After our Republic interlude, I'm back to blogging about the last few days of Fringe Festival mayhem. Keep in mind that this festival goes through this coming Sunday, and there is still time for you to get to a couple of these shows! On Monday we hit three more shows:
1) Sneak Thief--A fun comedy jewel thief caper show. A nerdy guy who can't keep a job answers a want-ad and ends up helping out a jewel thief. I really liked this one, it had a good heart and acting.
2) Taiko Flash--Big Japanese drums! For nearly an hour. An interesting experience and the drummers were obviously having a good time. This is not quite my thing, but good to try something new. This group is at Fringe nearly every year and we have not seen them before.
3) Broken Hill--A dramatic show about three men stuck in a tiny cabin in the frozen north dealing with loneliness, insanity, and emotional baggage. Well acted and throught-provoking. The only real problem with the show that I found was that the plot doesn't really move. I would have liked a bit of resolution rather than just a snap-shot of these intriguing character's lives. My friend Amy Luedke is in the show and does a great job as well.
Tuesday time for four more shows! We had a crazy early dinner at Town Hall, and tried the newly released MPLS hoppy lager.
1) Dance Money Grind--A dance show about the crazy dance marathons from the 20's to 50's. A combo of dancing, jokes, skits and vaudeville acts. The cast was really into this and it showed. Not my usual cup of tea, but I'd recommend it.
2) Steampunk Apocalypse--This was about what I expected, a wild and somewhat uneven romp with time traveling Victorian villains and heroines. The actresses who played the Victorians did a fantastic job! The cast on this was huge (25 people!) I felt like they tried to fit too many things in one hour. They could easily have let out the whole vampire angle and it would have been a tighter show. The rats were fantastic though!
3) Pop Up Musical--The best show we have seen in the last two days, I wouldn't miss this one! They are in the tiny Experimental Theater in the basement of Rarig, and have been selling out, so pre-order tickets if you want to see them. Four vigorous and happy people sing their hearts out doing various famous show-tunes with the other's periodically holding up signs with info about the songs and singers. The cast really went for it. Simple, but great fun.
4) The Urban Hermit--A one-woman storytelling show with guitar, violin, and wash-bucket base playing interludes. Rachel Nelson really is a talented lady and brings you into her personal story of growing up a loner, dealing with alcohol abuse, and learning to interact with people. Her telling truly transports you.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Republic
For a break from Fringe Festival updates, we now bring you a review of Republic bar and restaurant.
We have now visited this place enough times for me to give a decent review of it. Located in the historic Preston's Building in the 7 Corners area of the University, Republic is a relative newcomer to the craft beer scene. They have been increasing their tap selection and now only have craft on tap, and some macro stuff in bottles. They have a fine range of local, other US craft, and some Import beers. A stand out for me was the Sunner Kolsch from Germany served in the proper stange glass. They also have Kwak from Belgium served in their wacky wooden-framed glassware. The staff seem well trained in beer serving and styles as well. One guy I saw pouring was an outright master at pouring from the taps, knowing just the right amount of height and angle to achieve the correct head on each different beer. A friend of ours, Emily, has been serving here for a while too, and we got to see her the other day. Tap lines were all clean and they serve a cask beer every Wednesday I believe. They also serve samplers of 3 eight ounce beers for $10. Not cheep, but a nice way to work your way through the beer list.
The decor evokes age with the old oak bar and paneling as well as the antique Preston's stained glass that they left intact. Good move! And some stuffed animal heads on the wall of course! There is a separate dining section in the other half of the place, but most people seem to sit on the bar side. This time of year the outside patio does a brisk business as well.
We have food here twice now, the first time being soon after they opened and not a fantastic experience. Trying again yesterday we were happier with our food. I ordered the hanger steak, (not a common cut of meat around here,) that was cooked perfectly served with crispy fries and a side of sugary carmelized carrots. Sj had the hanger steak salad, that could have used a little more excitement.
