21 September 2011

2011 ACT Amateur Brewing Championships

| johnboy
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beer

This should get many of your hearts aflutter:

The Brumbies and the Raiders may not have given the ACT much to cheer for this year, but Canberra’s beer brewers have been showing good form in the lead-up to this year’s amateur brewing championships.

Canberra Brewers Inc has received a record 210 entries for this year’s ACT championships, double last year’s entries. The Canberra competition acts as a qualifier for next month’s national championships in Adelaide, where the ACT hopes to win its third consecutive title as champion state.

More than 25 judges, many recognised by the international Beer Judging Certification Program, will judge the beers entered in one of 81 styles across 18 categories. Styles range from Czech pilsners and Australian lagers to fruit beers, German wheat beers, English bitters and Russian imperial stouts.

Judging will take place at the Wig and Pen brewery in Alinga Street, Civic, on Saturday and Sunday, September 24-25. The judges will assess each beer on its appearance, aroma, taste and overall drinkability. The top three beers from each category will qualify for the national competition in Adelaide, and the best beer from each category will be judged again for the Wig and Pen Trophy for beer of show on October 4. This beer will be brewed and sold at the Wig and Pen, a fantastic supporter of the club, and qualify for the US National Homebrew Competition, the world’s biggest brewing competition.

Canberra Brewers president and judge Tom Dixon said the majority of entrants made their beer from scratch using malted barley grain, hops and yeast – following the same methods used by commercial breweries.

This allowed them to produce world-class beers from the freshest-possible ingredients, rather than brew from ready-made kits purchased at supermarkets.

The Canberra Brewers Club has more than 120 members who meet monthly to discuss brewing techniques and recipes while sampling members’ beers and offering feedback. The club boasts a supportive and social atmosphere which aims to promote quality craft beer and has helped many new to the hobby become award-winning brewers.

Judging will take place at the Wig and Pen, Alinga Street, Civic on Saturday, September 24 and Sunday, September 25 from 10am each day.

Sadly it won’t be open to the public, but the doors of the Wig will open from 2pm.

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