Iron Brewer Brewing Competition!
The Iron Brewer Competition is a single-elimination bracket-style competition that will force you to step outside of your brewing comfort zone.
16 brewers will be paired off into a playoff-style bracket. The victor from each round will progress to the next round where they will face a new challenge and opponent.
Judging sessions will be open to participants in the competition and a limited number of the public. It’s a great time to get to know other brewers and sample their creations. Judging sessions will also be recorded so they can be posted to the Internet for viewing by the public and any participants unable to attend.
As a participant, it is your responsibility to make sure your beer is at the judging location prior to the start of the judging session. If your beer is not available by the time judging begins, you will forfeit that round.
Registration closes at 11:59:59 PM, February 19, 2017 or when all spots are filled. Launch party / round 1 bracket setup will be Saturday, February 25, 2017 4-6 PM.
We will be adding additional prizes as we move forward:
Grand Prize
- One registration for the Midwest Craft Brewer’s Conference at UW Stout, July 31-August1, 2017. (Up to $300 value)
- $125 gift certificate to Beverage Artisan (Hardware excluded)
- Collaboration brew with Real Deal Beer!
Runner Up
- $75 gift Certificate to Beverage Artisan (Hardware excluded)
All Participants
- 1 T-shirt per paid participant
- Real Deal Beer Glassware
Some ingredients will be provided for some of the challenges, but you will be free to use additional ingredients you believe will help you make the best beer possible
People’s Choice
Judges will select the beers that progress to the next round, but those who attend the judging sessions will be able to vote on their favorites. Winners of the People’s Choice award at each round will receive beer-related awards to be announced at each session.
Do I just pay on here and I’m in? I’m ready! This sound so cool,
Yep, just add it to your cart and check out using Paypal. As long as there are entries available, you’re in.
And I just got your registration. You’re in.
Excellent!
How will you be sending out further info? this site?
We will be sending out emails to registered brewers, and posting updates here and on the Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iron-Brewer-Competition/580899261930075?ref=hl&ref_type=bookmark
Jake, I am interested in entering but can you provide me with more information? The only thing I see right now is that I can pay to enter, but what is the intent, what kind of beer, deadline and so on? I am creating a brewing team for this but my fellow brewers would like more info on this (or maybe I am just not as bright as I believe I am…..)
Hi Peter, thanks for asking. If this doesn’t answer your questions, please feel free to ask for additional clarification.
The point of the competition is to force brewers out of their comfort zone. The competition is structured in a playoff-style bracket with 16 teams. Teams whose beer doesn’t win in the first round will be dropped into a secondary bracket, so everyone will get to brew at least twice.
Types of beer/beer style is completely up to the individual/team. The goal is to create the best beer to showcase your “assignment” for that round.
The first round is based on unusual ingredients for each face-off. Some ingredients that have been used in the past: ginger, tamarind, Fruity Pebbles, Lucky Charms, margherita pizza.
The second round is based around a technique and an ingredient. Examples from previous years: double decoction, make your own crystal malt, minimum of 120-minute boil, fermentation temp over 70 degrees in the first three days.
In the third round, something essential is removed from a particular style. Some examples have been: make an IPA without using hops in the boil; make a stout but you can’t use grains over 3L; make a beer with coconut with OG over 1.070 but you only have 3 weeks until the judging.
Championship round is a bit more “normal”, and is focused on just making the best beer possible. The first year was battle: Hallertau hops; second year was battle: rye with saison yeast.
We try to allow 6 weeks between rounds. Since we need to have 16 teams/individuals, we can’t plan the announcement date until we have all the slots filled. Once that happens, we try to keep things moving as smoothly as possible.
Let me know if you need to know anything else.
Where does the event take place? Can entries be shipped?
The judging sessions take place in Menomonie, WI. Yes, entries can be shipped. You do not need to be present, but the social aspect of the sessions is a lot of fun. “People’s choice” awards will be part of the competition as well this year.
We recommend a minimum of 1 gallon of beer for each judging session to allow for the judges to decide the winning beer for the challenge, and to allow enough samples for attendee voting for the People’s choice awards.