Are you a seasoned homebrewer who is ready to enter your craft in competitions? Check out these six homebrew competitions to enter this year.
Carolina Quarterly Brew Off
First Quarter Entry Deadline: January 30, 2016
First Quarter Winners Announced: February 14, 2016
This homebrew competition, sponsored by Atlantic Brew Supply and Raleigh Brewing Company, occurs four times a year. Raleigh’s former head brewer, John Federal, launched these homebrew competitions in 2010, and the tradition has continued. Each quarter, homebrewers are challenged with a wild card beer in this competition, and they must make a beer using special ingredients. The first quarter’s wild card beers can be made with peanut butter (or PB2), honey, or apples (or apple juice). Standard BJCP beer styles are also accepted for each quarterly contest. If you are the winner of their yearly bracket competition, you have the chance to brew your beer on Raleigh Brewing Company’s full 20-barrel brew system.
National Homebrew Competition
Entry Deadline: February 1–February 7, 2016
Winners Announced: June 2016
The American Homebrewers Association’s (AHA’s) National Homebrew Competition is the world’s largest international beer competition and possibly the most competitive, recognizing the most outstanding homebrewed beer, mead, and cider on the planet. Entrants must be AHA members and must submit their entries no later than February 7.
The Beer Project Homebrew Competition
Entry Deadline: March 18–May 13, 2016
Winners Announced: Late 2016
The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida, hosts an annual AHA-sanctioned homebrew competition in conjunction with a weekend of beer-centric events. In June 2016, the museum will offer a Beer + Art lounge, where guests can sample local and commercially brewed beers, as well as the People's Choice homebrew tasting and awards ceremony.
Bell’s Homebrew Competition
Entry Deadline: TBD
Winners Announced: Fall 2016
Bell’s Brewery hosts an annual homebrew competition and collaborates with the winner on that year’s Pro-Am beer at the Great American Beer Festival. The winning homebrewer also gets to attend GABF as a guest of the brewery. The competition dates for 2016 have not been announced yet—check out Bell’s website for future details and past winners.
Oaktoberfest
Entry Deadline: TBD
Winners Announced: Fall 2016
Oakland’s popular autumn celebration, Oaktoberfest, includes a German-style homebrew competition presented in conjunction with the Bay Area’s Mad Zymurgists homebrewing club. Last year’s winner got to brew a version of the winning batch at 21st Amendment Brewing.
Sam Adams LongShot American Homebrew Contest
Entry Deadline: TBD
Winners Announced: Late 2016
This contest is one of the country’s largest brewery-hosted homebrew competitions. It accepts only 1,200 entries, and entry into the competition is free. Semi-finalists will be invited to the Great American Beer Festival, and the two grand-prize winners will have their beers brewed and bottled by The Boston Beer Company and included in a 2016 variety six-pack.