Overall, I'd recommend stopping in here for a sampler and a snack, but probably wouldn't choose to eat here regularly. Oh, and make sure to stop across the street at Town Hall Brewery as well!
We have now visited this place enough times for me to give a decent review of it. Located in the historic Preston's Building in the 7 Corners area of the University, Republic is a relative newcomer to the craft beer scene. They have been increasing their tap selection and now only have craft on tap, and some macro stuff in bottles. They have a fine range of local, other US craft, and some Import beers. A stand out for me was the Sunner Kolsch from Germany served in the proper stange glass. They also have Kwak from Belgium served in their wacky wooden-framed glassware. The staff seem well trained in beer serving and styles as well. One guy I saw pouring was an outright master at pouring from the taps, knowing just the right amount of height and angle to achieve the correct head on each different beer. A friend of ours, Emily, has been serving here for a while too, and we got to see her the other day. Tap lines were all clean and they serve a cask beer every Wednesday I believe. They also serve samplers of 3 eight ounce beers for $10. Not cheep, but a nice way to work your way through the beer list.
The decor evokes age with the old oak bar and paneling as well as the antique Preston's stained glass that they left intact. Good move! And some stuffed animal heads on the wall of course! There is a separate dining section in the other half of the place, but most people seem to sit on the bar side. This time of year the outside patio does a brisk business as well.
We have food here twice now, the first time being soon after they opened and not a fantastic experience. Trying again yesterday we were happier with our food. I ordered the hanger steak, (not a common cut of meat around here,) that was cooked perfectly served with crispy fries and a side of sugary carmelized carrots. Sj had the hanger steak salad, that could have used a little more excitement.
Overall, I'd recommend stopping in here for a sampler and a snack, but probably wouldn't choose to eat here regularly. Oh, and make sure to stop across the street at Town Hall Brewery as well!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Fringe Day 4: six more shows
Getting tired now. We have been going non-stop since Thursday of last week and no sign of stopping. Yesterday we managed to hit another 6 shows, with a break one more time for Town Hall dinner.
We saw:
Analyzing the Bully--a show put on by teens about bullying, but well done, not preachy.
The Hungry Games--in which Tom Reed mocks the mockingjay.
Fringe Orphans--short attention span theater with a bunch of quick skits.
Room For Cream--a nightmarish tale of a theater major forced to find a real job at a coffee shop.
Curt and Laura Used To Be Good At Gymnastics and Stuff--a two person team telling uncomfortable but funny stories of their gym class experiences in school.
Happy Hour--a set of dance numbers each relating to a particular drink. The high point was the very seductive but tasteful dance based on Argentinian Malbec.
Not a bad day at all! Today we head back in the afternoon for three more shows.
We saw:
Analyzing the Bully--a show put on by teens about bullying, but well done, not preachy.
The Hungry Games--in which Tom Reed mocks the mockingjay.
Fringe Orphans--short attention span theater with a bunch of quick skits.
Room For Cream--a nightmarish tale of a theater major forced to find a real job at a coffee shop.
Curt and Laura Used To Be Good At Gymnastics and Stuff--a two person team telling uncomfortable but funny stories of their gym class experiences in school.
Happy Hour--a set of dance numbers each relating to a particular drink. The high point was the very seductive but tasteful dance based on Argentinian Malbec.
Not a bad day at all! Today we head back in the afternoon for three more shows.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Fringe Day 3: In which our hero sees six show in one day...and has some beer
Our third day is where things really got rolling. Up way too early in the morning, we took a trip to Northern Brewer to take advantage of the 25% off glass carboys and to drop off State Fair entries. Then off to 7 Corners area for the first of many shows! We arrived a bit early and had time to stop into Republic and say hi to one of our friends, Emily.
The next many hours are a blur of lights-on, lights-off, monologues, comedies, drama and music. We saw six shows in one day, but had to take a break to eat dinner at Town Hall again. Avoid the surly bartendress there.
