Beer Judging

I have really enjoyed this discussion.

For me its all about finding people willing to get involved in either organisation and to commit some time to move the hobby forward. There is nothing wrong with the framework that either organisation has in place - its perhaps just the detail that needs to evolve. The bottom line is that individuals are not going to get the opportunity to change things unless you are actually part of the organisation.

As for the CBA discussion - I will refer everyone to the paragraph above (the CBA is only as good as the people that get involved). Its good to see that Ali has got involved with the CBA vision. I have volunteered too so I might meet you later in the year if we all get together for a brainstorm. :

Finally, Craft Brewing or Homebrewing. Tomaytoes or Tomatoes. However, be careful what you wish for, last year in Scotland there was a commercial organisation who tried to assume the Scottish Craft Brewers name for what was effectively going to be the trading name for a cooperative bottling plant. I don't know about you but I think we have a greater claim to the name than they do (and we have legal precedent in the UK).

For My twopence worth, on the Home brew Craft Brewer, part If you brew All Grain beer with an understanding of what's going on, then you are a Craft Brewer.

If you are mixing a tin of commercial wort with some cheesy dried yeast in a plastic bucket, then you are not a brewer at all. you are a mixer, and yeast/wort introduction agent.

If you make a beer from extract and play around with hops etc then you can be classed as a Home Brewer as you are making, the wort, the yeast you use will make into a beer later in the fermentation process.

Home Wines & Ciders are not brewing in my mind they fall into the winemaking umbrella.

Brewing is the art or science of making a wort, the rest is done by the yeast, the brewer just needs to make sure the yeast have the ideal conditions to make the best beer they can.

Remember this "Brewers Make Wort" "Yeast make Beer"

I'll Go Hide under a stone now :lol:

UP

I'm not a fan of the name "craft brewing" being used to describe what I do at home. It is to easily used by commercial breweries to try and attach value to their product and just confuses the difference between the 2. I'm a home brewer and no commercial brewery can say that. Have you ever explained what you mean by "craft brewing" (used in place of home brewing) to someone who doesn't know better. I'll bet you come out sounding like steptoe, but slightly poncy. People will think what they think about it no matter what the name. This is "the home brew forum" and I buy my ingredients from a "home brew shop". I like the name "home brewer"

Swazi, I agree to an extent but I also have to explain what I do when I say homebrewing as most people consider it tin mixing and when you go on to explain the intricacies of of 66c mash as opposed to a, say, 68c mash their eyes have long since glazed over .

I just say "I brew beer" or "I brewed it myself"

most people consider it tin mixing

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This is pretty much the assumption by all my mates. The glaze over, I've gotten used to. I do agree with you though, just plain old "brewer" is good enough.

I know exactly what Prolix is saying. Personally I don`t both with any detailed explanation nowadays, I just say I buy raw ingredients and make beer. Is their loss if they want to remain ignorant.

Swazi said:

It is to easily used by commercial breweries to try and attach value to their product and just confuses the difference between the 2.

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Like this usage of the term by three commercial breweries in Bristol while we have a homebrew club called Bristol Craft Brewers as well...



http://www.bristolcraftbrewers.co.uk/

Like this usage of the term by three commercial breweries in Bristol while we have a homebrew club called Bristol Craft Brewers as well...

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:whistle:

The fact that the term 'craft brewing' is used by some, usually smaller, commercial brewers is, in my opinion, a reason to use the term. It makes it clear that what we make is closer to what professional breweries create than it is to the 1980s can and kilo beers most people think of when they hear the term 'home brewing'.

richc said:

The fact that the term 'craft brewing' is used by some, usually smaller, commercial brewers is, in my opinion, a reason to use the term. It makes it clear that what we make is closer to what professional breweries create than it is to the 1980s can and kilo beers most people think of when they hear the term 'home brewing'.

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And what about the fact that large breweries like Anhauser Busch use it?

alikocho said:

richc said:

The fact that the term 'craft brewing' is used by some, usually smaller, commercial brewers is, in my opinion, a reason to use the term. It makes it clear that what we make is closer to what professional breweries create than it is to the 1980s can and kilo beers most people think of when they hear the term 'home brewing'.

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And what about the fact that large breweries like Anhauser Busch use it?

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True, but they are using it for pretty much the same reason, to try and distinguish some of their beers from the cr*p that people think is all they produce.

richc said:

alikocho said:

richc said:

The fact that the term 'craft brewing' is used by some, usually smaller, commercial brewers is, in my opinion, a reason to use the term. It makes it clear that what we make is closer to what professional breweries create than it is to the 1980s can and kilo beers most people think of when they hear the term 'home brewing'.

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And what about the fact that large breweries like Anhauser Busch use it?

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True, but they are using it for pretty much the same reason, to try and distinguish some of their beers from the cr*p that people think is all they produce.

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No there just using the term to give ADDED VALUE to there product. Same brew, different name, higher price. In my opinion

snail59 said:

And what about the fact that large breweries like Anhauser Busch use it?

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True, but they are using it for pretty much the same reason, to try and distinguish some of their beers from the cr*p that people think is all they produce.[/quote]

No there just using the term to give ADDED VALUE to there product. Same brew, different name, higher price. In my opinion[/quote]

They actually use it, because they have noticed a noticeable dent in their profits due to the craft beer resurgence in the US, they are also buying up some of the more successfully craft brewers too, Goose Island for one.

Put Craft Beer on the bottle and most numptys won't know its been made in a mega brewery, so they buy it thinking hey this is a craft beer made by a small company its great. I best serve it real cold like they tell me too, that way it will taste Fresher and better :?

UP

unclepumble said:

snail59 said:

And what about the fact that large breweries like Anhauser Busch use it?

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True, but they are using it for pretty much the same reason, to try and distinguish some of their beers from the cr*p that people think is all they produce.

No there just using the term to give ADDED VALUE to there product. Same brew, different name, higher price. In my opinion


They actually use it, because they have noticed a noticeable dent in their profits due to the craft beer resurgence in the US, they are also buying up some of the more successfully craft brewers too, Goose Island for one.

Put Craft Beer on the bottle and most numptys won't know its been made in a mega brewery, so they buy it thinking hey this is a craft beer made by a small company its great. I best serve it real cold like they tell me too, that way it will taste Fresher and better :?

UP

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I belive that size of brewery, and who owns it really doesn't matter. Personally I am focused on beer and its taste.

There are few exceptions like Browar Zamkowy, which is part of Grupa Zywiec, which is part of Heineken Group. They brew Zywiec Porter (Baltic Porter), Wheat Beer (sold under brand Lezajsk), and the most important Winner Home Beer (craft if you want ) in competition in Zywiec is brewed once a year commercialy and sold all around Poland.