National Organic
Brewing Challenge
2011 National Organic Brewing Challenge
Presented
by Seven Bridges Cooperative
October 8, 2011 in Santa Cruz, CA
2011 Winners Announced!
Best of Show
Bernie Ducat - Toasted Coconut Porter
Pilsner
1st place: Nick Pavlina - Bohemian Pilsner
Bock
1st place: Nick Pavlina - Traditional Bock
Light Hybrid
1st place: Nick Pavlina - American Wheat
2nd place: Nick Pavlina - Blonde
English Pale
1st place: Ryan Hall - ESB
2nd place: Nick Pavlina - ESB
3rd place: Michael Carson - ESB
Scottish and Irish
1st place: Dan Schreffler - Scottish Light/60
American Ale
1st place: Ryan Hall - Amber
2nd place: Darrell Rogers - Pale
English Brown
1st place: Kirk Mathew - Northern English Brown
Porter
1st place: John Hoover - Robust Porter
2nd place: Dan Schreffler - Baltic Porter
Stout
1st place: Michael Lipton - Russian Imperial Stout
2nd place: Kevin Wright - Oatmeal Stout
IPA
1st place: Sean McMasters - American IPA
German Wheat/Rye
1st place: Dan Schreffler - Weizen
Belgian and French
1st place: Bob Davidson - Saison w/ Brett and Lacto
2nd place: Michael Lipton - Dark Strong w/spices
3rd place: Shawn Sutton - Pale w/ Brett
Belgian Strong
1st place: Anne Gregg - Dubbel
2nd place: John Hoover - Tripel
3rd place: Peter Vanderhaak - Tripel
Strong Ale
1st place: John Hoover - Old Ale
2nd place: Sean Gregg - English Barleywine
Fruit Beer
1st place: John Hoover - Saison w/Mango
Spice, Herb, and Vegetable
1st place: Bernie Ducat - Toasted Coconut Porter
Spice, Herb, and Vegetable
2nd place: Kirk Mathew - Xmas/Winter Specialty
Specialty
1st place: Mike Persinger - Session Beer w/Lemon
- Entry deadline is October 5
- All BJCP categories 1-23 accepted
- Only
All-organic beers accepted
- Awards
will be given to top entries of each category.
- Complete
details & entry forms available
now.
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Once
a year,
organic brewers compete head to head in a national
competition that is professionally
judged just for organic beers. The basic spirit of
this contest is to celebrate the diversity of organic
ingredients that are available and to promote brewing
with organically grown ingredients. Creative & inspired
interpretation of recipes is strongly encouraged because
not every ingredient under the sun is available organic.
The range of ingredients may be more limited, but with
today's choices of fresh, clean, organic ingredients,
virtually any style is possible to homebrewers with
open minds and creative skills!
Brewing
great organic beer at home is a true challenge, and
now those who take the challenge can realize the rewards
of prizes and recognition that participating in this
contest can bring. These challenges are similar to
what commercial organic breweries face- how to brew
popular, tasty beer styles without resorting to conventionally
grown malt, hops, or chemical additives. Brewers who
make the choice to brew organic are helping fund a
global endeavor to support the huge effort organic
hop and malt growers face in cultivating crops commercially
and profitably without using a toxic soup of chemicals.
The
contest rules differ slightly from other homebrew
contests because all of the ingredients must
be verified organic. Just as professional brewers of
certified organic beer have to show documentation that
all ingredients are USDA certified, the entries will
have to include a complete recipe listing the source
of each ingredient- good practice for homebrewers hoping
to “go pro” as organic brewers in the future.
Similar to the German beer purity law, the Reinheitsgebot,
which states that the only ingredients used for the
brewing of beer must be Barley, Hops and Water, Seven
Bridges promotes the “Organic Beer Purity Standard” which
further states that all of the Barley and Hops must
be organic.
This
competition presents a new challenge to modern day
homebrewers accustomed to a huge selection of hops,
barley malt, malt extract, and other brewing ingredients,
because ingredients that are organically grown make
up a much smaller list. Homebrewers are expected to
use creative interpretation and skill in ingredient
selection to brew world famous beer styles such as
IPA, Oatmeal Stout, Hefeweizen, and Pale Ale using
only organic ingredients. This challenge is reminiscent
of the early days of modern homebrewing in the late
70’s and early 80’s when homebrewing became
federally legal in 1978 and quality ingredients available
to homebrewers were scarce but the desire to brew great
beer at home was strong.
