Category: Events

Events

Scottish National Homebrew Competition 2022: Award Ceremony

Post author By Harry Kirkham
Post date February 5, 2022

As Covid restrictions have lifted we are delighted to announce we will be holding an in-person event for the results of the Scottish National Homebrew Competition 2022.

We will be hosted by Campervan Brewery at the Lost In Leith bar in Edinburgh on Sunday 20th February. The event will start at 2pm and will be streamed live over Facebook. All are welcome to attend and we are very excited to have two talks on the day:

Richie Walsh – Seed Sovereignty, Coordinator for Scotland

Heritage Malts & Human-Scale Malting

Amy Rankine – Hipster and Hobos

Foraging For Homebrewing

Following the talks we will announce the results of the competition at 4pm. Look forward to seeing you all there!

Events

Results Week Talks: Mitch Steele on American IPA

Post author By Harry Kirkham
Post date February 5, 2022

As part of the Scottish National Homebrew Competition Results Week – Scottish Craft Brewers are honoured to host a talk on American IPAs from Mitch Steele. Mitch literally wrote the book on IPAs – and it’s available here!

Since graduating from UC Davis in 1984 with a fermentation science degree, he has brewed at some of the largest and smallest breweries in the world. After starting on a 14 bbl system at the San Andreas Brewing Co., Mitch joined Anheuser-Busch in 1992, managing brewhouse and fermenting operations in three breweries, and managing new beer development as part of the Anheuser-Busch Specialty Brewing group in the mid-1990s. Mitch joined Stone Brewing Co. in 2006 as Brewmaster and now serves as Brewmaster and COO at New Realm Brewing Company in Atlanta.

The session will be held on Thursday 17th February at 8pm on Facebook Live and Zoom; sign up on our Facebook page or email competition@scottishcraftbrewers.org for details.

Events

Results Week Talks: Q&A with Dr Charlie Bamforth

Post author By Harry Kirkham
Post date February 5, 2022

As part of the 2022 Scottish National Homebrew Competition results week Scottish Craft Brewers are honoured to host a question and answer session with brewing academic Dr Charlie Bamforth, presently senior Quality Adviser with Sierra Nevada Brewing. Professor of over 20 years at UC Davis, California along with a prodigious CV in the UK Brewing industry.

The session will be held on Tuesday 15th February at 8pm on Facebook Live and Zoom; sign up on our Facebook page or email competition@scottishcraftbrewers.org for details.

In order to make the event run smoothly we are asking that people submit questions ahead of the event. This will allow us to consolidate the questions and optimise the format of the session. Please submit any questions you have by email to: competition@scottishcraftbrewers.org

Events General

Scottish National Homebrew Competition 2021 – Results!

Post author By Harry Kirkham
Post date February 28, 2021

We had 78 entries from across Scotland and the UK, and the judges were impressed with the standard of beers across the board. Best In Show ultimately went to Tom Furniss for his Old Ale, “Private Old Ale”, brewed in a period farmhouse copper and aged in an oak cask with Brett. Thanks to everyone who entered and congratulations to all the winners – full results can be seen here.

Thanks also goes to our judges who adapted superbly to remote judging over Zoom, and to all our sponsors for providing fantastic prizes.

Finally, a special thanks to the SCB committee and especially Competition Secretary James Collin for making it all happen.

Individual scores for your entries can be viewed online at the competition site, and judges comments are now available. Contact Competition@scottishcraftbrewers.com if you have any queries.

Events General

Scottish National Homebrew Competition Update

Post author By Harry Kirkham
Post date December 5, 2020

– Competition to go ahead with remote judging

– Amended entry requirements for socially distanced competition

Thank you all for the very enthusiastic response to the inaugural Scottish National Homebrew Competition – we sold out in a few hours which was great to see.

When we launched the competition back in the heady days of Summer we were optimistic that we would be able to hold a live judging and results event in early 2021. However as time has gone on it’s become increasingly clear that this optimism was slightly misplaced!

We’re determined that the competition will still go ahead, however to ensure that we do not fall foul of changing restrictions, judging will now be held remotely using Edinburgh based judges, with entries safely distributed to each judge locally from the shipping location.

