MASH Club Only Competitions are a friendly way to introduce members to BJCP-style homebrew competitions. We host three competitions each year where full MASH members are invited to bring one entry in the month’s selected style. All are invited to taste and help pick the top contenders.
2020 Club Only Competition
August: Anything Goes: Any BJCP Style – Socially Distant CoC
2019 Club Only Competitions
April: BJCP 3- Czech Lagers
June: BJCP X Rated – Dorada Pampeana, IPA Argenta, Italian Grape Ale, Catharina Sour, NZ Pilsner
September: BJCP 13 – Brown British
2018 Club Only Competitions
April: British Bitters
BJCP category 11. The family of British bitters grew out of English pale ales as a draught product in the late 1800s. Traditionally served very fresh under no pressure (gravity or hand pump only) at cellar temperatures (i.e., “real ale”). Most bottled or kegged versions of UK-produced bitters are often higher-alcohol and more highly carbonated versions of cask products produced for export, and have a different character and balance than their draught counterparts in Britain (often being sweeter and less hoppy than the cask versions). Several regional variations of bitter exist, ranging from darker, sweeter versions served with nearly no head to brighter, hoppier, paler versions with large foam stands, and everything in between.
June: Trappist Ales
BJCP category 26. Trappist is a protected legal appellation, and cannot be used commercially except by genuine Trappist monasteries that brew their own beer. However, we can use it to describe the type or styles of beer produced by those breweries and those who make beers of a
similar style. Trappist type beers are all characterized by very high attenuation, high carbonation through bottle conditioning, and interesting (and often aggressive) yeast character.
September: Iron Brewer Collaboration with the WHALES
2017 Club Only Competitions
April: American Stout
BJCP category 20B. A fairly strong, highly roasted, bitter, hoppy dark stout. Has the body and dark flavors typical of stouts with a more aggressive American hop character and bitterness.
June: Fruit Beer
BJCP category 29A. A harmonious marriage of fruit and beer, but still recognizable as a beer. The fruit character should be evident but in balance with the beer, not so forward as to suggest an artificial product.
September: German Beer
All BJCP Categories that originate from Deutschland!
2016 Club Only Competitions
April: Cider
Following an enthusiastic response in our first cider buy (more than 120 gallons of Jersey apple juice), we’re excited to taste how MASH members interpreted this versatile beverage. All MASH members are invited to enter one cider in any BJCP Cider Style for our first Club Only Competition to be held at our April meeting at Poor Henry’s.
Brush up on how to talk about these delicious beverages here.
June: SMaSH Iron Brewer Challenge
We’re keeping it simple with our June Club Only Competition to celebrate Single Malt and Single Hop beers (SMaSH), with an Iron Brewer twist. There really is no better way to get to know your ingredients than using one at a time. As the name implies, SMaSH recipes consists of one (base) malt and one hop variety, which can be used for multiple additions. Here’s some tips from the AHA on SMaSH brewing.
Stay tuned to learn more about the Iron Brewer twist.
September: Autumn Seasonal
Autumn Seasonal Beers are beers that suggest cool weather and the autumn harvest season, and may include pumpkin or other squashes, and the associated spices. Give in the the hype and brew your best pumpkin beer.
A full table of CoC entries!
2015 Club Only Competitons
September: Mead
For our third and final MASH Club Only Competition of the Year, we’re taking on the oldest fermenting beverage in the world. Whether you like it sweet or dry, with fruit or spiced, burnt or mixed with maple syrup, this is your chance to learn the sweet craft of mead making.
Winning brewers: Chris Johnson won with his semi-sweet mead, Todd Townsend took second with his Coffee Mead (Metheglin), and Tom Jambor took third place with his Fruit Mead.
June: Wheat Beers
Get ready to brew some summer beers and enter them in our June Club Only Competition featuring Category 6 Light Hybrid or Category 7 Amber Hybrid at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 16 at Poor Henry’s in Montville.
Winning brewers: Karl Weiss won with his kolsch, Chris LaSpada took second with his American Rye, and Taylor Kamp took third place with his Dusseldorf altbier.
April 2015: Historical Beers
Historical Beers is a new category in the Draft 2014 BJCP Style Guidelines. It contains styles that either have all but died out in modern times, or that were much more popular in past times and are known only through recreations. Currently defined examples: Gose, Piwo Grodziskie, Lichtenhainer, Roggenbier, Sahti, Kentucky Common, Pre-Prohibition Lager, Pre-Prohibition Porter, London Ale. Read the full style descriptions here.
Winning brewers: Todd Townsend took first with his London Brown, Tom Jambor took second with his roggenbier, and Meghan Jambor took third with her sahti.