Urban Knaves of Grain (UKG) Club-Only Competitions
Six times a year, we are allowed to select just one brew to represent our club in an American Homebrewers Association-sponsored
club-only competition with a theme, such as stouts, pale ales, wheat beers, or pilsners. Each competition is hosted by a different homebrew club. (The UKG hosted the Extract Only competition in 2008 and the Weiss is Nice in 1997.) The winner's recipe is published in Zymurgy, and the winning club earns points toward the Homebrew Club of the Year Award.
The UKG selects our entry in our own informal mini-competition, with the help of volunteer members, who practice their judging skills while evaluating the entries. Just as in a real competition, they return judging forms full of constructive comments to the entrants.
Whenever possible, our judgings are held at monthly UKG meetings. To enter a beer, just bring one bottle to the meeting. Remove any labels and black out all markings on the cap. You should keep two more bottles in reserve.
If your beer wins the judging, you will be responsible for following the AHA's entry instructions and shipping those two bottles to the club-only competition. The instructions include links to the entry form and bottle labels. Fill out the entry form and put it and a $7 check payable to the AHA into an envelope. Rubber-band a label to each bottle, and rubber-band the envelope to one of them. Pack them up securely (individually wrap each bottle with bubble wrap, then put them
in a tightly cushioned box), and send them via UPS to the shipping address shown on the AHA
club-only competition schedule. Save your shipping receipt; the UKG treasurer will reimburse you for the shipping and the entry fee at the next meeting.
If you have questions about entering a club-only competition, or if you would like to help in our informal judging, please contact .
This is the schedule of club-only competitions in the 2011-2012 season and
beyond. All competitions will be based on the
2008 BJCP Style Guidelines. (Judging
dates marked as tentative may be adjusted if the
competition deadline turns out to be earlier or later than expected.)
| Date | Competition |
|---|
July 27, 2011
(hosted Aug. 27 by
Prairie Homebrewing Companions of Fargo, ND;
entry deadline: Aug. 20)
|
Mead. BJCP styles:
- 24a Dry Mead
- 24b Semi-sweet Mead
- 24c Sweet Mead
- 25a Cyser (Apple Melomel)
- 25b Pyment (Grape Melomel)
- 25c Other Fruit Melomel
- 26a Metheglin
- 26b Braggot
- 26c Open Category Mead
Judging will be conducted at the monthly meeting. |
| Winner: Bryan Ballard,
Traditional Mead |
Sep. 28, 2011
(hosted Oct. 29 by
Brewers United Zany Zymurgists (BUZZ of PA);
entry deadline: Oct. 15)
|
Specialty/Experimental/Historical beers. BJCP styles:
Judging will be conducted at the monthly meeting. |
| Winner: Matt Klausner,
Vanilla Bourbon Robust Porter |
Oct. 26, 2011
(hosted Dec. 3 by
Foam Blowers of Indiana (FBI);
entry deadline: Nov. 25)
|
Hail to Hefeweizen. BJCP styles:
- 15a Weizen/Weissbier
- 15b Dunkelweizen
- 15c Weizenbock
- 15a Roggenbier (German Rye Beer)
Judging will be conducted at the monthly meeting. |
| Winner: Matt Klausner,
Weizenbock |
Jan. 25, 2012 (tentative)
(hosted Jan/Feb by
Silverado Homebrew Club in St. Charles, IL;
entry deadline: TBD)
|