To account for the reduced number of judges and the additional time required for remote judging, we now expect the judging to take place over a series of weekends (although individual tables will each be judged in a single session). We will no longer have an in person awards event and results will be announced online towards the end of February.

The deadline for editing your entries will be 31st December 2020. If for any reason you are no longer able to enter please get in touch and we will arrange a refund – there are plenty of people who would be keen to take your place!

The two key changes for entry are as follows –

– To enable remote judging to take place we now require four bottles per entry. Two for the initial judging round and two for the best in show if your beer wins its table.

– We will not be running drop off sites in Edinburgh – all entries will need to be posted to the shipping location by midday on the 21st January 2021.

The shipping window will open on the 8th January 2021. For those who haven’t shipped to a competition before Royal Mail / Parcelforce will accept bottles of beer – paying in advance online and dropping off at your local post office is often the cheapest option. Please take note of the packaging instructions on the competition website.

For those from further afield who have volunteered to judge and were planning to travel to Edinburgh, we are very grateful but unfortunately we will not be able to use you this year. Conversely if you would like to judge and are based in or around Edinburgh please get in touch or register via the competition website.

Finally, the People’s Choice mini competition will be postponed until later in 2021 when hopefully we will be able to safely hold meet-ups again. A few more months of aging for your Imperial Stouts can only be a good thing!

If you have questions please contact the organisers via the competition website or competitions@scottishcraftbrewer.org.

Events

Announcing the first Scottish National Homebrew Competition

Post author By Harry Kirkham
Post date August 9, 2020

Scottish Craft Brewers are pleased to announce the first Scottish National Homebrew Competition to be held in January 2021.
Having organised successful BJCP judged club competitions for many years, we are now looking to expand the scope and scale of the competition.

There are 100 entries available, and participants will initially be limited to two entries. The first entry will be £6, with subsequent entries £4. General entry registration will at the end of August, keep an eye on the site and our Facebook group for further details.

There will be a 24 hour presale for paid up members of Scottish Craft Brewers, who will be contacted by email.

Entries, including the membership pre-sale, will be allocated on a first come, first served basis on receipt of payment via Paypal. If you have not paid for your entries, your place in the competition is not reserved.

Categories
All BJCP 2015 categories will be eligible for entry; beers will be grouped in tables of complementary styles for judging. The groupings will be decided based on entries received. Although you will be able to edit your entries in the lead up to the competition, the sooner the final styles are confirmed, the easier it will be for us to organise.

The winner of each table will go forward to the Best in Show competition.

Scores and written feedback will be provided to all entrants after the competition.

Entry requirements
We require three unmarked bottles, minimum of 330ml each, in either brown glass or brown PET with plain caps. The competition organisers may disqualify entries that do not meet these requirements.

Postal entries will be accepted 1 week before the competition date. There will also be drop off locations within Edinburgh confirmed in due course.

Judging
Judging will take place at the end of January 2021 in Edinburgh, provisionally the weekend of 30th / 31st. Judging will take place on the Saturday and there will be a results event open to the public at an Edinburgh venue on the Sunday.

Registration will also be open for judging and stewarding. As we are keen to get BJCP qualified judges in attendance, a contribution towards expenses will be available for those travelling from outside the central belt. Lunch will be provided on the judging day.

People’s Choice 2021
The People’s Choice 2021 will be a separate free-to-enter competition, judged by attendees at the results event. You do not need to register via the competition site, just bring three unmarked bottles of your beer along to the results day where they will be processed to be judged by other attendees.

The category for People’s Choice 2021 is 20C Imperial Stout, as voted for by members of the Scottish Craft Brewers Facebook page.
(Imperial Stout is also eligible as a category in the main competition, however this must be registered as an entry via the competition site.)

Covid 19
We are acutely aware of the ongoing Covid 19 situation and potential restrictions that may still be in place in early 2021. We will endeavour to ensure that any changes to the competition format as a result of these restrictions is communicated to participants at the earliest opportunity.

Events

Scottish Craft Brewers Competition 2020 – Results

Post author By Harry Kirkham
Post date February 15, 2020

Main Judging – Bellfield Brewery Taproom

The results are in!

