJCP style at all, literally any beer or mead can be entered into this if it suits the scene depicted
- Use different malts to build complexity and appropriate malts to enhance mouthfeel
- No limits on % so that people can enter imperial stouts, barley wines, etc...
- For people entering big beers, 300ml bottles will be allowed, this is only viable as it is a small competition
Nice idea, I've been planning a stab at a Buried at Sea kind of clone so I'll hopefully have that as an entry.
Noice! I think I already have something that would be suitable.
I've a buried at sea clone planned too. And I brewed an elderberry dark ale last year that pretty much summed up that scene, I'll give it another whirl too
Belgian Dark strong ale always strikes me as a winter warmer. Guess I'll have to give it a go... ;)
Tough style to do, molc. I can let you taste a shitty one at the meet on Thursday? Bit of research? ;)
I never really get this style, maybe it's because I can't chug it, time to dry hop with fishermans friend I guess
Who doesn't love a bit of good research. Been trying to do a golden strong for a bit now and it's def not easy alright. You'll be trying samples in a month or two after some conditioning
Quote from: Ciderhead on July 28, 2015, 07:35:26 PM
I never really get this style, maybe it's because I can't chug it, time to dry hop with fishermans friend I guess
I think of it as a Belgian barleywine. More of a sipper alright.
Quote from: molc on July 28, 2015, 07:41:45 PM
Who doesn't love a bit of good research. Been trying to do a golden strong for a bit now and it's def not easy alright. You'll be trying samples in a month or two after some conditioning
I imagine the golden is even more challenging than the dark, as there's less malt to hide behind. These big fermentations will really test the brewing skills. Will bring a small bottle on thur so dude.
I can bring my first one which stalled when fermenting in exchange :)
It's red rye spiced saison time! If that's a thing.
Hmm.. interesting theme. Time to check what ingredients are about. :)
Quote from: Ciderhead on July 28, 2015, 07:35:26 PM
I never really get this style, maybe it's because I can't chug it, time to dry hop with fishermans friend I guess
I think someone needs to re-read the competition spec...
I think I have a stout planned that fits this perfectly!
What about a sub-competion for Meads/Ports/Sherrys ?
What about winter Warmer ciders?
Its your interpretation of the theme, if you think they suit the theme, and they get though your clubs own mini comp then its no problem. Like the summer competition they would be judged on aroma, appearance, flavour and mouth-feel with the last chunk of points being awarded for how well the entry matches the theme.
Its just that the OP stated:
"the tag line is 'Brew a beer that suits this scene' (image attached"
I think it would be great to have beer only and an open category!
Further down I say "This is not limited to the BJCP style at all, literally any beer or mead can be entered into this if it suits the scene depicted".
It is intentionally open and broad to allow people to be creative and not limit them to that fisherman's friend style that Ciderhead enjoys.
I enjoy that style alright, cinnamon all the way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBv2OAhGqeM
I will pay your membership for the next 5 years if you do the Cinnamon Challenge. Not kidding!
That cinnamon challenge nut job is deffo a candidate for a Darwin award ;D
Speaking of Darwin awards this is one of my favourites
(1982, California) Larry Walters of Los Angeles is one of the few to contend for the Darwin Awards and live to tell the tale. "I have fulfilled my 20-year dream," said Walters, a former truck driver for a company that makes TV commercials. "I'm staying on the ground. I've proved the thing works."
Larry's boyhood dream was to fly. But fates conspired to keep him from his dream. He joined the Air Force, but his poor eyesight disqualified him from the job of pilot. After he was discharged from the military, he sat in his backyard watching jets fly overhead.
He hatched his weather balloon scheme while sitting outside in his "extremely comfortable" Sears lawnchair. He purchased 45 weather balloons from an Army-Navy surplus store, tied them to his tethered lawnchair (dubbed the Inspiration I) and filled the four-foot diameter balloons with helium. Then, armed with some sandwiches, Miller Lite, and a pellet gun, he strapped himself into his lawnchair. He figured he would shoot to pop a few of the many balloons when it was time to descend.
