Weyerbacher’s 2021 Homebrew Contest

We are excited to be brining you our 4th Annual Homebrew Contest! 

We’ll announce the new date and time on our Facebook page and Instagram. Please follow us for info and updates.

When: Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021

Music: Hduo2, 2:00-4:00 p.m.; ALIAS, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Food: Merry Munchies Food Truck!

Panel of Judges: Our panel of judges includes employees of Weyerbacher and Guest Judge Mike Manning from Colony Meadery.

Awards: There will be 3 prizes awarded by the panel of judges – 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The Peoples’ Choice award will be decided by the votes cast by The Tap Room patrons that have purchased a ticket to sample.

Benefits: The Center for Animal Health & Welfare in Easton

Only the beer that is awarded 1st place by the panel of judges will be brewed on our small batch pilot system. The winner will be announced at the conclusion of the judging on Saturday, November 13th! 

Homebrewers

Set Up: 12:00 pm

Judging: Starts at 12:45 pm

Open to the Public:

Session 1: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Session 2: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Results announced at 5:00 pm

Limit of 2 beers per entry will be accepted.

Details are listed below.

Guests

Not a homebrewer, but would like the chance to sample the entries? Tickets are $20!
With your ticket, you get:

  • Unlimited tastings of the homebrew entries!
  • Vote for your favorite brew!

Ticket sales begin October 31st.

The Specifics

PART I – How to Enter This Competition

1. How do I enter?

(a) Scroll down to the contestant application form and follow the entry instructions to complete the electronic entry form. For complete instructions on filling out the form, see Part II.
(b) Entrants who complete the form will receive a detailed email with instructions and Identification Forms.

2. Which category do I enter?

Enter your brew in the category and subcategory where you feel it will perform best. Judges do not see your entry form. Judges or organizers will not classify or reclassify your entry. If your beer falls outside of the category’s guidelines written here, your beer will not be disqualified. The Weyerbacher Homebrew Contest uses the 2015 Beer Judges Certification Program Style Guidelines. A downloadable version of the complete style descriptions is available here: bjcp.org/stylecenter.php. Please note this competition will not accept ciders, sours, barrel aged beers and beers that used oak chips.

3. How do I bring my beer?

What you will need to submit to judges: four 12 oz. bottles or two 32 oz. growlers of your brew. What else you will need to bring and be prepared to serve: enough home brew for an estimated crowd of 100 – 150 people. Minimum 5 gallons per entry (i.e. one beer, 5 gallons; two beers, 10 gallons). If you choose to bring kegs, you must bring your own set up: CO2, keg tub and a mechanism for pouring such as a tap and/or jockey box. All contestants need to provide their own ice.

4. What is the entry fee?

There is no entry fee for this competition.

5. When is the entry deadline?

The completed entry form must be received by Friday, Oct. 29, 2021.

6. Are there entry limitations?

(a) YOU MAY NOT SUBMIT MORE THAN ONE ENTRY PER CATEGORY. An entrant may be a Co-Brewer for an entry in a subcategory they have already entered as the main brewer (e.g. John Doe enters an American Pale Ale, Category 18B, and is also the Co-Brewer on an American Pale Ale submitted by Jane Smith).

(b) Homebrew means home. Your homebrew must not be brewed at a place that brews beverages for commercial purposes, whether for commercial research, production or any other purpose, including brewpubs and other brew-on-premise establishments or is brewed for commercial sale.

(c) You must give the name of any and all individuals who helped in the development of the recipe or brewing process under “Co-brewer” on your entry form. BEING LISTED AS A “CO-BREWER” DOES NOT EXCLUDE SOMEONE FROM SENDING IN THEIR OWN ENTRY, EXCEPT AS LIMITED IN 7(a).

(d) Should your homebrew be selected as the Grand Champion, you and your Co-Brewer must assign any and all patent and intellectual property rights in your brew to Weyerbacher Brewing Company if requested.

PART II – Instructions for Completing the Entry Form

Entry Form Section A: Brewers Information

Please print clearly or type. Fill in the name of the brewer who is responsible for receiving mailings and results in Item 1. In Item 2, fill in the full names of all other brewers who participated in brewing the entry. In Items 3 through 7, fill in the contact information where mailings and results should be sent.

Entry Form Section B: Entry Information

Item 9: Enter the name you’ve given your entry (this is an optional step). Item 10 – 11, write the appropriate category for the submission.