A quick run-down of shows:
The Complete Works of William Shatner (abridged) This was a pretty funny show in which Shatner from the 50's and several of his well-known characters are transported to a world filled with hollow rocks and lizard men. Most of the actors in this are very involved with Convergence so we knew they would be a good bet.
Font of Knowledge: A fun noir telling of the secret story of the discovery of the Helvetica Font and the fight to prevent the 1950's Communists from using it to destroy the world. Sound wacky? Yup, but well acted with a lot of quick witty dialog and excellent fight choreography. I'd certainly recommend it.
Going Down on the Queen of Minneapolis: Not as dirty as it sounds... A fun situation comedy about a Minneapolis based company that has booked their office party on a boat, in which people get drunk, fired, promoted, and drugged. Not necessarily in that order. I wasn't so sure during the first 15 minutes, but was really enjoying it by the end.
Romeo & Juliet on the Moon: This was a purposefully cheesy remix of R&J set on the moon. Before the viewer can get annoyed by this concept, several audience members including a snotty theater critic, a militant feminist drama teacher, and a nerdy Star Trek fan all take turns talking over the drama and giving their own take on it. A very clever way to spice up a show. I really felt the end was the high point.
Scarborough Fair: This was a pleasant show by two somewhat odd-ball musicians bent on bringing music by Simon and Garfunkel back to the masses. The banter between the two was funny and a bit awkward...reminding me a bit of Flight of The Conchords. Some songs were done very well, others were deliberately mangled for laughs. Not a bad show.
Class of '98: This was my stand-out for the day and is currently in the lead for Fringe favorite. Two geeky adults answer and add in the paper to try out a new time travel device and go back in time to their high school in 1998. In their attempts to change their own futures and be less nerdy, the pair cause all kinds of paradox problems and hilarity. The acting by the adults and the teens was fantastic and I honestly would have been happy if this went on for another hour.
After the long day of Fringing, we decided to try out Fringe Central at the Crooked Pint. A lot of the actors and fans hang out here as an after party. We had a pint and congratulated a few of our favorites. And then went home because we are old and have a long drive. Staying out until after 1 is for young punks!
The next many hours are a blur of lights-on, lights-off, monologues, comedies, drama and music. We saw six shows in one day, but had to take a break to eat dinner at Town Hall again. Avoid the surly bartendress there.
A quick run-down of shows:
The Complete Works of William Shatner (abridged) This was a pretty funny show in which Shatner from the 50's and several of his well-known characters are transported to a world filled with hollow rocks and lizard men. Most of the actors in this are very involved with Convergence so we knew they would be a good bet.
Font of Knowledge: A fun noir telling of the secret story of the discovery of the Helvetica Font and the fight to prevent the 1950's Communists from using it to destroy the world. Sound wacky? Yup, but well acted with a lot of quick witty dialog and excellent fight choreography. I'd certainly recommend it.
Going Down on the Queen of Minneapolis: Not as dirty as it sounds... A fun situation comedy about a Minneapolis based company that has booked their office party on a boat, in which people get drunk, fired, promoted, and drugged. Not necessarily in that order. I wasn't so sure during the first 15 minutes, but was really enjoying it by the end.
Romeo & Juliet on the Moon: This was a purposefully cheesy remix of R&J set on the moon. Before the viewer can get annoyed by this concept, several audience members including a snotty theater critic, a militant feminist drama teacher, and a nerdy Star Trek fan all take turns talking over the drama and giving their own take on it. A very clever way to spice up a show. I really felt the end was the high point.
Scarborough Fair: This was a pleasant show by two somewhat odd-ball musicians bent on bringing music by Simon and Garfunkel back to the masses. The banter between the two was funny and a bit awkward...reminding me a bit of Flight of The Conchords. Some songs were done very well, others were deliberately mangled for laughs. Not a bad show.
Class of '98: This was my stand-out for the day and is currently in the lead for Fringe favorite. Two geeky adults answer and add in the paper to try out a new time travel device and go back in time to their high school in 1998. In their attempts to change their own futures and be less nerdy, the pair cause all kinds of paradox problems and hilarity. The acting by the adults and the teens was fantastic and I honestly would have been happy if this went on for another hour.
