To: Prospective Homebrew Competition Entrants From: Brett Chance, Competition Organizer Thank you for your interest in the 2016 Ohio State Fair Homebrew Competition. To enter this competition you must be an Ohio resident, or if out-of-state, you must be an active member of an Ohio homebrew club. Judging will take place Saturday, June 4. The following information contains everything you will need to enter this year s competition. The Rules & Regulations contain all of the general information and should answer any questions you have about the competition. We will be using the 2015 Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style Guidelines. The guidelines are provided to assist you in entering your beer in the proper category. Online Entry All entries must be done online. Just follow the online entry instructions and be ready with your Visa or Master Card to pay your entry fees (sorry American Express and Discover are not accepted). Entry deadline is May 17. The next page contains helpful information to make the online entry process easy please review it (and perhaps print a copy to have on-hand) before you begin the online entry process. NOTE: Even if you entered last year, be sure to enter online as a New Exhibitor you can use the same password as before or you can create a new one. Shipping or Hand Delivery of Bottled Entries Your bottled entries must be delivered, or shipped to arrive, May 31 June 3. Print the sheet of blank bottle identification forms found in this document (the online entry program will not generate your bottle ID forms) and rubber band one completed form to each bottle you submit (if you have multiple entries you don t have to complete the entire bottle ID form each time just make sure to list your name and the style of your beer, mead or cider.) Finally, a map of the grounds and routing instructions are included to make delivering your entries easy (shipping instructions are also included if you prefer to ship your entries.) If you have any questions regarding the online information, please feel free to contact me at (614) 644-4126 Monday thru Friday 7:30 am 3:30 pm. You can also email me at: b.chance@expo.state.oh.us. Whether you are an experienced homebrewer or a relative newcomer to the hobby, the Ohio State Fair Homebrew Competition provides an excellent opportunity to get feedback from experienced homebrew judges. Thanks again for your interest and support of our competition. We look forward to receiving your entries!
Helpful Hints for Making Online Entries 1. Before you begin the online entry process, please be sure you know the category number(s) you plan to enter (e.g. 2B International Amber Lager; 13A Dark Mild; C2D Ice Cider, etc.) from the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines: http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_guidelines_beer.pdf; http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_guidelines_mead.pdf; http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_guidelines_cider.pdf 2. Start by clicking on Step 1 Register at the top of the screen. 3. Next you will enter your name and mark the box that indicates you are a new exhibitor (do this even if you entered last year.) 4. Then select a password and be sure to remember your password. Please note - once you have checked out and paid, you will not be able to obtain a refund. You can reuse your password from last year if you like. 5. After you enter the required exhibitor information you will be asked to indicate a Department - choose Homebrewed Beer, a Division - choose Homebrew Competition and a Class. The listing for Class will contain all of the styles listed in the 2015 BJCP style guidelines. Please thoroughly review the instructions below. For any entries not in classes 7C, 21B, 23F, 25B, 27A, 28A- C, 29A- C, 30A- C, 31A- B, 32A- B, 33A- B, 34A- C, M1A- M1C, M2A- M2E, M3A- M3B, M4A- M4C, C1A- C1E or C2A- C2F, please check all boxes that you wish to enter and click add entry to cart. If you are entering in classes 7C, 21B, 23F, 25B, 27A, 28A- C, 29A- C, 30A- C, 31A- B, 32A- B, 33A- B, 34A- C, M1A- M1C, M2A- M2E, M3A- M3B, M4A- M4C, C1A- C1E or C2A- C2F, you must only select one class at a time. By entering these classes, you are required to provide additional information (as noted in the Entry Instructions for each of these styles in the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines) in the description box at the bottom of the page. Once you have entered your description, please hit the button labeled add entry to cart. After you hit add entry to cart, you will be able to enter additional classes by selecting add different entry. 6. Before you finish you will have an opportunity to review your entries. NOTE: if you do not plan to check out and pay at this time, then be sure and Save Your Cart. You can then log- in again later by checking the I have Previously Registered box and then entering your password. This will allow you to make changes to your cart through May 17. Once you check out and pay online, you will NOT be able to make online changes to your entry (see note below.)
7. Once you have finished the online entry process you will receive an email confirming your entry and can print a detailed receipt. If you have multiple entries, please keep a copy of your receipt as it will include the categories you entered. Additional Notes: Co- brewer(s): If there is a co- brewer, or co- brewers, that you wish to list for any of your entries, please email b.chance@expo.state.oh.us and list the name(s) and the style(s) they helped brew. How to change an entry or entries: once you have checked out and paid online you will not be able to make online changes to your entry. If you would like to change the class (i.e. style) of any entries, you may do so by emailing b.chance@expo.state.oh.us and list the change(s) you are making. Any changes must be emailed by May 17.
