The Competition is A'Brewing

In addition to the many homesteading activities I already do in and around my kitchen I also brew alcohol. Nothing fancy, no distilling,  I mostly make wines and meads based on what I have. I also try to recreate brews based on historical documents. A few months ago, at an SCA arts event, I had the pleasure of sitting in one of the biggest brewing competitions the Kingdom has to offer. As the current Baronial brewing champion (who did not come with entries of her own) I thought I should offer my services to the judges and listen in on the process to better my understanding. I learned a lot. I wrote a class, which is really more of a rambling stream of consciousness, on how to "up your game" in competitions. You would think that some of this stuff is common knowledge but, considering some of the entries I have seen, most people don't consider that their presentation counts near as much as it actually does!

I intend this class to be more of a discussion than a lecture and hope to have lots of input from students and fellow brewers.

Brewing for Competitions

Eilon bat Miriam -  MKA:  D. Brianne Galgano

Eilon.bat.miriam@gmail.com       

If you plan to be known for your brewing in society you need to consider making a good showing at competitions. You can't just rely on the good word of the people who were at your camp party last night. When you are planning to bring your brews to competition you need to consider a how to present them. When brewing wines or meads, for example, you might think it silly to "prepare" for a competition that hasn't been thought  because, your brew won't be ready 'till years from now. How do you make your brew for said competition's judges? Luckily, most judging for brewing has been standardized. If you read over the standard judging form in Atlantia you can get the idea of where your points come from. The judging  is out of 100 points and has 9 categories but, around 35% of that score can be chalked up to how you present your entry. This following is a discussion about how to improve your overall presentation to wow the judges and other interested parties (pun intended).

Venue

This isn't something that people seem to discuss a lot but is the first and most important thing you need to concern yourself with. Bring appropriate entries to the competition you're going to. Don't assume that the judges are willing or able to accept all your entries; maybe they aren't interested in or allowing  non-alcoholic beverages or mixed drinks.

Read the conditions carefully. If they ask for four entries that cover at least two categories you need to honor that, get creative, or maybe not enter.  Also, if they ask for four don't bring six, it makes it harder for the judges, and they may throw out entries that would have netted you more points.

Many brewers love the zany experiments their colleagues come up with but, remember that we are a historical society. If you are entering in your household drink competition and want to enter your Jolly Rancher Cordial, fine. If you are entering in The Royal Brewer competition you might find your candy-based, completely modern, beverage and affront to the judges and other competitors. 

Presentation is EVERYTHING!

Not only is it a ten point category on the judging sheet, but when you get down to the bottom line it can be as many as 35 points of your score. Besides points, you are creating an impression. If you are allowed to be present, your demeanor, the way you are dressed, and the layout of your entries all play a part in the overall impression. Think of it like choosing a dining establishment: if you walk in and the place is dirty and dark, the staff seems disinterested, and you know nothing about what the food will taste like, you might be more likely to go to the familiar place two doors down that seems a little brighter, friendlier.

Labels don't have to be pretty but, they do have to have a minimum of information, and be there at all. Bottles get mixed up, especially the further down the line the judges have drunk. They need to see your name, the name or type of brew, and the ingredients. Gone is the idea that snooty wine judges guess at the ingredients...they need to know because of allergies, and so they can tell what came through in the final product and give commentary.

The bottle should be clean. We can only assume that you sterilized the bottle. If the outside of your bottle still has bits of label stuck on we get this creeping feeling in the back of our head that you didn't clean the inside properly either. Recycling bottles is fine just use the best ones for your judging.

Speaking of bottles, the type matters. Again, recycling bottles is great, just choose the right ones for your presentation. Colored glass has a purpose, it keeps the light out, but not all colors are the same. Blue glass is pretty but has very little historical precedence and in terms of brewing and does very little for keeping out the light. Flip-top bottles are AWESOME but, if you are using them for anything other than your late-period beer, or maybe a cordial or syrup, it seems a little off. 

Bottle fill and corking are a huge deal too. You should aim for (and learn more than you ever wanted about) proper  headspace, and a level set cork.

Documentation

Documentation doesn't have to be that scary. The judges need to know what is in your brew. The judges need to know if there is a period source you are drawing from. They need to know what you did. It might be helpful to let them know the start date and the bottle date. They need to know if you did anything different.  So, we are up to a paragraph, a copied text from a historic source, and a list. And after all that, don't forget your name. But seriously, back to the venue section, your documentation should be tailored to your competition.  Go the extra mile to show those period sources and talk about the methods and where you had to change things because of modern practices or availability. Don't talk for too long though, brevity is key.

Sneaky Little Tricks

Whenever possible find out who the judges will be or play to the hosting group. Do they have a favorite color? Do they despise anise? Are they allergic to anything? Do they prefer sweet or dry; fruity or spicy? You can't please everyone but sometimes something as simple as a towel in the right color can sway the judges in your favor. The Overall Impression is worth 15 points. While I have grouped that in the Presentation section above you should consider this the ultimate tie breaker between you and your competitors. The judges try to be unbiased but, sometimes little things you do sway them more to your side than the alcohol itself.

Be prepared. Bring a pitcher of water, spoons, sample cups, a tray of bread or crackers (for between sampling), and make them all pretty. You aren't bribing the judges, you are making sure they are comfortable and able to focus on the judging... but they might also consider that you understand that and express it in the form of some unquantifiable Impression points.

Have Fun!

The Bottom line is still your brew. Just remember that  a substantial amount of points in a competition can come from your presentation alone.