After the long day of Fringing, we decided to try out Fringe Central at the Crooked Pint. A lot of the actors and fans hang out here as an after party. We had a pint and congratulated a few of our favorites. And then went home because we are old and have a long drive. Staying out until after 1 is for young punks!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Fringe Day 2: In which our intrepid adventurer sees more shows, and drinks beer...
Day two started off after taking off from work slightly early to beat the rush-hour traffic down to Minneapolis. Our first two shows of the day were at the Rarig Thrust Stage on campus, so after the first show we were able to run out of the theater and get back in line for the second.
The first show we saw was Candide, put on by the Four Humors Theater Company. It was a fairly humorous and very condensed version of the enormous novel I haven't read. And probably will not read. Ever. But the group did a good job of it and there were several good moments in the play. I enjoyed it, but I've seen this company do much better over the years.
The second show was Joseph Scrimshaw's Nightmare Without Pants. This Scrimshaw brother is always a Fringe favorite, and somehow always manages to get a show in a possibly rigged lottery system. But I wouldn't have it any other way! The show is about a snarky woman who doesn't know how to be happy, who has a horrible dream involving lack of pants, running out of PBR, and the Anger Pony! Yes it is very strange, but by the time the end of the show arrives most of off-kilter stuff has come full circle and ties well together. I'd highly recommend it, but get there early to beat a huge line...
Then off to Town Hall again for dinner and a couple pints of Cask Masala Mama IPA. Fringe always gives me an excuse to stop at my favorite brewpub multiple times in a week. The Crimson Oat red ale is a really nice malty treat that even Sj liked.
And last but not least we walked up the block to The Southern Theater for a stand up comedy act by Ben San Del called the Agony Of Fools. I've seen this guy in various things over the years and he is truly a local treasure on the comedy front. He is one of the Rockstar Storytellers and does a great job with stand-up as well. This show was funny and a great way to end the day of Fringing.
On the way home we were caught in a monsoon, resulting in an extra long trip back to Waconia and narrowly avoiding downed trees. The adventure never ends folks!
Friday, August 3, 2012
Fringe Festival Day 1
I'm going to post a few days worth of events that have nearly nothing to do with beer. I know, it may be the sign of the apocalypse...
Every year at this time of the Summer, an event called the Minnesota Fringe Festival takes place all over Minneapolis. This is somewhat hard to describe without being there, so bear with me a minute or two! Basically, over a week and a half, in 15 different theaters, more than 160 different shows are performed in rapid-fire procession. Each show is 45-60 minutes long and you have a short amount of time to get between venues for the next show. There is stand-up comedy, improv, music, dance, poetry readings, Shakespear, drama, thrillers, and lots of crazy stuff that can't be categorized. With the shows being short and cheap you can take some chances and might see something amazing. Or you can see a show so horrible that you will talk about it for years... Most are pretty good. Over the years we have been taking notes and looking for actors and theater companies that have done a good job in the past to start our event planning.
To get into the Fringe you need to buy a $4 button and wear it through-out. Tickets to each show are $12, but getting 5-10 show punch cards gets you a discount. They also have a student discount. Sj and I are crazy and do the Ultra-Pass which allows you to go to as many shows as you can fit into your schedule. Because of this, we can be a little less picky about choosing our shows and sometimes find some less noticed gems of shows. And some stinkers... The hard part is getting from venue to venue. A bunch of the shows are at the Rarig Center on campus and that is a good base of operations, with the Southern and Theater in the Round being easily walkable. Some, like the Bryant Lake Bowl are harder to get to in a short time, so you might have to miss a few shows here and there if you really have your heart set on something.
