Smithwicks Homebrew Challenge

irish_goat

Smithwicks have just announced they are running a homebrew competition. Prize is a handy €1,000 as well as getting a trip to St.James Gate to brew 1000 litres on the pilot plant. They're looking for a winter ale, something that you'd drink around Christmas time basically.

Info plus how to enter on here. https://smithwickshomebrewchallenge.ie

oblivious

irish_goat wrote: »

Smithwicks have just announced they are running a homebrew competition. Prize is a handy €1,000 as well as getting a trip to St.James Gate to brew 1000 litres on the pilot plant. They're looking for a winter ale, something that you'd drink around Christmas time basically.

Info plus how to enter on here. https://smithwickshomebrewchallenge.ie

by 27th October 2015! JEBUSE That.'s not a whole lot of time


Also the clause "Entrants agree to indemnify the Promoter against any personal injury, loss or damage caused as a result of consumption of an entrant’s product." mmh that appearers a little heavy, unless its common in most competitions

irish_goat

Short timing yeah, but if you can brew this weekend your beer will be 6-7 weeks old by the time it gets judged.

If you win they'll have the 1000 litre batch brewed, conditioned and ready for consumption in about 3 weeks. :P

BeardySi

Phew, I thought you were challenging us to brew homemade smithwicks from the thread title...

Carawaystick

How will they get around the fundamental issue of diageo not letting any live beer exit the plant?

irish_goat

Carawaystick wrote: »

How will they get around the fundamental issue of diageo not letting any live beer exit the plant?

What do you mean?

BeerNut

Carawaystick wrote: »

How will they get around the fundamental issue of diageo not letting any live beer exit the plant?

I would guess that the finalists' 1000L will be pasteurised and kegged.

irish_goat

BeerNut wrote: »

I would guess that the finalists' 1000L will be pasteurised and kegged.

Yep. Possibly a small amount of bottles done up too and they would aim for the winner's local to have it in and maybe do a launch for the beer in said local.

Carawaystick

BeerNut wrote: »

I would guess that the finalists' 1000L will be pasteurised and kegged.

yep, diageo only let dead beer out the gate, while I'd only ever brew live beer.
It's not mentioned in the T&C's

BeerNut

Carawaystick wrote: »

It's not mentioned in the T&C's

I doubt it's something that would occur to a multinational conglomerate or its PR agency. If it's true, that is.

hooplah

I wonder about them not allowing non pasteurised beer. It might catch on - it's fairly popular in Poland - I think you can also buy non pasteurised Łomża here in Ireland.

BeerNut

From what I've been told it's not a trivial change and would involve massive changes to processes and certifications.

Carawaystick

BeerNut wrote: »

From what I've been told it's not a trivial change and would involve massive changes to processes and certifications mindset.

Fixed that there for ya.

Anyway how much hops do you get for free?

oblivious

Carawaystick wrote: »

Anyway how much hops do you get for free?

100g of Admiral

RasTa

Challenge accepted.

RasTa

Hops arrived today, might be nice for Christmas. 27th October is pushing it for taste and to carb up.

oblivious

RasTa wrote: »

Hops arrived today, might be nice for Christmas. 27th October is pushing it for taste and to carb up.

The time lines give good incite to there brewing process

BeerNut

Judging tonight! Good luck to any Boardsies with skin in the game.

MadsL

Diageo are desperate for a new product, baffled as to why they never continued with the Brewhouse series or released a heritage porter from a 1759 recipe.

BeerNut

It'd be nice if they were more product focused, but this competition is solely about the brand, and making it more visible. The fact that a tiny amount of new beer will appear briefly is almost neither here nor there.

And there are no recipes from 1759. Guinness didn't brew anything in 1759. It didn't even brew porter until about the 1780s, though nobody really knows because the brewing records don't go back that far. Hope that reduces the bafflement somewhat

MadsL

BeerNut wrote: »

It'd be nice if they were more product focused, but this competition is solely about the brand, and making it more visible. The fact that a tiny amount of new beer will appear briefly is almost neither here nor there.

