Why do I enter?
I think the reasons are similar to most of the other
answers.
I usually brew to style though I also play around with
stuff that doesn't fit the current definitions except
under historical.
I enter for feedback though that can be hit or miss.
There are more than a few judges out there that aren't
nearly as good as they think they are. If you can
enter the same beer at approximately the same age into
several contests it helps to balance out the judging.
There are judging differences due to geography,
shouldn't happen but it does. My concerns about the
quality of the judgings is one of my motivations for
spending a significant amount of my spare time being
involved with the BJCP exam process. I like to think
we have come a long way in improving the quality of the
program and the judges produced in the last 3 or 4
years. I think the last couple of years of BJCP exam
prep class we have held locally have produced some
real good judges. There is still more to do and we need
to get a number of judges to improve their scoresheets
and their knowledge of styles, I am tired of
scoresheets that have virtually no useful content.
I prefer to enter contests that I can be around for the
judging. Beer competitions are fun. Where else to you
get to drink beer and talk about beer with other people
that take beer just as serious as you do? A competition
is just a larger community of brewers than a single
club.
I enter to support the event. I have entered beers
that I knew wouldn't place just to help the competition
get the number of entries up. Always a surprise when
one of those gets a medal even with a flaw or two.
Why don't I enter?
Because I don't have a beer ready to enter. I don't
have as much time to brew as I would prefer. I tend
not to brew much beer during the summer months which
makes late summer and early fall competitions a
challenge.
Because I don't have the beer in a bottle. Like most I
have a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with my
counterpressure filler.
Because I missed the deadline.
--
Steve Piatz piatz(a)cray.com
Cray Inc. 651-605-9049
1340 Mendota Heights Road
Mendota Heights, MN 55120