I highly recommend going to a show or two, and you will probably want to go back in the future. In the early years of our Fringing, we went to a show here or there because we knew someone in it or it sounded funny (Kung-Fu Hamlet.) Soon we were buying punch cards and next thing we knew we were doing ultra pass and hitting 60 shows in 12 days. This has actually increased our regular theater going as well, since we see shows during the year featuring our favorites from fringe. Last year we saw Hamlet at Theater in the Round, and then at Fringe we saw a Hamlet/StarWars mash-up that featured the same actors who played Hamlet and Ophelia in the legit showing!
Each show is performed 5 times over the week at the same venue. As the week goes on, the website starts to get reviews of the shows and you can zero in on the most popular shows. The first few days can be more of a crap shoot.
Yesterday afternoon was day one of the Fringe.
1)We saw The Gentleman's Prattfall Club, a very funny slapstick physical comedy show featuring Joseph Scrimshaw. These guys were seriously crazy, throwing themselves into chairs and landing flat on their backs on the floor. At one point Scrimshaw actually rolled, leapt and sprawled all the way down the stairs of the theater right past my chair! Insane stunt! The other actor actually split his chin and was bleeding all over himself during the last part of the show, but he just incorporated it into the banter and dialog. Fantastic!
2) Billy Beechwood and the Mountain of Terror: A very wacky and somewhat childish show, with a good heart. Not my favorite of the night, but these actors go for it.
3) Ashland: This theater company has done retellings of Red Riding Hood and the myth of the Selkie in the past, and this year do a version of Cinderella that takes place in the Dust Bowl era. The company does the whole show using a combination of singing, acting, and mime that is so immersive that you can't help but be transported to the world they are describing. I can't even explain it. First night, a standing ovation...in Minnesota! See this now!!
Oh, and we had dinner and beers at Town Hall Brewery that sits right next to the Southern Theater. So there was beer in this story after all!
Every year at this time of the Summer, an event called the Minnesota Fringe Festival takes place all over Minneapolis. This is somewhat hard to describe without being there, so bear with me a minute or two! Basically, over a week and a half, in 15 different theaters, more than 160 different shows are performed in rapid-fire procession. Each show is 45-60 minutes long and you have a short amount of time to get between venues for the next show. There is stand-up comedy, improv, music, dance, poetry readings, Shakespear, drama, thrillers, and lots of crazy stuff that can't be categorized. With the shows being short and cheap you can take some chances and might see something amazing. Or you can see a show so horrible that you will talk about it for years... Most are pretty good. Over the years we have been taking notes and looking for actors and theater companies that have done a good job in the past to start our event planning.
To get into the Fringe you need to buy a $4 button and wear it through-out. Tickets to each show are $12, but getting 5-10 show punch cards gets you a discount. They also have a student discount. Sj and I are crazy and do the Ultra-Pass which allows you to go to as many shows as you can fit into your schedule. Because of this, we can be a little less picky about choosing our shows and sometimes find some less noticed gems of shows. And some stinkers... The hard part is getting from venue to venue. A bunch of the shows are at the Rarig Center on campus and that is a good base of operations, with the Southern and Theater in the Round being easily walkable. Some, like the Bryant Lake Bowl are harder to get to in a short time, so you might have to miss a few shows here and there if you really have your heart set on something.
I highly recommend going to a show or two, and you will probably want to go back in the future. In the early years of our Fringing, we went to a show here or there because we knew someone in it or it sounded funny (Kung-Fu Hamlet.) Soon we were buying punch cards and next thing we knew we were doing ultra pass and hitting 60 shows in 12 days. This has actually increased our regular theater going as well, since we see shows during the year featuring our favorites from fringe. Last year we saw Hamlet at Theater in the Round, and then at Fringe we saw a Hamlet/StarWars mash-up that featured the same actors who played Hamlet and Ophelia in the legit showing!
Each show is performed 5 times over the week at the same venue. As the week goes on, the website starts to get reviews of the shows and you can zero in on the most popular shows. The first few days can be more of a crap shoot.
Yesterday afternoon was day one of the Fringe.
