Probably Due To Network Congestion

On Saturday 15th of September the UK’s National Homebrew Competition took place (Hashtag #uknhc for Twitter).
163 Homebrewers had entered 460 beers and Ali-Kocho and the guys from Bristol Homebrew did the amazing job of making it all come together, this was their second year running this National event which was held in St. Werburghs Community Center this year.

Here come the photos… I’d love some help in putting some names to photos (Real name or Forum / Twitter etc), leave me a comment or Tweet me. I’m generally crap with names and the few that have stuck in my head I’ve either met before or have talked to on Twitter, so I totally apologise in advance for not remembering.

Ali & @Quadrangularus1 in the background, @stevewright1976 inspecting his beer,  Light blue shirt, 2nd in is Paul Henderson, Simon Ashdown is front corner.

Moustache and pinny is @_Michael_Palmer (top food! “Bastard Hot Wings”), Bed Fields @Alsothings middle front with white T-shirt.

@NeilRimmer1005 over the back in the Blue/grey top and next to him is Mr Lard from JBK/THBF in the stripy t-shirt, the guy in the purple shirt sitting and bent over bottles is Paul Spearman the LAB chairman.

@Des De Moor & @Marisotter then at the top right the middle beard wearer is Capn Ahab (JBK)/@zymurgeeza – also part of the food team!

@TheMaltMiller with the red striped sleeve

Steve Syson & SteveWright’s head, @BrettJEllis of forthcoming brewery Wild Beer

Tony Barnsley/Aleman (From JBK / THBF) in the dark blue top and cap, Chairman of the Craft Brewers Association don’t ya know 🙂
White haired judge with Glasses in bottom left is Mike Carter from LAB

@BrettJEllis with the funky facial hair opposite brown baseball cap is Pete Hughes @SwaziPete (pokerswazi from JBK) I’d spotted a crate with Swazi written on it and half made a connection with the accent, I should have said hi 🙂
White haired judge with Glasses in bottom left is Mike Carter from LAB

Just some of the entries Mmmm Beer 🙂

Steve & Tom

To the right is one of the Justin’s from @DrinkMoorBeer

Stephen Sykes standing and @GraemeCoates judging, Graeme is going to Norway for his Best in Show! @SamTait to Graeme’s right.

In the red top, the other Justin from @DrinkMoorBeer


Paul (Vacant on JBK) far left, Middle is Barney (JBK) Wayne then Stephen (Alix101 on JBK) on the right

Ali and Tom


Best in Show judging getting set up, standing behind Steve in grey shirt is Roger @trunky_bristol

Steve (in the red shirt) is doing his PHD on beer judging some proceedings were recorded on multiple media!

We arrived at the venue just after the Stewards briefing, slapped wrists, and I was sent to help with the Belgian Ales and I spent the morning being a bit of a spare part but got to try a fair few Belgian & Strong Ales. After a lunch of BBQ Sausage sandwiches it was back to work and Ali got me to steward for the German Bock category and English Brown Ales, this was interesting listening to Steve Syson & Steve Wright doing the judging, I got to try all the beers and some of those in the Smoked & Spice/Veg category too which were being judged on the same table.
The judging finally finished with the raffle and prize giving after 9pm, a long but enjoyable day.

In case I missed copy/pasting any of the code from Flickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/pdtnc/sets/72157631555793596/

Congratulations to everyone that won a prize and all the Honorable Mentions.

Results – UK National Homebrew Competition

Best of Show

Place Brewer(s) Entry Name Style Club
1st Graeme Coates Cauchy – Schwarz Inequality 4C: Schwarzbier Oxford Brewers
2nd Steve Syson Debaser 14C: Imperial IPA Midlands Craft Brewers
3rd Dave Halse Mystrawraspb 20A: Fruit Beer London Amateur Brewers

Categories:

Porter (26 entries)
1st Jacob Griffin Zombier Baltic Porter –
2nd Chris Lewis Rigor Porteris Robust Porter
3rd Steve Crawshaw Waggoner Porter Robust Porter Bristol Craft Brewers

Stout (43 entries)
1st Ben Hislop Big Black Imperial Stout Scottish Craft Brewers
2nd Tim Daly Oatmeal Sweet Stout Sweet Stout Oxford Brewers
3rd Bryan Spooner Sadako Imperial Stout Imperial Stout London Amature Brewers (lab)
HM David Budd Heacham Russian Imperial Stout Imperial Stout North Devon Craft Brewers

Specialty Beer (27 entries)
1st Ali Kocho-williams Indian Ink Specialty Beer Bristol Brewing Circle/bristol Craft Brewers/pembrokeshire Union Of Brewers
2nd Ben Hislop Long Black Cloud Specialty Beer Scottish Craft Brewers
3rd Jacob Griffin Black Tiger Rye Pa Specialty Beer –

Strong Ales (14 entries)
1st Ross Harper Backbreaker Barleywine American Barleywine Red Earth Brewers
2nd Dave Halse Mybarleywine English Barleywine London Amateur Brewers
3rd Andrew Jardine Cave Adsum American Barleywine Boohs

Belgian And French Ales (45 entries)
1st Matthew Barker Disconnecty Belgian Ipa Belgian Specialty Ale London Amateur Brewers
2nd Robert Petterson Robert Petterson Witbier
3rd Ali Kocho-williams Black Monk Belgian Specialty Ale Bristol Brewing Circle/bristol Craft Brewers/pembrokeshire Union Of Brewers
HM Matt Bunn Duckfight 2012 Belgian Specialty Ale

