Hop Idol 2021: The NCBW21 Homebrew Competition

PLEASE NOTE: Entries have now closed for 2021. Those of you that have entered should have had an email with instructions of how to deliver your beer to us. If you haven't had that for any reason please contact us.

Prizes on offer to the winners include the opportunity to brew your beer with local brewery Totally Brewed and have it available on tap at the 2021 Nottingham Beer and Cider Festival - your name will be on the pump clip!

We are inviting you to submit your interest and get brewing. All successful entries will be tasted and judged during Nottingham Craft Beer Week 2021 by a panel of local brewers and experts. Entering the contest is free and prizes will include:

• The opportunity to brew your beer on the Totally Brewed kit
• The opportunity to have your beer available to buy at Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival in October 2021
• Vouchers for the Brew Day online shop
• A selection of NCBW21 merchandise
• A selection of beers from Black Iris Brewery
• Two tickets for Nottingham’s Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival

We anticipate there will also be prizes for category winners, as well as for the overall winner - although as this is the inaugural year of the competition we will confirm this nearer the time when we know more about range and number of entries. 

Members of the judging panel will include representatives from: The Abdication Micropub, Totally Brewed brewery, Black Iris Brewery, Nottingham Craft Beer Festival and CAMRA.

Richard Johal, a director of Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID) - the organisers behind It's in Nottingham and sponsors of Craft Beer Week 2021 commented: "This is an exciting opportunity for local enthusiasts - to brew your own beer and gain recognition at one of the country's top beer and cider festivals is surely a home brewers dream. We wish all entrants the best of luck and look forward to sampling the winning pint!"

The Rules

1. Beer styles

We will accept beers this year in the following styles: 

• Pale ales
• Bitter/Amber ales
• IPAs, including New England, Double and Triple IPAs
• Milds, Stouts and Porters
• Baltic Porters, Export & Imperial Stouts
• Fruit & Wheat beers
• Other speciality beers such as Kettle Sours, Smoked beers and Table Beers

Please note:

• These are NOT the judging categories: these will be decided after the closing date for registering your entry.
• We cannot accept lagers or aged beers this year (because we do not have the facility or time to brew them to be ready for RHBACF)

2. You need to live in Notts to enter. 
This competition is only open to residents of Nottinghamshire, UK. 

3. Only one beer can be entered per style per person into this competition

4. No entries will be accepted from professional brewers or people who work in commercial brewery production.

5. Judging processes will be informed by BJCP beer style descriptions and beers will be assessed on five main characteristics: Appearance, Aroma, Flavour, Mouthfeel and Aftertaste. 

6. The winning beer needs to be commercially viable at a larger scale. Cost and availability of the ingredients will need to be taken into account. The final decision on recipe and ingredients will be with Totally Brewed.

7. To enter you need to complete our entry form on or before Monday 12 July and deliver 2 x 500ml bottles of your finished beer to The Abdication Micropub between 5-14 August 2021. 

How to enter

• Fill out this form on or before Monday 12 July, with details about your beer (we've set the form so you can update it if things change).
• We will get back to you after entries close with details of next steps.
• Be ready to deliver 2 x 500ml bottles of your beer off to us at The Abdication micropub between 5-14 August 2021.

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