1)We saw The Gentleman's Prattfall Club, a very funny slapstick physical comedy show featuring Joseph Scrimshaw. These guys were seriously crazy, throwing themselves into chairs and landing flat on their backs on the floor. At one point Scrimshaw actually rolled, leapt and sprawled all the way down the stairs of the theater right past my chair! Insane stunt! The other actor actually split his chin and was bleeding all over himself during the last part of the show, but he just incorporated it into the banter and dialog. Fantastic!
2) Billy Beechwood and the Mountain of Terror: A very wacky and somewhat childish show, with a good heart. Not my favorite of the night, but these actors go for it.
3) Ashland: This theater company has done retellings of Red Riding Hood and the myth of the Selkie in the past, and this year do a version of Cinderella that takes place in the Dust Bowl era. The company does the whole show using a combination of singing, acting, and mime that is so immersive that you can't help but be transported to the world they are describing. I can't even explain it. First night, a standing ovation...in Minnesota! See this now!!
Oh, and we had dinner and beers at Town Hall Brewery that sits right next to the Southern Theater. So there was beer in this story after all!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Choosing beers for competitions
I thought I would do a little primer on picking out homebrews for competitions since MN State Fair and Byggvir's Big Beer Cup are both coming up this month. There comes a time, (usually at the last minute with only a day or two left for entries,) that you have to look at your stock and decide what is worthy to send on to win a medal. A lot of this depends on what you have in your cellar, how it is packaged, and also what competition it is going into.
Competitions are an interesting microcosm of beer geekdom. They serve the functions of reinforcing good brewing practices and knowledge of beer styles. If you win a medal or ribbon in a style category, you will feel good about your beer and keep up those types of practices. If you don't win and get good feedback on your score sheets, hopefully you will be able to fix problems for next time. Consistency is where good brewers are made, and competitions can help keep you calibrated. That being said, judges are human with their own preconceptions and tastes, which can influence your results. I've had a beer score 41 out of 50 in one competition and 29 at another in the same month! The skill and BJCP rank of your judges can contribute greatly to feedback. Does everyone need to compete? Not at all, but a lot of us like the thrill of it and it gives us a good excuse to share the fruits of our labors with knowledgeable beer people within the context of a predominantly private hobby. And it's sweet to win medals and prizes and get your name and brewclub out there in the homebrew community.
There are some tricks to picking out beers for competitions I've learned after competing at, judging in and running. No order to them and not all-inclusive.
1) Put the beer in the category that it tastes like--not the category you meant to brew. If you brewed an IPA but it doesn't have quite the high hop character you planned, and is maybe a bit too malty: put it in as a pale ale. Did you brew a oatmeal stout but it is lighter in body and color than expected? Maybe it is a brown ale or a porter. Have a judge or fellow homebrewers try your beer blind and see what they think it is. I just did this last night with a couple friends and we were able to fit some beers into styles they weren't meant as.
2) Put a beer in to win. If you don't enter you won't win! I have won awards for beers I didn't think were great, and totally flopped on beers I thought were amazing. Sometimes we are our own worst critics. Again, have friends help with tasting.
3) Know your comp. For example:
a)Byggvir's Big Beer Cup is based on continental and historic styles, not accepting American styles of beer. On the other hand, the special Historic category comes with a special medal and prize, and in the past has only had a handful of entries. That one is easy to win if you have a funky kvass or gratzer or birch beer, etc. This comp has had about 150 entries each year so is a smaller one and is less frequented by the big name brewers who hog all the medals in the bigger comps. A good place to get your feet wet. And this year the grand prize is possibly getting you beer brewed at Town Hall Brewery!
b) State Fair is also upon us. Historically, this is a big comp, with 500-1000 entries, so it will be tougher to win. Look at last year's entry list--if you want to win in a smaller category put a lager in!
c) Upper Mississippi Mash Out in January is one of the biggest in the world and is amongst the "most prestigious" to win a medal at. Your 40 point beer will probably do significantly less well here. Don't bother putting your first homebrew in this one, it will just make you feel bad.