Important information for Item 10 and Item 11: If you enter category 7C, 9A, 10C, 21B, 23F, 24C, 25B, or 27 through 34, please provide the style and/or unique ingredients or process in accordance with the 2016 BJCP Style Guidelines category descriptions for Item 10 and Item 11. A downloadable version of the complete style descriptions is available at bjcp.org/stylecenter.php. The information in Item 10 and Item 11 are necessary for accurate judging of entries in these categories. Failure to include the required information in Item 10 and Item 11 for categories listed above will result in disqualification.

PART III – The Fine Print

A. General

This competition is open to non-professional homebrewers (See Part I, Section 7(b) for definition of homebrew) who are residents of the United States. You must be 21 years of age or older to enter the contest.

Each contestant will be considered an individual entrant. Employed brewers of Weyerbacher Brewing Company may only submit entries to be judged by the People’s Choice.

It is the sole responsibility of the entrant to complete all registration forms including information on the Entry Information (Section B).

Weyerbacher Brewing Company reserves the right to change these rules in order to, in its sole discretion, secure the proper administration of the Contest.

B. Awards and Prizes

Eight (8) finalists will be selected during the first round of judging.

The winner of the judged competition will have the recipe brewed on the Weyerbacher Pilot System and tapped at The Tap Room.

Weyerbacher Brewing Company will take the recipe and reproduce, as faithful as possible to the original recipe, on a professional scale with the help of the homebrewer. If you are a Grand Champion of the Contest, you agree to disclose your complete recipe to Weyerbacher Brewing Company and grant to Weyerbacher Brewing Company an irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to all commercial and intellectual property rights to your winning beer. Entering the Contest constitutes permission to Weyerbacher Brewing Company and its agencies to use your recipe, the name of your recipe, your name, likeness, picture, signature, voice, audio and video recordings and biographical information in any manner or media whatsoever (whether now known or hereafter devised) anywhere in the world in perpetuity for the purpose of manufacturing, promoting, advertising and trade, of any product by Weyerbacher Brewing Company without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.

C. Judging

The judges will include beer judges from the Beer Judge Certification Program, Weyerbacher brewers, and other qualified judges.

All decisions by the judges and Weyerbacher Brewing Company are final.

D. Beer Criteria

Please use the following general guidelines when designing your recipe to ensure the best results in duplicating your beer, should your recipe be awarded Grand Champion.

Judges’ choice beer will be judged by BJCP standards.

E. Information Requirement

Name of primary brewer, address, phone number, email address, name(s) of co-brewers, style, must accompany entries when submitted. No entries will be returned whether received late or otherwise. All entries become property of Weyerbacher Brewing Company upon submission.

F. Disqualifications

At the discretion of Weyerbacher Brewing Company, entries will be disqualified for eligibility or entry requirement infractions.

Commonly Asked Questions

What kind of bottles are required?
Every bottle must be 10 to 14 ounces in volume, brown or green glass, and free of ink, paint or paper labeling other than competition entry labels. Completely conceal any lettering or graphics on the cap with a permanent black marker. Bottles with Grolsch-type swing tops are not allowed. Corked bottles meeting the above restrictions are acceptable; however, you must crimp a crown cap over the cork. Bottles with a stopper and wire cage are acceptable. Bottles not meeting these requirements will be disqualified from the judging panel.

Why do the bottles have to be between 10 and 14 ounces?
Organizing dozens of bottles of beer is no easy task. If the bottles are of a wide range of sizes, it makes a tough job even harder. Bottles outside the 10 to 14 ounce range will be disqualified.

Why do the bottles have to be plain and unmarked?
So that there is no possibility of undue influence upon the judging panels. Marked or labeled bottles will be disqualified.

What category/subcategory should I enter my beer under?
That is a question we cannot answer, primarily because we have not tasted your beer. Categorization is the sole duty of the entrant.

If I am listed as a co-brewer on someone else’s entry, can I still send in my own?
Yes. Being listed as a co-brewer on someone else’s entry DOES NOT count as your own personal entry.

Where can I find the 2015 Beer Judges Certification Program Style Guidelines?
A downloadable version of the complete style descriptions is available at bjcp.org/stylecenter.php.

How will I know who the finalist and grand champion winners are?
Grand Champions will be announced at the homebrew and posted online by Monday, June 1, 2020.

If after reading the above, as well as the entire rules and regulations packet, you still have questions about the competition or the website, please email taproom@weyerbacher.com.

If you have questions about homebrewing in general, please contact the American Homebrewers Association: homebrewersassociation.org.

    Contestant Application