2016 OHIO STATE FAIR HOMEBREWED BEER COMPETITION (June 4th) Rules and Regulations PART I How to Enter this Competition 1. What kind of bottle is required? We prefer 12-16 ounce brown bottles, but will accept 11-22 ounce bottles of any color (all bottles must be free of paper labels). Obliterate any lettering or graphics on the cap with a permanent black marker. Bottles not meeting these requirements may be disqualified. Our primary concern is to ensure the anonymity of the entries when they are being judged. 2. How many bottles do I need? Send two (2) bottles for each entry. A third bottle may be submitted for display purposes (this is optional.) To add attractiveness and interest to the display, if you choose to send a display bottle you are encouraged to use your own original label (save your homebrew and fill the display bottle with water.) 3. What are the entry fees? $6 per entry. If you have more than one entry in a given sub-category, only your highest scoring entry will be eligible for an award in that sub-category. 4. When are the entry deadlines? All online entries must be completed no later than May 17, 2016. All bottled entries, whether shipped by private carrier or delivered in person, must arrive May 31 June 3 between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily. Any judges or stewards entering the competition may hand carry their pre-registered entries on the day of the competition. 5. How do I enter? All entries must be made online. To enter online: (a) Review the Helpful Hints for Making Online Entries on the previous page. Online entries must be completed by May 17. (b) Then click on the online entry link: http://ohbrew.fairmanager.com All entrants must fill out and rubber band a bottle identification form to each bottle entered. If you use glue or tape to secure the form to the bottle your entry may be disqualified. Bottled entries are due May 31 - June 3. 6. Which category do I enter? It is entirely your decision. You should try to enter your brew in the category and sub-category in which you feel it will perform best. Judges do not see your entry form. Your beer will not be classified or reclassified by organizers or judges. Your entry will not be disqualified if it falls outside of a category's parameters - the style guidelines simply provide guidance to help you enter your beer, mead or cider. Judges use the style guidelines to guide them when judging your entry. This competition is using the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines: http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_guidelines_beer.pdf;
http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_guidelines_mead.pdf; http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_guidelines_cider.pdf 7. Are there entry limitations? (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) You cannot win more than one award per sub-category entered. 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-premises establishments. You must list the names of all brewers who helped in the brewing. Professional brewers are not permitted to enter the competition. Judges cannot enter sub-categories they are judging. PART II Required Information for Special Categories Important information: If you plan to enter the following categories: 7C, 21B, 23F, 25B, 27A, 28A-C, 29A-C, 30A-C, 31A-B, 32A-B, 33A-B, 34A-C, M1A-M1C, M2A-M2E, M3A-M3B, M4A-M4C, C1A- C1E or C2A-C2F please refer to the Entry Instructions listed for each of these categories in the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines. Provide the required information in the Description Box of the online entry program (this information is necessary for accurate judging of entries in these categories.) Links for the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines for beer, mead and cider are listed above. A. General PART III This Competition is open to all homebrewers (AHA members and non-members) residing in Ohio or who are current members of an Ohio homebrew club. Contestants will be considered an individual entrant based on the name(s) appearing on the entry form. Persons under contract and/or persons volunteering their services to the Ohio State Fair are eligible. Judges may not judge a category they have entered. Applicable entry fees and limitations shall apply. It is the sole responsibility of the entrant to designate the category and sub-category in which they wish their entry to be judged. Under no circumstances will registrars, judges or directors categorize entries. Beer, mead and cider will be judged only in terms of the categories and sub-categories listed in the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines. B. Awards and Prizes We reserve the right to combine categories or sub-categories as necessary for the purposes of awarding prizes. Categories will be combined into flights of at least five entries. All entries will be judged against the guidelines for the sub-category originally entered. First-, second- and third-place winners in each category (or group of categories) shall receive a medal and fourth-place winners a ribbon. First-place winners in each category will also receive a $25 gift certificate from one of our competition sponsors and will compete in a Best-of-Show judging (except the mead and cider categories, which are not eligible for best-of-show). The winner will be awarded Best of Show. Best of Show will receive $100 in gift certificates from our sponsors The Winemaker s Shop, Columbus ($50), and The Grape & Granary, Akron ($50.) At the discretion of competition organizers and/or judges, awards may not be given if the quality of an entry is not deemed deserving of an award. A list of our competition sponsors can be found at the end of this section.