Larry planned to sever the anchor and lazily float to a height of about 30 feet above the backyard, where he would enjoy a few hours of flight before coming back down. But things didn't work out quite as Larry planned.
When his friends cut the cord anchoring the lawnchair to his Jeep, he did not float lazily up to 30 feet. Instead he streaked into the LA sky as if shot from a cannon, pulled by the lift of 45 helium balloons, holding 33 cubic feet of helium each.
He didn't level off at 100 feet, nor did he level off at 1000 feet. After climbing and climbing, he leveled off at 16,000 feet.
At that height he felt he couldn't risk shooting any of the balloons, lest he unbalance the load and really find himself in trouble. So he stayed there, drifting cold and frightened with his beer and sandwiches, for more than 14 hours. He crossed the primary approach corridor of LAX, where startled Trans World Airlines and Delta Airlines pilots radioed in reports of the strange sight.
Eventually he gathered the nerve to shoot a few balloons, and slowly descended. The hanging tethers tangled and caught in a power line, blacking out a Long Beach neighborhood for 20 minutes. Larry climbed to safety, where he was arrested by waiting members of the LAPD. As he was led away in handcuffs, a reporter dispatched to cover the daring rescue asked him why he had done it. Larry replied nonchalantly, "A man can't just sit around."
The Federal Aviation Administration was not amused. Safety Inspector Neal Savoy said, "We know he broke some part of the Federal Aviation Act, and as soon as we decide which part it is, a charge will be filed."
Think I saw that before. If I remember correctly he ended up being charged with criminal mischief.
That would look brilliant on any CV.
not like you to go off topic there Mr D. ;) I thought to qualify you had to die?
you can get an honourable mention, love the last part "We know he broke some part of the Federal Aviation Act, and as soon as we decide which part it is, a charge will be filed."
Can we enter 33cl bottles? I generally bottle my strong beers in these as they make a better serving size.
Yeah Mark that is fine, I will update the op to reflect this.
Hi Guys. I am new here and I would like to know how to participate of the Winter Warmer Competition.
Hi Cris, have a read of all the summer session threads at the moment as it will be the same format. Have a mini competition in your local club first and the top beers go through to the final.
Hi Shiny.
Thanks for the help.
But unfortunately I don't have any local club yet. I am thinking about the Capital Brewers, which seems to be the nearest of my house. But I have no idea what I have to do to participate of that club.
I have done my research and there are some pretty amazing beers that could go into this but probably all need to be brewed in the next month or so to fully condition so deffo going to go for this now, obviously fishermans friend is out, clove rock on the other hand...
Noob question for you. Why are only 500ml entries allowed? I ask because Ive a few higher ABV beers ready to go that would fit into this category.
QuoteFor people entering big beers, 300ml bottles will be allowed
I am guessing this is a members only comp since it's coming through the clubs
Quote from: cris23costa on August 06, 2015, 12:01:08 PM
Hi Shiny.
Thanks for the help.
But unfortunately I don't have any local club yet. I am thinking about the Capital Brewers, which seems to be the nearest of my house. But I have no idea what I have to do to participate of that club.
You don't have to do anything. Come along to a few of the meets, bring your beer, try other peoples beer and enjoy yourself. All you have to do on the night of the capital judging is bring your beer and be a full member.
Thanks again. And when it's gonna be the next meeting? Is there a calendar or something, where I can check that?
Come along to the club comp for the summer session next Wednesday. ;)
It's gonna be at The Black Sheep? What time it will be? And do I need to bring some homebrew beer?
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/index.php/topic,9886.0/topicseen.html
No need to bring beer to this as there wont really be time with the judging. Just bring a pencil. :)
Quote from: cris23costa on August 07, 2015, 03:08:18 PM
It's gonna be at The Black Sheep? What time it will be? And do I need to bring some homebrew beer?
Cris, the next meet is on Wednesday 12th August in WJ Kavanagh's in Dorset Street at 7.00 pm. Just bring yourself and a thirst :)
Personally I love a DIPA on Christmas morning. Is it just me or do I have a problem?