So I'm not really a competition brewer. I say this for a couple reasons:
- I'm a bit of a hoarder, so beyond my friends and family, I'm not into sending my beer off to complete strangers.
- It's expensive to ship from here in Hawaii.
- I hate bottling.
I do have some exceptions to this mentality though. Once a year I do package up and ship what I have to the Kona Homebrew Competition as well as the American Homebrewers Association's National Homebrew Competition. I do this for the sole reason of getting some quality feedback on my beers so that I can learn and improve my craft. Getting compliments and feedback from your friends is great, but getting an evaluation from a trained BJCP judge is invaluable.
This year, I was fortunate to have been awarded two gold medals for my Coconut Wheat and also for my Milk Stout from the Kona Homebrew Competition and a bronze medal for my Helles (all three pictured). Soon after, I received news that my Coconut Wheat has advanced to the final round of the National Homebrew Competition. I'm extremely thrilled for the opportunity and can't wait to see how it does in June.