Why We Brew What We Brew

Some people brew for the sheer joy they get out of making their own beer, others brew so that they can create the exact style of beer they enjoy, yet others brew to enter beers into one of the many homebrew competitions.  

The Bay Area Mashtronauts exist to support brewing in every facet.  This page is the repository for all information pertaining to competitive brewing.

BJCP Style Guidelines

Beer entered into a homebrew competition is judged against known style guidelines.  These guidelines are managed by the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP).  These guidelines specifically detail each beer's aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impression.  Commercial examples are also given for each style.  They also have a program of training and certifying beer judges.

BJCP Course Documents

This link will take you the the BAM Beer Judge Certification Program Library that contains the comilaton of documents used by BAM instructors and students in teaching and studying for the BJCP Certified Judge class and Exam.

Lonestar Circuit

Since the Bay Area Mashtronauts is a Texas based club, it only makes sense that the vast majority of our beers are entered into Texas homebrew competitions.  These competitions are organized into the Lonestar Circuit.

Nuts and Bolts Competition

Nuts and Bolts is the Bay Area Mashtronauts intra-club brewing competition.  While not available to non-members and not AHA certified, Nuts and Bolts is for something more important - Bragging rights!

General Timing of the Lonestar Circuit Competitions

AHA/BJCP Sanctioned Events

There are many, many more homebrew contests across the country during the year.  Some specialized only on a specific style of beverage, like mead.   The vast majority are more general and are opened to all the recognized styles of beer, mead and cider.  Some are built around special events, like National Homebrew Day on the first Saturday in May or the Great American Beer Festival, this year at the end of September in Denver, Colorado.  All you have to do is enter them and ship your entry on time!  This is the link to the list of all the currently recognized American Homebrewers Association (AHA) / BJCP sanctioned events.  Don't let it intimidate you.  It's just a list of events for tasting homebrew in other parts of the country.