If you are not familiar with homebrewing, it is all in the name.
For Dead Language Beer Project, it was their first homebrew contest, according to a Facebook event.
“Sponsored by Homebrew Connection (Haddam, CT), this competition was focused on Hefeweizens, Lagers and Central European beer styles- in particular Light Lagers, Dark Lagers, Specialty Lagers & Faux Lagers,” according to the event post.
We talked with co-owners Kyle and Chris DeGasero about their first Hefenlager Homebrew Contest, as well as breaking down what homebrewing is for newcomers with extra help from sponsor Thad McKenney. Here is what they all had to say:
Can you explain homebrewing for readers who may be unfamiliar?
Chris: Homebrewing is the act of producing beer at home. Believe it or not, homebrewing was outlawed during/after prohibition and only became legal again under Jimmy Carter in 1978. The legalization of homebrewing led to the explosion in craft beer we see nowadays; with Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada being one of the first “craft brewers” in the ’80’s. Malt and hop selection were incredibly limited back then, but have since grown to a gigantic variety.
Thad: Homebrewing has been around for centuries in basically all parts of the world. One could argue, and there is much evidence to this, that beer is what built many a society. The art of taking grains, hops, yeast, and water and turning it into that delicious elixir, beer, has intrigued many over the years.
Unlike making wine, where nature has created the readily available sugars for fermentation, the brewer of beer must use a method called mashing, where the grains are subjected to specific temperatures in water to convert their starches into the sugars needed for fermentation. Then comes the boil where different types of hops are added to bring a variety of flavors, aromas and bitterness to balance out the sweet wort.
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Once the wort (this is what we call beer before it has been fermented) has been cooled down after the boil, there are a number of different types of yeast that can be added for fermentation to create any number of different styles of beer. With only these four different ingredients and all their variations, the number of different beers that can be created is nearly endless.
This is what I believe attracts most brewers to the hobby and what keeps the hobby interesting. The fact that, as a brewer, you can create any flavor and style of beer that your mind can come up with. It’s a fun community (the community of homebrewers and professional brewers) to belong to. Everyone in this industry loves to chat with their fellow brewers and especially loves to do so while enjoying a homebrew. People that are interested in getting into the hobby can come see me, Thad Mckenney, at Homebrew Connection in Haddam, Conn., where I have everything they will need to get into this awesome hobby. Check out homebrewconnection.com for more.
Was this your first time hosting a homebrew event?
Kyle: This was our first homebrew competition but we expect to continue to grow it and host it annually. We loved hosting it with the Homebrew Connection (Haddam). Thad was key in planning and organizing due to his experience.
Chris: It was, indeed, our first time. We had a lot of people asking if we were going to continue Hog River’s annual homebrew competition and it got to the point where we said, “Sure, but let’s do it our way.” That led us to make the competition focus on lagers and weissbier. Making lagers requires an incredible attention to detail and we were surprised with the quality of the submissions.
How were judges selected? Did you participate in judging as well?
Kyle: Judges were selected from our network based on Beer Judge Certification Program (BCJP) ranking designations, industry or brewing school experience, as well as vetted long-term craft beer enthusiasts. Chris (Owner/Brewer, Dead Language Beer Project, Hartford) & Thad McKenney (Owner, Homebrew Connection, Haddam) were Judges.
Can you walk me through how the day went (the steps involved, the winners)?
Kyle: Homebrewers submitted their intent to enter online, noting the style and ingredients of their homebrew as well as any helpers they may have had so we could make sure we were assessing the beer appropriately and without any bias. They dropped their brews off in quantities of 3 (one for the Judging round, a second for Tie-breakers, and a 3rd for sharing).
Then, a week later, we brought the judges together and broke them out to groups. They were each assigned categories and received all the eligible beers anonymously pre-poured one at a time. Each beer was evaluated by each judge (4-6 judges per beer) and a write-up was submitted that contained the judge’s score. We then averaged the beers scores to identify the top scorer by category.
Of those, we then identified the Best in Show Gold, Silver and Bronze. We were able to announce the winners right after our judging took place and open the event up to the homebrewers to mingle and try eachother’s brews alongside the judges.
What was a highlight moment for you during the event?
Kyle: Our friend Scott Steward created the coolest custom trophies or a skeleton (totally on brand for Dead Language) holding a beer. They were hand-painted. Having Scott there while we gave them out was a highlight for me. The trophies were so unique and thoughtfully made, it was very fun to give them out.
Are there plans to host another competition in the future?
Kyle: Yes! With continued interest from our regional homebrewers, we would love to host annually moving forward. At this time, there are no other local competitions for homebrewing lagers and hefeweizens not bound to BJCP so we love offering the homebrews a platform for open creativity and a focus on our favorite beers, lagers and weissbiers.
Chris: Without a doubt, we’ll be bringing this back next year; bigger and better than before.