Dark Lagers. BJCP styles:
- 4a Dark American Lager
- 4b Munich Dunkel
- 4c Schwartzbier
Judging will be conducted at the monthly meeting. |
| Winner: |
Feb. 29, 2012
(hosted March 24 by
Rock Hoppers of Parker, CO;
entry deadline: March 17)
|
Stout. BJCP styles:
- 13a Dry Stout
- 13b Sweet Stout
- 13c Oatmeal Stout
- 13d Foreign Extra Stout
- 13e American Stout
- 13f Russian Imperial Stout
Judging will be conducted at the monthly meeting. |
| Winner: |
April 25, 2012
(hosted May 19 by
Brown Bottle Club of Arlington, TX;
entry deadline: May 10)
|
Scottish and Irish Ale. BJCP styles:
- 9a Scottish Light 60/-
- 9b Scottish Heavy 70/-
- 9c Scottish Export 80/-
- 9d Irish Red Ale
- 9e Strong Scotch Ale
Judging will be conducted at the monthly meeting. |
| Winner: |
July 25, 2012 (tentative)
(hosted Aug by
Snake River Brewers of Nampa ,ID;
entry deadline: TBD)
|
Porter. BJCP styles:
- 12a Brown Porter
- 12b Robust Porter
- 12c Baltic Porter
Judging will be conducted at the monthly meeting. |
| Winner: |
Aug. 29, 2012 (tentative)
(hosted Sep/Oct by
St. Louis Brews of St. Louis, MO;
entry deadline: TBD)
|
Light Hybrid Beers. BJCP styles:
- 6a Cream Ale
- 6b Blonde Ale
- 6c Kölsch
- 6d American Wheat or Rye Beer
Judging will be conducted at the monthly meeting. |
| Winner: |
Oct. 31, 2012
(hosted Nov. 17 by
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild or Ann Arbor, MI;
entry deadline: Nov. 10)
|
Ant Hayes Memorial Burton (Olde) Ale. BJCP styles:
Judging will be conducted at the monthly meeting. |
| Winner: |
Past winners representing the UKG:
| May 2011 Angel's Share |
Tom Fitzpatrick, Bourbon barrel Russian Imperial Stout |
| Apr 2011 Bock |
Darrell Proksa,
Traditional Bock |
| Feb 2011 Bitters |
John Laubenstein and
Joe Catalano, Ordinary Bitter |
| Dec 2010 Strong Ale |
Doug Newberry, Old Ale |
| Sep 2010 Sour Ale |
Ron Stazuk, Flanders
Red Ale |
| Aug 2010 Mead |
Bob Kay, Other Fruit Melomel (blueberry/blackberry/açaí) |
| May 2010 Extract Beers |
Bob Leffel, Saison |
| Apr 2010 American Ales |
Ken Jones, American Amber Ale |
| Feb 2010 The Session Challenge - English Brown Ales |
Matt Klausner,
Northern English Brown Ale |
| Dec 2009 Belgian Strong Ales |
Joe Catalano, Belgian Tripel, and Shane Coombs, Belgian Golden Strong Ale |
| Oct 2009 European Amber Lagers |
Bob Kay, Oktoberfest |
| Aug 2009 Amber Hybrid Beers |
Greg Cardelli,
California Common |
| Mar 2009 Extract Beers |
Ed Seaman, Extra Special/Strong Bitter |
| Feb 2009 Beers with OG > 1.080 |
Doug Newberry, Imperial Stout |
| Dec 2008 Belgian and French Ales |
Tom Dennis, Saison |
| Nov 2008 Celebration of the Hop |
Steve McKenna, Imperial IPA |
| Sep 2008 Imperial Anything |
no entry |
| Jun 2008 Mead |
Rich Janevicius,
Cyser |
| May 2008 Extract Beers |
Ed Seaman, Belgian Golden Strong Ale |
| Mar. 2008 Perfect Porter Challenge |
Ed Seaman, Brown Porter |
| Feb. 2008 Dark Lagers |
Rob Miller, Dark American Lager |
| Dec. 2007 Pilsner |
Ed Seaman, Classic American Pilsner |
| Oct. 2007 Bock |
Joe Formanek, Doppelbock |
| Aug. 2007 Strong Ale |
Ed Seaman, Old Ale |
| Apr 2007 Extract Beers |
Ed Seaman, Bavarian Weizen |
| Mar 2007 Scottish Ale |
Rodney Kibzey,
Scottish Light 60/- |
| Feb 2007 Low Gravity/Session Beers |
Andy Stumpf, witbier |
| Nov 2006 Light Hybrid Beers |