C. Judging Judging of all entries will be done in closed sessions on Saturday, June 4. Judging will be closed to all exhibitors. All decisions by competition organizers are final. Scoring of entries will be based on the following: Appearance 6%, Aroma 24%, Flavor 40%, Mouth Feel 10%, Overall Impression 20%. D. Information and Fees Requirement All entry information must be completed online by May 17, 2016. All entries become property of the Ohio Expositions Commission. E. Disqualifications At the discretion of the organizers, entries may be disqualified for eligibility or entry requirement infractions. These entries may still be judged, but will be ineligible for awards or prizes. F. Results All entrants will receive the score sheets with judges' comments for their entries. Results will be mailed via first-class mail within two weeks of the competition date. G. Packing and Shipping Hints Carefully pack your entries in a sturdy box. Line the inside of your carton with a plastic trash bag. Partition and pack each bottle with adequate packaging material. Do not over pack! Write clearly: Fragile, Glass. This Side Up on the package. Your package should weigh less than 25 pounds. Every reasonable effort will be made to contact entrants whose bottles have broken to make arrangements for sending replacement bottles. We strongly recommend that you use re-usable shipping containers or the kind of shipping containers used by beer-of-the-month clubs. These containers help ensure your beer will arrive safely and significantly reduce the amount of packaging waste. It is not against any Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms regulations or federal laws to ship your entries via a privately owned shipping company for analytical purposes. It is illegal, however, to ship alcoholic beverages via the US Postal Service - use a private carrier like UPS. Private shipping companies may refuse your shipment if they are informed that the package contains alcoholic beverages. It is solely the entrant's responsibility to follow all applicable laws and regulations. H. Instructions for Delivery or Shipment of Homebrew Entries Entries that are being shipped must arrive May 31 June 3 and be addressed to: Brett Chance, c/o Entry Department, Ohio State Fair, 717 East 17th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43211. Any entries being hand delivered May 31 June 3 must be dropped off at the Administration Building between the hours of 8 AM - 3 PM. Any judges or stewards entering the competition may hand carry their pre-registered entries on the day of the competition. Attached is a routing map to the Administration Building.
THANK YOU TO THESE FINE SPONSORS FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR COMPETITION!
PART IV 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_guidelines_beer.pdf; http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_guidelines_mead.pdf; http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2015_guidelines_cider.pdf We have provided the links so you can decide the category and sub-category in which your entry will perform best because judges will use these guidelines when evaluating your entry. You will not be disqualified if your entry falls somewhat outside of the category guidelines listed, but your overall score may suffer. There are 34 categories of beer, 4 categories of mead and 2 categories of cider to be judged. For beers - categories are designated by numbers and sub-categories are designated by letters. For meads and ciders, categories are designated by an M or C followed by a number. Subcategories are designated by an additional letter. If a beer is entered, for example, as "12 A British Golden Ale" it will be judged as a British Golden Ale against the others in the Pale Commonwealth Beer category. Judges may use any special ingredient information you have submitted (according to instructions in part II) to assist them in evaluating your entry.
OHIO STATE FAIR HOMEBREW COMPETITION BOTTLE IDENTIFICATION FORMS BOTTLE ID FORM... Name Street Address City BOTTLE ID FORM... Name Street Address City State _Ohio Zip State _Ohio Zip Phone ( ) Phone ( ) Category Entered Subcategory Entered Homebrew Club USE A RUBBER BAND TO ATTACH ONE FORM TO EACH BOTTLE. Category Entered Subcategory Entered Homebrew Club USE A RUBBER BAND TO ATTACH ONE FORM TO EACH BOTTLE. BOTTLE ID FORM... Name Street Address City BOTTLE ID FORM... Name Street Address City State _Ohio Zip State _Ohio Zip Phone ( ) Phone ( ) Category Entered Subcategory Entered Homebrew Club USE A RUBBER BAND TO ATTACH ONE FORM TO EACH BOTTLE. Category Entered Subcategory Entered Homebrew Club USE A RUBBER BAND TO ATTACH ONE FORM TO EACH BOTTLE.
DIRECTIONS TO ADMINISTRATION BUILDING The easiest way is to come from I-71. 1. Take the 17th Ave exit and go west on 17th Ave. 2. Take a left turn (directly across from Velma Avenue) onto the grounds. 3. Inform the gate attendant that you are dropping off entries at the Administration Building and you will be allowed to proceed. 4. The Administration Building is located directly south of the Coliseum
A - Administration Office A G10 17TH AVE. 8 ENTRANCE G3 ENTRANCE G4 EXIT I-71 9 10 PADDOCK 11 12 G 13 RAILROAD / VIADUCT 14 19 15 A HERITAGE PARK CENTRAL PARK GIANT SLIDE 17 23 911 18 24 CLARA AVE. G6 20 G9 21 29 27 22 OHIO G8 ENTRANCE 25 28 30 11TH AVE. NATURAL RESOURCES PARK 26 G7