And there are no recipes from 1759. Guinness didn't brew anything in 1759. It didn't even brew porter until about the 1780s, though nobody really knows because the brewing records don't go back that far. Hope that reduces the bafflement somewhat

I never said it had to be Guinness's recipe

*backpeddles away*

mordeith

MadsL wrote: »

Diageo are desperate for a new product, baffled as to why they never continued with the Brewhouse series or released a heritage porter from a 1759 recipe.

I read an interesting article with the lads from 8 Degrees who said that in pubs that stocked their Howling Gale, who then got in Hop House 13, that sales of HG actually went up. So it seems if people try a 'craft beer' from one of the big boys it encourages them to try the smaller brewers offerings then.

n97 mini

Hmm, anyone I've asked about who is drinking HH13 say it's Guinness drinkers that would normally switch to Bulmers when the weather is warmer. A couple of pubs have taken out their Bulmers taps as a result.

MadsL

n97 mini wrote: »

Hmm, anyone I've asked about who is drinking HH13 say it's Guinness drinkers that would normally switch to Bulmers when the weather is warmer. A couple of pubs have taken out their Bulmers taps as a result.

Typical Diageo tactic.

I was the first bar to sell Murphy's in Prague in the early 90s, next day Guinness quality reps were down to test the Murphy's (literally with all the quality test gear) - two days later our sister pub got the Guinness tap removed by Guinness. Reason? "Not selling enough" - complete BS.

MadsL

Incidentally, Diageo's attempt at an "American Lager" (Guinness yeast, Williamette hops) currently being brewed in Pennsylvania and sold in the US as "Guinness Blonde" (why? since it is Lager not a Blonde Ale) is absolutely awful.

Has a great bready nose, then a middling mouthfeel and metallic taste, and an absolutely horrible finish. You go from "Hmm, might be good" to "Errr" to "Ugh" in one mouthful.

Absolutely bizarre why Diageo US Marketing tried to take on the macro lagers at something they have been refining to the American palate for decades.

Spectacular fail.

oblivious

MadsL wrote: »

Absolutely bizarre why Diageo US Marketing tried to take on the macro lagers at something they have been refining to the American palate for decades.

Spectacular fail.

Because they belive that they perfected the brewing process

loyatemu

MadsL wrote: »

Typical Diageo tactic.

I was the first bar to sell Murphy's in Prague in the early 90s, next day Guinness quality reps were down to test the Murphy's (literally with all the quality test gear) - two days later our sister pub got the Guinness tap removed by Guinness. Reason? "Not selling enough" - complete BS.

I don't follow this - why were Guinness testing the Murphys tap?

MadsL

loyatemu wrote: »

I don't follow this - why were Guinness testing the Murphys tap?

Having a snoop at it basically...I guess from their side of things they were probably wondering how the Murphy's was holding up in transit compared to Guinness.

MadsL

Guinness USA just hit a new low; Guinness Nitro "IPA". I'm not sure if they will distribute this in Ireland, but I just saw it at $7.99 a sixpack canned.

"IPA" as it just about hits BJCP style guidelines at a mere 40 IBUs.

I haven't tried it yet, can't really justify it at the moment when I can buy a quality local IPA at that price; Here's a scathing review from Beer Advocate.

Irrespective of the style IPA, "British" or "West Coast," my understanding is that what makes an IPA an IPA is that is HEAVY on the hops. Traditionally, the Brits sent poor quality brews out to India that were highly infused with hops to act as a preservative. Like the harsh wines from Madeira they sent to the North American colonies, what had been intended as an attempt to pass off cheap goods on a captive market actually improved during the sea voyage and took on its own character for the better.

While the visual appearance and mouth feel of this brew is attractive and pleasing, like beauty, it is only "skin deep." I found the taste to be like bitter Michelob Ultra with a good head. I tasted virtually no hint of hops at all! I have consumed my share of bad brews during my 70 years and while serving in the USN, but this is the worst, WORST, in memory! Even though it was less than $10 & BOGO at Publix, I still feel like I overpaid. This was the first time I have ever willingly poured beer down the drain so I could recycle the cans!

The only kind of person I can imagine who would willingly finish and/or drink a second container of this stuff is someone who actually likes Michelob Ultra and wants to look cool by having a container that has both "Guinness" and "IPA" on it. This is truly awful stuff! MADD should give this to teens so they would never drink beer again!

