LODGING ENTRIES:
All entries, clearly labelled (including completed entry forms wrapped around one appropriate bottle and secured with an elastic band) must be received prior to the 5pm on the closing date. Electronic payment for entries must also be received prior to or on the entry closing date. Entries received after this date will be discarded and the entry fee returned - no late entries can be accepted. It is the responsibility of the entrant to pack the entries suitable for delivery to Newcastle - either by post or one of the designated the Drop-Off locations. Please note that drop-off locations will only be accepting entries from the 1st of June to the 14th of June.
This competition is open to all brewers resident in NSW, without restriction. Entries must not have been fermented on licensed premises and must be entered under the name of the brewer or brewers. This includes all beers not made as commercial beer regardless of where the wort was made i.e. at home, in a brewshop, at ‘Brew on Premises’ locations or obtained from a commercial brewery as a Beer Kit or Fresh Wort Pack. The entry fee shall be $10 per entry (inclusive of GST) and must be paid via electronic means prior to the closing date with your entry reference number.
The competition will be divided into Four (4) Prize Categories namely: Ale, Lager, Dark and Strong, and Speciality. Refer to the Styles and Prizes poster for where each Style sits under each Prize Category.
CONTAINERS:
Each entry is to be a minimum of 2 x 330 ml bottles (or equivalent eg 1 x 750ml bottle) to provide sufficient samples for two rounds of judging. Any size bottles or kegs will be accepted provided that the minimum quantity of beer is supplied. One sample shall be used to provide feedback to the brewer on how well the beer conforms to the entered style and to determine the Category placings. The highest scoring beer of each PRIZE CATEGORY will advance to the CHAMPION BEER taste-off where the second sample (if available) will be required. Upon receipt all bottles become the property of the Hunter United Brewers Club. Entrants will be required to arrange for the return of any Kegs entered, at their expense.
JUDGING:
All judging will be conducted under the Head Judge’s supervision by the blind taste method and will be carried out by experienced beer judges appointed by the Head Judge. Entries will be impartially evaluated against the Style Guidelines available from the AABC website. Please read these guidelines very carefully and make sure the correct Class/Category/Style details are quoted on your entry form and bottle labels. Each Brewer may enter a maximum of 2 entries per Sub Category e.g. 2 x Munich Helles, 2 x American Lite Lager etc and each brewer may enter a maximum of 4 entries per Prize Category e.g. 4x Ale, 4x Lager etc. Organisers and judges will take no responsibility for beers entered into the wrong class / style. The Head Judge’s decision is final and no dispute will be entered into in any circumstances whatsoever.
Read the style guidelines very carefully and make sure the Class / Category / Style ID details quoted on your entry form(s) and bottle labels strictly comply. Organisers will take no responsibility for beers entered into the wrong style as the beer will be judged against the criteria for the style that it is entered.
AWARDS:
The following awards will be given:
- First, Second and Third placing in each Prize Category
- Highly Commended places may be awarded at the discretion of the judges
- Champion Beer of Show
- Champion Brewer
The Champion Brewer is calculated by the total sum of the placing points that an individual brewer receives across all 4 categories, 3 points for a 1st, 2 points for a second and 1 point for a 3rd for each category. In the event of a tie, the total sum of judging points will be multiplied with the placing points. For example, an entrance receives a first (3 points) and has 130 judging points total. They also receive a 3rd (1 point) with 110 judging points. The total points for that brewer would be 500 (3x130 + 1x110=500). If the entrants are still tied, then a joint winner will be awarded.
The results of the competition will be released to brewing related websites, social media and local news organisations. The results may include your name, beer style, club membership and awarded score. In accordance with the Privacy & Security policy, no contact or other personal information will be published.