4) Learn your BJCP style guideline. Ideally take the class, take the test and become a judge. Otherwise the guide is free on the internet and they have a nice app. If you know the ins and outs of the styles, you will be able to tell if your beer fits in the style. Beer judging is based on how well your beer fits in the style category you put it in. I can't stress this enough. If you have an amazing vanilla porter and put it in under porters rather than the spice/herb/vegetable category, you will get crappy reviews or get it disqualified. Taste the commercial examples listed in the style guide to get aquainted with what the style should taste like.
5) More info! Most competitions ask for recipe. The judges don't have this when they judge, so I usually don't even bother. There is usually a space on entry forms for special info/remarks. That is where you need to put any special info about your beer that you want the judge to see. This is most important in fruit, spice, specialty, and wood styles. What is it that makes your beer a specialty beer? What type of wood did you add? What type of fruit did you use. The judges also don't have the name of your beer, so if you felt that by calling it a raspberry wheat all the info you needed was there...you are incorrect! Also only mention an ingredient if you can really pick it out on tasting. If your honey addition didn't add a good honey flavor...don't mention it or you will get dinged for not enough.
6) Base beer style. Before you add fruit, spice, wood, etc, you need a good base beer. Practice your brewing of a good base beer before you start adding crazy stuff to your beer. Or brew a batch and add stuff to half only. Also make sure to mention the base style in your competition entries. The judges might be able to tell what your cherry wheat is, but they might be unsure and will dock you points.
7) Don't be disappointed in results. You will get some lousy reviews for beers you think are good. Some may be wrong (bad judges) others may be style problems, others may be flaws that you aren't used to picking up. Learn from the feedback and try to fix any problems that you figure out. And remember, if you like to drink your beer it is a good beer, just maybe not worth throwing in competitions!
8) Go big or go home. Often the beer that wins a category stands out because it is a bit more flavorful or higher alcohol than the others. If your beer is slightly outside style, but you think it is very good, go ahead and try. Also the judges don't know the ABV of your beer, just the percieved alcohol levels. A nice mild easy drinking smoked beer will get spanked next to The Baconator Smoked Imperial Doppelbock.
9) Double down! If you have a beer that straddles the line between categories, you can put it in under each category. I've seen some friends win two medals with one beer. You can not put the same beer in the same sub-category though!
10) Learn the limits of the system. This one comes with time and experience. I've found that certain categories are hard to win. Braggots are one: no one has ever had a commercial braggot so you will get crappy judging on this. Specialty category is hard to win due to the extreme nature of these beers. A subtle beer will not do well here. IPA is the biggest category, so you will be up against a ton of beers.
All this being said, just put a beer in and start learning! I'm ready to take home some bling this month.
Competitions are an interesting microcosm of beer geekdom. They serve the functions of reinforcing good brewing practices and knowledge of beer styles. If you win a medal or ribbon in a style category, you will feel good about your beer and keep up those types of practices. If you don't win and get good feedback on your score sheets, hopefully you will be able to fix problems for next time. Consistency is where good brewers are made, and competitions can help keep you calibrated. That being said, judges are human with their own preconceptions and tastes, which can influence your results. I've had a beer score 41 out of 50 in one competition and 29 at another in the same month! The skill and BJCP rank of your judges can contribute greatly to feedback. Does everyone need to compete? Not at all, but a lot of us like the thrill of it and it gives us a good excuse to share the fruits of our labors with knowledgeable beer people within the context of a predominantly private hobby. And it's sweet to win medals and prizes and get your name and brewclub out there in the homebrew community.
There are some tricks to picking out beers for competitions I've learned after competing at, judging in and running. No order to them and not all-inclusive.
1) Put the beer in the category that it tastes like--not the category you meant to brew. If you brewed an IPA but it doesn't have quite the high hop character you planned, and is maybe a bit too malty: put it in as a pale ale. Did you brew a oatmeal stout but it is lighter in body and color than expected? Maybe it is a brown ale or a porter. Have a judge or fellow homebrewers try your beer blind and see what they think it is. I just did this last night with a couple friends and we were able to fit some beers into styles they weren't meant as.