We had 35 entries in 6 categories from across Scotland and beyond, and the judges tasted some fantastic beers over the weekend. Thanks to everyone who entered and congratulations to all the winners!

Thanks also goes to the Bellfield Brewery Taproom in Abbeyhill for hosting the main judging, the Campervan Brewery Taproom for hosting the People’s Choice and Prizegiving event, and all the judges who helped out over the weekend.

Finally, a special thanks to SCB President James Collin for once again organising a great competition.

Individual scores for your entries can be viewed online at the competition site, and judges comments are now available. Contact Competition@scottishcraftbrewers.com if you have any queries.

Harry Kirkham – Best In Show

BEST IN SHOW
Best in Show is judged between the first placed entries from categories 1-5

1st: Harry Kirkham, Scottish Craft Brewers, EIPA (12C English IPA)

2nd: Gordon Nicol, Scottish Craft Brewers, Wee Bit O’ Coal (17C Wee Heavy)

3rd: Mark Sanderson, London Amateur Brewers, One Be, Or Not One Be (2A International Pale Lager)

1. English
12C English IPA

1st: Harry Kirkham, EIPA (Scottish Craft Brewers)

2nd: Paul Willis, Opus IPA

3rd: Tom Gardner, IPA (Scottish Craft Brewers)

2. American
18B American Pale Ale

1st: Mark Watson, Number 1 APA (Scottish Craft Brewers)

2nd: Ian Cosier, Freshly Squeezed (London Amateur Brewers)

3rd: John Livingstone, American Pale Ale ( Scottish Craft Brewers )

Honourable Mention: Callum Bracher, Hoppily Ever Aftert

3. Scottish
17C Wee Heavy

1st: Gordon Nicol, Wee Bit O Coal (Scottish Craft Brewers)

2nd: Malcolm Cruickshank, Wee Heavy (Scottish Craft Brewers) 3

4. Dark
20A American Porter

1st: Paul Willis, Mountaineer Porter

2nd: Gordon Nicol, Muddy Creek Porter (Scottish Craft Brewers)

3rd: John Livingstone, American Porter (Scottish Craft Brewers)

5. European
2A International Pale Lager

1st: Mark Sanderson, One Be, Or Not One Be (London Amateur Brewers)

2nd: Gordon Nicol, Lager 02 (Scottish Craft Brewers)

3rd: Thomas Corry, Ks15 – Lager

People’s Choice Judging – Campervan Brewery Taproom

6. People’s Choice
22A Double IPA

1st: Bryan Spence, Bens Fumin V1

2nd: Stuart Betts, Co-Brewer: Jamie Skitt, Big Beard DIPA (Black Country Brew Club)

3rd: Harry Kirkham, Dua DIPA (Scottish Craft Brewers)

Events

2020 Scottish Craft Brewers Competition – Registration Now Open!

Post author By Harry Kirkham
Post date November 24, 2019

Registration is now live for the annual Scottish Craft Brewers Competition, taking place over the weekend of 25th-26th January 2020.

https://www.scottishcraftbrewers.org/Competition/

This year we have six categories, with the People’s Choice having been chosen by public vote on our Facebook Group.

1. English
12C English IPA
2. American
18B American Pale Ale
3. Scottish
17C Wee Heavy
4. Dark
20A American Porter
5. Continental
2A International Pale Lager
6. People’s Choice
22A Double IPA

Style guidelines can be found here:
https://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf

Categories 1 – 5 will be judged by the panel on the Saturday. The winning entries in each of these categories will go forward to the final judging for the Best in Show award.

People’s Choice entries are judged at an open judging session on Sunday, followed by the prize giving ceremony. All are welcome to attend and join in with the judging. Venues and times for the Sunday session will be confirmed soon!

Please register you account and entries early so we have an idea of numbers, and good luck!

Any queries please use the contact forms on the Competition Website. Good luck!

Events General

Scottish Craft Brewers Competition 2019 – Results

Post author By Harry Kirkham
Post date January 26, 2019

The results are in!

