From ASH

2008

What kind of bottles are required? Every bottle must be 10 to 25 ounces in volume and be free of paper labels. Obliterate any lettering or graphics on the cap with a permanent black marker. Corked bottles are acceptable; however, you must crimp a crown cap over the cork. Bottles not meeting these requirements will be disqualified.

How many bottles do I need? Send three 8 to 14 ounce bottles for each beer or mead entry in this competition. Entries with fewer than three bottles will not be eligible for Best of Show consideration.

What are the entry fees? Fees are $6.00 per entry. There is no limit to the number of entries per entrant. Make checks payable to: Arizona Society of Homebrewers.

When are the entry deadlines? All entries must be received between September 22nd and October 2nd, 2008. If you plan to hand carry your entries, please be sure to mail in your entry forms so that they will arrive before the entry deadline of October 2nd.

Where can I drop my entries off? Or, where do I mail entries? drop off or mail entries to the following locations:

• Homebrew Depot
  • c/o ASH Oktoberfest
  • 2111 S Alma School Rd #19
  • Mesa, AZ. 85210
  • 480.831.3030

• What Ale's Ya
  • c/o ASH Oktoberfest
  • 6363 West Bell Road
  • Glendale, AZ. 85308
  • 623.486.8016/877.543.7993

How do I enter? For each entry, fill out an entry/recipe form in its entirety. Judges do not see your entry form. For more than one entry, please make copies of the entry form. Fold your check or money order with one of your entry forms. On your check write the number of entries for which the check or money order pays and the names of the entrants if they are not all the same.

Attach a completely filled out bottle identification label to each bottle with a rubber band. (Please do not use tape or glue. We must remove the labels after the beers are categorized and tape or glue makes this very difficult for us.) When printing your labels, avoid inks that run when in contact with water ... Xerox copies work fine. Many ink jet printers do not. (When we are categorizing the beers, the labels are still rubber banded to the bottles and condensation forms on them so the ink runs and makes everything difficult to read.) Then put your bottles in a 6 pack carton, fold and insert the entry form into one of the spaces containing a bottle. If you are not hand carrying your entries, use appropriate shipping methods. We recommend FedEx as it is illegal to ship beer with USPS or UPS.

Which category do I enter? We will be judging from The 2004 BJCP Style Guidelines with all categories including cider and mead. It is your responsibility to choose the correct category and subcategory. You should try to enter your brew in the category and subcategory where you feel it will perform best. Judges or organizers will not classify or reclassify your beer. Your entry will not be disqualified if it falls outside of a category's parameters; the descriptions are guidelines to help you enter your beer. Judges use the guidelines to guide them while judging your beer.

What are the entry limitations? (a) You may not submit more than one entry per subcategory. (b) Your homebrew must not have been brewed at any place that brews beverages for any commercial purpose, whether for commercial research, production or any other purpose, including brew on premise establishments. (c) You must provide the names of all brewers who helped in the brewing.

How Do I Fill Out The Entry Form? You have two choices to fill out your entry form and register your entries into the Home Brew Competition:

1. Complete the online entry form which will allow you to print your registration and bottle labels for mailing to the ASH Oktoberfest Home Brew Competition mailing address.

2. You can print the registration form and bottle labels and fill in your information, then mail your registration and entry forms to the ASH Oktoberfest Home Brew Competition mailing address.

Brewers Information: Fill in the name of the brewer who is responsible for receiving mailings and results. Fill in the full names of all other brewers who participated in brewing the entry. Fill in the address where mailings and results should be sent.

Entry Information: Please be sure to read the "Introductions" in the 2004 BJCP Style Guidelines with cider and mead to make sure you enter the correct information on your Entry Form.

Special Note: If you are entering any of the following categories: 6d, 16e, 17f, 20, 21, 2b, 2c, 23, 25c, 26a, 26c, 27e, 28b, 28c, or 28d, refer to part I of the Rules and Regulations and the NHC Style Guidelines at Brewers Association for instructions on providing correct information for these entries. The judges will use this important information for evaluating entries in these categories. Entrants of historical Beers are asked to provide the historical beer style and information on the style profile and history as an aid to judges. VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: If the Classic Style along with the Special Ingredient is not included or if you fail to fill out #16, #17 or, if applicable, # 18 for mead and cider, your entry will not be judged.

How will the judging be performed? Qualified judges will conduct the judging and any placement in or removal from a category will be at the discretion of the judging chairman. If the judges are faced with an obviously flawed bottle of beer, no more than one additional bottle of the same entry will be opened and tasted. In the interest of achieving valid results, the judges will have an appeal process. The judges will retain the option to combine categories. Judging is based on the merit of the beer, and awards will be awarded at the discretion of the judges. Judging is in accordance with the AHA & BJCP. If judging or stewarding and competing, you may not judge or steward a category that you have entered. Judging will occur Saturday, October 4th, 2008 at 8:00am at Del Sol Reception Hall in Mesa, AZ.

A minimum score must be achieved to receive a medal. The breakdown of scores is :

• GOLD MEDAL 1st Place: entries scoring between 38 and 50 points
• SILVER MEDAL 2nd Place: entries scoring between 30 and 37 points
• BRONZE MEDAL 3rd Place: entries scoring between 21 and 29 points

Entries which have tying scores in first, second or third place will each be awarded a medal and will split any awarded prizes.