Feedback
from one of the contestants about the 2009
competition:
"Hi
7 Bridges,
Thanks for hosting the National Organic Homebrew Contest, it was my first
competition out on the famous West Coast, home to hoppy Pale Ales. Even
though I did not come close to winning ( a 30 for an IPA) I found the
score sheets very valuable.
I have entered about 12 competitions here on the East Coast, but by far,
your judges gave the best feedback, not only on the short comings, but
on ways to improve the recipe and brewing procedure.
I will certainly enter next year with a vengeance ;- )
All the best.
Fritz"
A
Huge Thank You from all of us at Seven Bridges
to all of the Judges, Volunteers, Sponsors,
and Contestants!!
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Important
Links:
Entry
Form: Download
the Contest Entry Form
How
to Enter: Entry
Requirements and Instructions
Prizes & Contest
Sponsors: 2011
Prizes and Sponsors
Beer
Judge Certification Program Website: BJCP
Website
Organic
Beer Homebrew Recipe Database: 7
Bridges Organic Beer Recipe Database
Volunteer
Judges and other Volunteers are wanted- Contact us
if interested: 7bridges@breworganic.com
2010
Competition- pictures, list of winners, and winning
recipes: 2010 NOHC
Archives
2009
Competition- pictures, list of winners, and winning
recipes: 2009 NOHC
Archives
2008
Competition- pictures, list of winners, and winning
recipes: 2008 NOHC Archives
2007
Competition- pictures, list of winners, and winning
recipes: 2007
NOHC Archives
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Dates: Entry deadline is October 5th
at 6 pm. Entries received after the entry date
will not be entered in the contest.
Contest
Judging October 8
Only
judges, volunteers, and Seven Bridges
staff
will
be
permitted
to attend the judging.
Entry
Requirements- Homebrew Division: Entry
fee of $7 for first entry and $5 for each additional
entry from the same brewer. 3 bottles required per entry.
Bottles must be no smaller than 8 oz. and no larger than
22 oz,
with
no
labels or
other
markings on the bottle. All malt, hops, and adjuncts
must be verified organically grown. Yeast or other ingredients
containing GMO's (genetically modified organisms) are
not permitted. If an organic
ingredient
is unknown by the contest committee (comprised of 7 Bridges
staff and volunteers) further verification may be required,
such as a purchase receipt
showing that
the
item purchased
is
organically grown.
Rules: All
Ingredients must be certified organic or organically homegrown
except
yeast and non flavor, non chemical additives. The only
non-organic additives allowed are: Burton salts, calcium
carbonate, calcium chloride, citric acid, gypsum, Irish
moss, lactic acid, magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride,
and yeast. Genetically modified ingredeints are not allowed.
Each entry must include a recipe form which lists the
source
of each ingredient.
Entries will be judged according to the BJCP Style guidelines
which are
published here: http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.html Entries
and empty bottles will not be returned. See complete
contest rules for further details.
Prizes: There
will be prizes for the 1st, & 2nd place
winning entries that score at least 25 points
in each category. 3rd place winners will recive
a placard and some categories may have 3rd
place prizes as well. Winners and the winning
recipes may be published on
the
Seven
Bridges
Cooperative
recipe page: http://www.breworganic.com/recipes/recipes_menu.htm All
prizes and sponsors are listed on the prizes
and sponsors page.
Categories
(homebrew & craft
brew):
All
style categories will be judged according to the BJCP
style guidelines.
All beer style entries will be accepted. If the
style you wish to enter is not listed as a main
category,
you may
enter it under Specialty.
Because there are prizes in each of the main categories
of this competition, you are most likely to win prizes
and awards in categories with fewer entries.
BJCP categories 1-23 accepted
*A special
Grand prize will be awarded to the top scoring entrant
of this category. The winning recipe will be made into
a Certified Organic Beer Kit. More information on our prizes
and sponsors page |