We had over 50 entries in 6 categories from across the UK and beyond, and the judges tasted some fantastic beers over the weekend. Congratulations to all the winners, and especially Anna Moe, whose entries placed across multiple categories and took 1st and 2nd place in Best in Show.

Thanks to The Goth in Prestonpans for hosting the main judging, and six°north Edinburgh for hosting the People’s Choice and Prizegiving event.

Individual scores for all entries can be viewed online now at the competition site, and judges comments will be made available shortly. Contact Competitions@scottishcraftbrewers.com if you have any queries.

BEST OF SHOW
Best of Show is judged between the first placed entries from categories 1-5

1st: Anna Moe (co-brewer Neil Page), Black as the Devil’s Anus

2nd: Anna Moe (co-brewer Neil Page), Thørst

3rd: Jordan Sadler, Rebel Rebel – IPA

Tom Gardner – 1st Place Ordinary Bitter

1. English
11A Ordinary Bitter

1st: Tom Gardner, Brewkat Bitter (Scottish Craft Brewers)

2nd: Mark Sanderson, Nice Tan (London Amateur Brewers)

3rd: Anna Moe (co-brewer Neil Page), Extraordinarily Ordinary

2. American
21A American IPA / 21B7 NEIPA

1st: Jordan Sadler, Rebel Rebel – IPA

2nd: Matthew Hales, Hazy Dayz – NEIPA (Midland Craft Brewers)

3rd: Garreth Smith, Victory or Die – IPA (REBEL Homebrew)

Honourable Mention: Devon MacDougall, A Finer Shade of Pale – IPA (London Amateur Brewers)

Gordon Nichol – 3rd Place Scottish Export

3. Scottish
14C Scottish Export

1st: Gordon King, Scottish Export

2nd: Philip Sisson, Lochaber No More

3rd: Gordon Nicol, 80/- (Scottish Craft Brewers)

Oliver Burrow – 2nd Place Foreign Extra Stout

4. Dark
16D Foreign Extra Stout

1st: Anna Moe (co-brewer Neil Page), Black as the Devil’s Anus

2nd: Oliver Burrow, Why Toast When You Can Roast?

3rd: Gordon Nicol, Foreign Extra Stout (Scottish Craft Brewers)

Gordon Nichol – 3rd Place Saison

5. European
25B Saison

1st: Anna Moe (co-brewer Neil Page), Thørst

2nd: Anna Moe (co-brewer Neil Page), Saison De Noël

3rd: Gordon Nicol, Saison (Scottish Craft Brewers)

Honourable Mention: Gordon Nicol, Mad Saison (Scottish Craft Brewers)

Harry Kirkham – 1st Place Catharina Sour

6. People’s Choice
PRX4 Catharina Sour

1st: Harry Kirkham, Competition Sour II (Scottish Craft Brewers)

2nd: Andy Newall, Tiny Dancer (Scottish Craft Brewers)

3rd: Mark Sanderson, Pomegranate City (London Amateur Brewers)

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Events General

2019 Scottish Craft Brewers Competition – Registration Now Open!

Post author By Harry Kirkham
Post date November 25, 2018

Registration is now live for the annual Scottish Craft Brewers Competition, taking place over the weekend of 19th-20th January 2019.

https://www.scottishcraftbrewers.org/Competition/

As previously announced, the categories will be as follows, with the People’s Choice having been chosen by public vote on our Facebook Group.

1. English
11A Ordinary Bitter
https://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf
2. American
21A American IPA / 21B NEIPA (Draft Guidance)
https://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf
http://dev.bjcp.org/beer…/21b-specialty-ipa-new-england-ipa/
3. Scottish
14C Scottish Export 80/-
https://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf
4. Dark
16D Foreign Extra Stout
https://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf
5. Continental
25B Saison
https://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf
6. People’s Choice
X4 Catharina Sour (Draft Guidance)
http://dev.bjcp.org/beer-styles/x4-catharina-sour/

Categories 1 – 5 will be judged by the panel on the Saturday. The winning entries in each of these categories will go forward to the final judging for the Best in Show award.

Please register you account and entries early so we have an idea of numbers, and good luck!

Any queries please use the contact forms on the Competition Website.