2014 LA County Fair Homebrew Competition

[bwarbiany]

http://competitions.maltosefalcons.com/2014LACF/

Still very early, with little information released to date. However the BJCP website says that entry deadline is July 12, only 1 month from now. So I wanted to post this up here as a reminder so it doesn't fall under the radar.

[bwarbiany]

Competition entry is now live: http://www.maltosefalcons.com/comps/2014LACF

Entry & Drop-offs Due before July 18, 2014.
Cost: $8 / entry
Entry Req: 2 bottles

Drop-off locations:
Home Wine, Beer, Cheesemaking Shop, Woodland Hills
Culver City Homebrew Supply, Culver City
Eagle Rock Homebrew Supply, Los Angeles
Steinfillers, Long Beach

NOTE: The Maltose Falcons have their own style guidelines. Please make sure you refer to their guidelines prior to entering to ensure you're entering the right category. A few of the "tweener" categories in BJCP are more explicitly available in theirs.

[BrewMasterBrad]

Not really down for this one. I am not a huge fan of the Maltose Falcons in general and they still haven't sent me my medal from Mayfaire.

[hjw]

Do you really need to break down your Saison into the season of the year?

[lexuschris]

I'm heading up to Steinfiller's to drop off my entries. Looks like everyone has until 7/18 to get them done.

It was a PITA to find the correct 'category' in the Maltose Style Guide... well, ok .. it wasn't that bad .. but why not just use the BJCP?

As a side note, I was thinking about Hal's comment above while reading a really fascinating article on artisanal Saisons in the current Zymurgy. They break them down into a whole slew of sub-categories. So I gather some folks really like the distinction.. I've never tried brewing one, but now my interest is piqued!

--LexusChris

[bwarbiany]

It was a PITA to find the correct 'category' in the Maltose Style Guide... well, ok .. it wasn't that bad .. but why not just use the BJCP?

No matter how you look at it, a style guideline will make some people happy and others unhappy. I think the Maltose Falcons versions answers a few criticisms I personally have of the 2008 BJCP, but of course if you look at it I'm sure there are criticisms of the Falcons guidelines as well.

Hopefully the 2014 BJCP is better than the Falcons and the 2008 BJCP guidelines, but I'm sure we'll all have criticisms of that one too.

[maltbarley]

A big congratulations to Chris with 2 1st place wins and an honorable mention!

Also congrats to Eric Addison on a best of show win!

[bwarbiany]

Well done, gentlemen!

[BrewMasterBrad]

Way to go Chris! Pretty impressive.

Big congrats to Eric.

[lexuschris]

Wow! That was a nice way to start the week!

The blonde ale used the collected yeast from my Kolsch, and is definitely one of my best beers. I'm very happy that it got noticed.

I am surprised that my Belgian inspired gruit won the specialty category. That beer needs a major revision on it and was too carbonated. Glad somebody liked it!

That metheglin has aged really well. I had some this past weekend, and I really like where it is at.

Thanks everyone!
--LexusChris

[backhousebrew]

Congratulations Chris and Eric!
Stacking up the awards!

[lexuschris]

I have a question for our certified judges out there. Looking at the results, I see a few odd standings in some of the categories:

+ Cat 5 (APA) had 15 entries, but only awarded a 2nd place and a HM.
+ Cat 18 (German Wheat) had 9 entries, but only awarded a 1st place.
+ Cat 23 (Belg. Sour) had 2 entries, but only awarded a 2nd & 3rd place.
+ Cat 27 (Mead) had 11 entries, awarded a 1st & 2nd, and then gave me a HM.

I can easily imagine that if an entry was not 'too style', it would be removed from the medal list. Are there some extra rules or guidelines about how awards are given? Something like, Gold can only go to scores 38-50, Silver 32-37, etc. Or no award for any score under 25, regardless of number of entries, etc?

--LexusChris

[BrewMasterBrad]

I have a question for our certified judges out there. Looking at the results, I see a few odd standings in some of the categories:

+ Cat 5 (APA) had 15 entries, but only awarded a 2nd place and a HM.
+ Cat 18 (German Wheat) had 9 entries, but only awarded a 1st place.
+ Cat 23 (Belg. Sour) had 2 entries, but only awarded a 2nd & 3rd place.
+ Cat 27 (Mead) had 11 entries, awarded a 1st & 2nd, and then gave me a HM.

I can easily imagine that if an entry was not 'too style', it would be removed from the medal list. Are there some extra rules or guidelines about how awards are given? Something like, Gold can only go to scores 38-50, Silver 32-37, etc. Or no award for any score under 25, regardless of number of entries, etc?

--LexusChris

Good questions, Chris. Competitions are under no obligation to award 1st place (or any other medal) in any category if the entries were sub-standard. As you say, there may not have been a high enough score to merit a 1st place medal. The competition organizer has full discretion on what awards are handed out. The HM in Cat27 is puzzling if there was no third place awarded. What was the score on your mead?

[oc eric]

Thanks guys. I can't wait to get the score sheet back on that beer.

I knew it could take 1st in category, but am completely stunned/in disbelief/ and now reveling in the BOS.

Chris really rocked it with 2 wins and HM!!!

[brahn]

Nice work Chris and Eric, very cool!

Chris, like Brad said, there are no hard and fast rules. It's up to the comp coordinator and judges. I agree that the cat 27 list is very strange. Usually an HM would go to an entry that was really good, but just barely lost out 3rd place to something slightly better. To not give a 3rd but give HM is bizarre. Actually, Cat 5 is strange too in that they gave a 2nd and HM but no 3rd.