19 Mar
2005
19 Mar
'05
12:26 p.m.
This is interesting.
I started entering my beers about 6 years ago to get feedback.
I wanted to make a kiiler IPA.
I didn't win anything for a good year or so while I learned and improved
my technique.
What really helped me, however, was interacting with people like Steve Piatz
and Curt Stock. Talking to them about what they did, sharing beers, and
then taking the BJCP class helped me be a much better brewer.
Brewing in a vacuum, without sharing info and beers with other brewers, just
isn't good enough, in my opinion, if you want to be a better brewer.
This may sound unreasonable, but the key to our
success has been the
open sharing of information within the club. If I'm going to brew a
Pilsner, I go directly to the one or two members that consistently
outperform everyone else in lagers. They will in turn share any and all
information when asked. Other members are famous for other styles, etc.
The reason this attitude permeates the club is primarily due to one of
our former Presidents, Peter Zien. Peter single handedly developed a
"Team" concept in Quaff. No one cares which Quaff member wins, as long
as one of us wins. Everyone gets just as excited about someone else's
medal as they do about themselves. That's especially true when a new
member starts to win competitions. It really is quite a sight to see
when a new guy is met by 10 or 15 people after he wins his first medal.