Belgian Strong Ales (28 entries)
1st Ken Winter Velvet Tankard Belgian Dark Strong Ale
2nd Steve Syson Tripel Trubbel Belgian Tripel Midlands Craft Brewers
3rd Ron Allison Kiwi Dubbel Belgian Dubbel Midlands Craft Brewers
HM Daniel Van Der Zee 055 DSA Belgian Dark Strong Ale

Light Hybrids (16 entries)
1st Ali Kocho-williams Amarillo Wheat American Wheat or Rye Beer Bristol Brewing Circle/bristol Craft Brewers/pembrokeshire Union Of Brewers
2nd Stephen Sykes Stephen Sykes Kolsch Northern Craft Brewers
3rd Mark Grundy Eau De Cologne Kolsch Bristol Brewing Circle
HM Shane O’beirne Bruntsfield Blonde Blonde Ale

English Pale Ales (57 entries)
1st Steve Osborne English Pale Ale Special/Best/Premium Bitter Midland Craft Brewers
2nd Ron Allison Golden Bitter Standard/Ordinary Bitter Midlands Craft Brewers
3rd Richard Pearce Strong Bitter Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale) London Amateur Brewers
HM Rob Marchington Croft Hsb Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale) Cambridge Craft Brewers

American Ales (37 entries)
1st David Barker Citra Amber Ale American Amber Ale None
2nd Matthew Barker Prodigal American Pale Ale American Pale Ale London Amateur Brewers
3rd Tom Greasley The Red Scare American Amber Ale London Amateur Brewers

IPA (58 entries)
1st Steve Syson Debaser Imperial IPA Midlands Craft Brewers
2nd Steve Syson Stoned IPA American IPA Midlands Craft Brewers
3rd Ron Allison Classic Pale Ale English IPA Midlands Craft Brewers
HM Graeme Coates Emerald American IPA Oxford Brewers

Bock (5 entries)
1st Vladimir Kaznakov Bock Traditional Bock
2nd Rob Marchington Bob’s Your Dunkel Traditional Bock Cambridge Craft Brewers
3rd Richard Caller Bona Dea Maibock/Helles Bock Northern Craft Brewers

Scottish and Irish Ale (7 entries)
1st Karl Clark Claymore Strong Scotch Ale Northern Craft Brewers Association
2nd Aled Murphy Aittin 80/- Scottish Export 80/- Scottish Craft Brewers
3rd Steven Crump Start A War Strong Scotch Ale

German Wheat And Rye Beer (15 entries)
1st Graeme Coates Vital Signs Weizenbock Oxford Brewers
2nd Steve Wright KiWi-zen Weizen/Weissbier Northern Craft Brewer’s Assoication
3rd Ben Hislop Hefe Schwartz Dunkelweizen Scottish Craft Brewers
HM Richard Poole Druid Fluid Weizen/Weissbier Bristol Craft Brewers

Smoke And Wood Aged Beer (16 entries)
1st Paul Mills Butt-head Wood-Aged Beer Primary Fermenters Brewers And Vintners Of Minnesota (eastern League)
2nd Mike Tonks Saxon Smokey Porter Other Smoked Beer Bristol Brewing Circle
3rd Dave Halse Mysmokedporter Other Smoked Beer London Amateur Brewers
HM Bryan Spooner Sadako Imperial Stout – Oaked Wood-Aged Beer London Amature Brewers (lab)

New Zealand Pale Ale (11 entries)
1st Steve Syson Kiwi Pale Ale New Zealand Pale Ale Midlands Craft Brewers
2nd Mark Charlwood Summer Pale New Zealand Pale Ale London Amateur Brewers
3rd Ron Allison Kiwi Gold New Zealand Pale Ale Midlands Craft Brewers

Spice Herb And Vegetable Beer (17 entries)
1st Ken Bazley Kulao Porter Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer London Amateur Brewers
2nd Matt Bunn Snapdragon Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer
3rd Andrew Jardine Bandit Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer Boohs
HM Kieran Wall Thackrey Stout Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer

Amber Hybrids (8 entries)
1st Matthew Hicks Ardley Easter California Common Beer
2nd Tony Milner Alt Northern German Altbier Boohs
3rd Ken Bazley Altbier Northern German Altbier London Amateur Brewers

Sour Ale, Fruit Beer (10 entries)
1st Dave Halse Mystrawraspb Fruit Beer London Amateur Brewers
2nd Brett Ellis Lambic Straight (Unblended) Lambic
3rd Richard Caller Rode Koe With Raspberry Fruit Beer Northern Craft Brewers
HM Richard Caller White Walls Raspberry Fruit Beer Northern Craft Brewers

Light Lager, Pilsner, European Amber Lager, Dark Lager (15 entries)
1st Graeme Coates Cauchy – Schwarz Inequality Schwarzbier Oxford Brewers
2nd Graeme Coates Notfest Oktoberfest/Marzen Oxford Brewers
3rd Steve Syson Goodnight Vienna Vienna Lager Midlands Craft Brewers
HM Steve Syson Schwarze Engel Schwarzbier Midlands Craft Brewers

English Brown Ale (5 entries)
1st Christopher Eyett Andersons’ Brown Northern English Brown Ale
2nd Ian Ross-bain Three Rivers Northern English Brown Ale Midlands Craft Brewers
3rd Steve Crawshaw Ask Jon Mild Mild Bristol Craft Brewers
HM Paul Dodd Pd’s Nut Brown Ale Northern English Brown Ale

Here’s a brief breakdown of what was entered in the following categories and how they were boiled down:

IPA:
EIPA – 13
AIPA – 30
IIPA – 15

Stout:
Dry Stout – 16
Sweet Stout – 4
Oatmeal Stout – 5
Foreign Stout -2
American Stout -2
Imperial Stout – 14

American Ales:
Pale – 14
Amber – 16
Brown – 7

Bock:
Maibock – 2
Traditional Bock – 3