2) Put a beer in to win. If you don't enter you won't win! I have won awards for beers I didn't think were great, and totally flopped on beers I thought were amazing. Sometimes we are our own worst critics. Again, have friends help with tasting.
3) Know your comp. For example:
a)Byggvir's Big Beer Cup is based on continental and historic styles, not accepting American styles of beer. On the other hand, the special Historic category comes with a special medal and prize, and in the past has only had a handful of entries. That one is easy to win if you have a funky kvass or gratzer or birch beer, etc. This comp has had about 150 entries each year so is a smaller one and is less frequented by the big name brewers who hog all the medals in the bigger comps. A good place to get your feet wet. And this year the grand prize is possibly getting you beer brewed at Town Hall Brewery!
b) State Fair is also upon us. Historically, this is a big comp, with 500-1000 entries, so it will be tougher to win. Look at last year's entry list--if you want to win in a smaller category put a lager in!
c) Upper Mississippi Mash Out in January is one of the biggest in the world and is amongst the "most prestigious" to win a medal at. Your 40 point beer will probably do significantly less well here. Don't bother putting your first homebrew in this one, it will just make you feel bad.
4) Learn your BJCP style guideline. Ideally take the class, take the test and become a judge. Otherwise the guide is free on the internet and they have a nice app. If you know the ins and outs of the styles, you will be able to tell if your beer fits in the style. Beer judging is based on how well your beer fits in the style category you put it in. I can't stress this enough. If you have an amazing vanilla porter and put it in under porters rather than the spice/herb/vegetable category, you will get crappy reviews or get it disqualified. Taste the commercial examples listed in the style guide to get aquainted with what the style should taste like.
5) More info! Most competitions ask for recipe. The judges don't have this when they judge, so I usually don't even bother. There is usually a space on entry forms for special info/remarks. That is where you need to put any special info about your beer that you want the judge to see. This is most important in fruit, spice, specialty, and wood styles. What is it that makes your beer a specialty beer? What type of wood did you add? What type of fruit did you use. The judges also don't have the name of your beer, so if you felt that by calling it a raspberry wheat all the info you needed was there...you are incorrect! Also only mention an ingredient if you can really pick it out on tasting. If your honey addition didn't add a good honey flavor...don't mention it or you will get dinged for not enough.
6) Base beer style. Before you add fruit, spice, wood, etc, you need a good base beer. Practice your brewing of a good base beer before you start adding crazy stuff to your beer. Or brew a batch and add stuff to half only. Also make sure to mention the base style in your competition entries. The judges might be able to tell what your cherry wheat is, but they might be unsure and will dock you points.
7) Don't be disappointed in results. You will get some lousy reviews for beers you think are good. Some may be wrong (bad judges) others may be style problems, others may be flaws that you aren't used to picking up. Learn from the feedback and try to fix any problems that you figure out. And remember, if you like to drink your beer it is a good beer, just maybe not worth throwing in competitions!
8) Go big or go home. Often the beer that wins a category stands out because it is a bit more flavorful or higher alcohol than the others. If your beer is slightly outside style, but you think it is very good, go ahead and try. Also the judges don't know the ABV of your beer, just the percieved alcohol levels. A nice mild easy drinking smoked beer will get spanked next to The Baconator Smoked Imperial Doppelbock.
9) Double down! If you have a beer that straddles the line between categories, you can put it in under each category. I've seen some friends win two medals with one beer. You can not put the same beer in the same sub-category though!
10) Learn the limits of the system. This one comes with time and experience. I've found that certain categories are hard to win. Braggots are one: no one has ever had a commercial braggot so you will get crappy judging on this. Specialty category is hard to win due to the extreme nature of these beers. A subtle beer will not do well here. IPA is the biggest category, so you will be up against a ton of beers.
All this being said, just put a beer in and start learning! I'm ready to take home some bling this month.
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