Ed Seaman, blonde ale |
| Oct 2006 Stout |
Calvin Rowland, dry stout |
| Aug 2006 Mead |
Joe Formanek, cranberry mead 3rd
place winner
in the national club-only competition! |
| May 2006 Extract Beers
|
Tom Seiler, doppelbock |
| Apr 2006 American Ale
|
Ron Stazuk, American Pale Ale |
| Feb 2006 Big Beautiful Belgians
|
Tom Dennis, Belgian Golden Strong
Ale |
| Nov 2005 Baltic Porter
|
Joe Formanek |
| Oct 2005 European Amber Lager
|
Bea Jones, Oktoberfest |
| Aug 2005 Belgian and French Ales
|
Ken and Bea Jones, saison
1st place winner
in the national club-only competition! |
| May 2005 Extract Beers
|
Steve Gurski and Aimee Brucks 3rd place winner
in the national club-only competition! |
| Apr 2005 In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lambic
|
Shane Coombs |
| Jan 2005 Irish Red Ale
|
Rodney Kibzey and Liz Lerch |
| Nov 2004 IPA
|
Mark Neil |
| Oct 2004 Smoke-Flavored & Wood-Aged Beers
|
Eric Duske |
| Aug 2004 Wheat Beers
|
Rodney Kibzey and Liz Lerch |
| Apr 2004 Extract Beers
|
Tom Dennis |
| Mar 2004 Mead
|
Rich Janevicius |
| Nov 2003 Barleywine and Imperial Stout
|
Shane Coombs |
| Oct 2003 Kölsch and Altbier
|
Dave Andrew |
| Aug 2003 Specialty/Experimental/Historical Beers
|
Mark Neil 1st place winner
in the national club-only competition! |
| Jun 2003 European Pale Lager
|
Joe Formanek |
| May 2003 English and Scottish Strong Ale
|
Joe Formanek 2nd place winner
in the national club-only competition! |
| Apr 2003 Brown Ale
|
Tom Tipton |
| Jan 2003 Bitter and English Pale Ale
|
Joe Formanek |
| Dec 2002 Fruit and Spice Beer
|
Darrell Proksa |
| Oct 2003 Strong Belgian Ale
|
Zemo |
| Aug 2002 American Lager
|
Shane Coombs |
| Apr 2002 India Pale Ale | Jeff Hertz |
| Feb 2002 Porter | Shane Coombs |
| Jan 2002 Scottish Ales | Mark Linton |
| Nov 2001 Mild | Rich Cullotta |
| Sep 2001 California Common | John Kleczewski |
| Jul 2001 Witbier | Ted Grudzinski |
| Apr 2001 Bockanalia | Shane Coombs, doppelbock |
| Feb 2001 Stout | Joe Formanek, foreign extra stout |
| Jan 2001 Dunkel & Schwarzbier | Dave
Hahne, Munich dunkel |
| Nov 2000 Historical Beers | Zemo Holat, gruit |
| Oct 2000 Best of Fest | George Dailey, Oktoberfest |
| Jul 2000 Best of Big Brew | Zemo Holat |
| Apr 2000 Weiss Is Nice | Zemo Holat,
Bavarian weizen |
| May 2000 Belgian-Style Lambic | Shane
Coombs, gueuze |
| Dec 1999
My Barley Doesn't Whine | John Mains, American barleywine |
| Nov 1999 Winter Warmer | Mike Uchima, strong Scotch ale |
| Aug 1999 Porter! | Kevin Spealman, robust porter |
| July 1999 It's a Mead, Mead, Mead World | Zemo Holat, still traditional mead |
| April 1999 Bockanalia | Jay Kash, helles bock.
1st place winner
in the national club-only competition! |
| Feb 1999
Why Don't We Do It in the Robe | Joe Formanek, tripel |
| Jan 1999 You're Special to Me | Shane Coombs, espresso imperial stout |
| Nov 1998 If It's Not Scottish | Shane Coombs, strong Scotch ale |
| Sep 1998 Best of Fest | Shane Coombs, Oktoberfest |
| July 1998 Weiss is Nice | Shane Coombs, Berliner weisse |
| Apr 1998 Classic Pilsner | Jay Kash, Bohemian pilsner |
| Feb 1998 Stout Bout | Joe Formanek, imperial stout |
| Jan 1998 Hale to Ale | Mike Uchima, India pale ale |
Questions? Contact .
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