National Competition - Some Issues

[molc]

I think a lot of the feedback should come at club level. If you have a beer you are particularity happy with it should be brought to a club meet up and blind tasted. 10-20 mins could easily be put aside at local meet up to do a proper score sheet. More formal then the pass the bottle to the left we all know and love.
If a beer I brewed was scored a 20 at a local meetup it would put me off entering it to any competition.

Scored and blind tested by a qualified judging panel, same as in the nationals. I wholeheartedly support this.

[Hingo]

If we want to do more regional/club judging to BJCP standard, then we're going to have to get a lot more people, at club level, out there and organising these things. I suspect this is what could stop the idea dead in it's tracks.

Yep, if it was to be a runner, local clubs would need to buy into the idea and take up organizing. If Judges are an issue encourage doing the BJCP courses or look outside your region of any one will volunteer to judge on the day.

Where there's a will there's a way, and it's nothing a bit of strategic planning and commitment won't sort

[molc]

If Judges are an issue encourage doing the BJCP courses or look outside your region of any one will volunteer to judge on the day.

There's a whole list of us wanting to do the course, just no-one has taken charge of organising it. I'm on strike after doing the last group buy

[phoenix]

Yep, if it was to be a runner, local clubs would need to buy into the idea and take up organizing. If Judges are an issue encourage doing the BJCP courses or look outside your region of any one will volunteer to judge on the day.

Where there's a will there's a way, and it's nothing a bit of strategic planning and commitment won't sort

Speaking of which, theres 25 people with their name down to do the course this year, the thread has been running since last November. Any movement? Anything I can help with to move it forward?

[Rossa]

Yep, if it was to be a runner, local clubs would need to buy into the idea and take up organizing. If Judges are an issue encourage doing the BJCP courses or look outside your region of any one will volunteer to judge on the day.

Where there's a will there's a way, and it's nothing a bit of strategic planning and commitment won't sort

Speaking of which, theres 25 people with their name down to do the course this year, the thread has been running since last November. Any movement? Anything I can help with to move it forward?

Yep. we are nearly ready to announce something.

[phoenix]

Great stuff Rossa

[Damien M]

I don't think Feedback to a BJCP standard should be blind. It's not a competition its feedback to make you a better brewer, and the more info the the Feedbacker has on equipment, ingredients, process the better the feed back would be.

As regards who should organise this Do I hear tumble weed?
First steps is to agree a process at national level. Which will allow/direct/force clubs to  adopt a more formalised approach to competition entries.The pass the bottle left will always have a place but the competitions need a structure. All of this discussion will drive a topic for the AGM!
I would suggest there should be a fee for these Feedback sessions to improve local club funds/cover costs of invited Judges etc and to value what your are getting . For those without clubs or for people who want a opinion on a Style a registar of Judges that are prepared to give feedback would not be hard to setup but again a fee ( non Profit) to National coffers for the service which would fund National Events and Training. If you value your hardwork to make the beer a fee to value the Feedbackers opinion is not a lot to ask.   

[Rossa]

Yep, if it was to be a runner, local clubs would need to buy into the idea and take up organizing. If Judges are an issue encourage doing the BJCP courses or look outside your region of any one will volunteer to judge on the day.

Where there's a will there's a way, and it's nothing a bit of strategic planning and commitment won't sort

Speaking of which, theres 25 people with their name down to do the course this year, the thread has been running since last November. Any movement? Anything I can help with to move it forward?

Yep. we are nearly ready to announce something.

I have a venue lined up but with the competition and the conference it's a balancing act. More on it soon.

[imark]

The issue of BJCP judge feedback is a bit of a red herring here IMO. As I understand it (please correct me if I'm wrong), the score sheets  from the national competition aren't all completed by BJCP judges. Also, BJCP feedback is really only advantageous if your sole interest is winning a medal in a BJCP style category.

If you want to improve your beer do your homework and then take it to a meet. Have it tasted and get feedback ask questions and discuss your process (especially from those who have made good examples of the style).

Why not increase the entry fee to €10 (or more?) per beer and use the entry fee to fund the logistics of running the competition. It will act as a natural inhibitor to people sending stuff through for a bit of feedback.

[nigel_c]

For proper BJCP feedback a system could be set up where anybody who wants a particular beer judged are given a judge fro a list of wlling tasters. The BJCP judge judge are posted a bottle , they judge and score accordingly and a small fee is sent on to the NHC.
This would make BJCP standard scoring and feedback available all year round.
I'm sure a lot f judges would be happy to gt more experience and who doesn't like getting beermail.

[Damien M]

The issue of BJCP judge feedback is a bit of a red herring here IMO. As I understand it (please correct me if I'm wrong), the score sheets  from the national competition aren't all completed by BJCP judges. Also, BJCP feedback is really only advantageous if your sole interest is winning a medal in a BJCP style category.

If you want to improve your beer do your homework and then take it to a meet. Have it tasted and get feedback ask questions and discuss your process (especially from those who have made good examples of the style).

Why not increase the entry fee to €10 (or more?) per beer and use the entry fee to fund the logistics of running the competition. It will act as a natural inhibitor to people sending stuff through for a bit of feedback.

Agree you you on all counts.
All I was trying to say that in the absence of a process the BJCP score sheet gives a good method of defining where a beer is good and not so! You don't have to be a Certified Judge to benefit from it.   

[Damien M]

For proper BJCP feedback a system could be set up where anybody who wants a particular beer judged are given a judge fro a list of wlling tasters. The BJCP judge judge are posted a bottle , they judge and score accordingly and a small fee is sent on to the NHC.
This would make BJCP standard scoring and feedback available all year round.
I'm sure a lot f judges would be happy to gt more experience and who doesn't like getting beermail.

Plus one on this one!!
A register of interested Feedbackers would help everybody and you would only have to commit for a quarter or 6 months or take your name off the list when it no longer suits.

BeerMail is the name for it!   

[mr hoppy]

On feedback - I'd agree that the first stop for feedback is your local club if you have one, but I thought the letters that went out with the scoresheets this year and last included a comment along the lines that the recipient should use the advice in the scoresheets to make better beer?

[mkav79]

Hey Guys have scoresheets been posted out? Need to find out what went wrong mostly!

[wallacebiy]

I received my sheets yesterday I think .