*shakes head*

Fail.

BeerNut

Meanwhile, back on topic, the winners were announced. This is the press release:

SMITHWICK’S WELCOMES HOMEBREWERS INTO ITS BREWHOUSE
Smithwick’s Homebrew Challenge finalists brew their Christmas Ale alongside Smithwick’s brewers in St. James’s Gate

12th November 2015: Smithwick’s welcomed homebrewing duo, Stephen Ryan, and Brian Mooney, Celbridge, Co Kildare, and Polish native, Sebastian Kondol, Ballyfermot into St. James’ Gate – a first for the brewery and a once in a lifetime opportunity for homebrewing enthusiasts as part of Smithwick’s Homebrew Challenge.

Over the past two months, homebrewers across the country have been brewing Christmas Ales for this inaugural challenge. Judged by Smithwick’s brewers, members of the National Homebrew Club and expert beer bloggers, Stephenand Brian’s cinnamon, nutmeg and star anise brew ‘Old Town Christmas Ale’ and Sebastian’s apple, cinnamon and spiced ginger brew ‘Apple Pie Ale’ were selected from over 70 entrants in a rigorous process which examined taste profile, aroma, mouthfeel and appearance.

Taste was the most important factor in the judging process. “An occasion like Christmas calls for a special brew – and our finalists nailed it. It was really interesting to brew alongside these passionate homebrewers in our Brewhouse, and I was blown away by the beers they created at home” commented Smithwick’s Brewer Natasha Alves.

The two finalists had the rare opportunity to recreate their Christmas Ales at scale in the 10hl brewhouse alongside the Smithwick’s Brewers. ‘We already feel like winners. The real prize for us was going into St James’s Gate. This is the first homebrew competition we’ve ever entered, and only our second attempt at an all grain beer – and now we’re getting to brew in St James’s Gate, it’s a dream come true”, commented Stephen Ryan.

Over the coming weeks 30 kegs of each brew will be sampled in selected pubs across the country, with the winner being voted for by the public. “I’ve brewed over 100 batches and each year I have always brewed a special beer for Christmas time. This year will be incredible as I will get to enjoy the beer that I create in St James’s Gate with my friends in the pub”, commented Sebastian Kondol.

Jennifer English, Marketing Director of Smithwick’s said, “We are delighted to partner with the National Homebrew Club in encouraging people to enjoy brewing great beer at home. We know that there is a huge sense of achievement behind brewing a beer from scratch and we are excited to welcome homebrewers into St. James’s Gate to collaborate with our brewers in brewing their own recipes”.

Trade locations of where the two brews will be available to sample will be available in the coming weeks. The winner of the inaugural Smithwick’s Homebrew Challenge will be announced following the public vote at an event in early December.

MadsL

Getting your second attempt at an all-grain brewed commercially is a phenomenal achievement. I'd make a job offer if I were Diageo. Congratulations to the winners.

BeerNut

The public vote starts tomorrow. Tasting and voting will be for one hour only per venue. Here's the schedule:

Wednesday, December 2nd - Dublin
JW Sweetmans 6pm
The Old School House Bar (Swords) 7pm
P Macs 8.30pm
The Jar 9.30pm

Thursday, December 3rd - Belfast & Galway
Lavery's Bar 1pm (Belfast)
Seven Bridge Street 9.30pm (Galway)

Friday, December 4th - Cork & Limerick
The Ovens 7.30pm (Cork)
The Curraghgower 7.30pm (Limerick)

Saturday, December 5th - Cork & Kilkenny
The Thomond 7.30pm (Cork)
Cleere's Bar 8pm (Kilkenny)

fobster

Hmm was going for a swim tonight... Into Sweetman's instead!

fobster

Was there last night, a few samples of both were had.

The Old Town Christmas Ale had the fuller body of the two and a nice warming feeling at 7.5% and a dry finish, a big liquorice hit on the nose. I plumped for this one.

The Apple Pie Ale was good in its own right but the fuller body and warmer spices of the Old Town ale got my vote...

Although the competition folks had gone, ballot box and all before we realised :P

n97 mini

Is the winner if these two craft brews going to be brewed again and rolled out nationwide or what's the story?

BeerNut

As far as I know it just ends with the cash prize.