THIRSTY WORK: Beer swap seeks best home brewer

Coast brewers will have a chance to show off their skills at the upcoming Brewer’s Brewer Competition, in an anonymous “beer swap”.

THIRSTY: Sunshine Coast Amateur Brewers Club committee member Ashley Pearce is gearing up for a beer competition. Photo: John McCutcheon

COAST brewers will have a chance to show off their skills at the upcoming Brewer’s Brewer Competition, in an anonymous “beer swap”.

The contest is hosted by the Sunshine Coast Amateur Brewers club and brewing enthusiasts are encouraged to enter their best beer.

Event co-ordinator and Buderim resident Ged Johnson said he came up with the idea for a local event after the club participated in competitions in Brisbane and Hervey Bay.

“I wanted something in-house yet anonymous that would be fun for everyone to participate in,” he said.

“We’ve done other small competitions but this is unique.”

Sunshine Coast Amateur Brewers Club is gearing up for beer competition and President Ged Johnson along with brewers and committee members, Luke Meisenhelter, Ashley Pearce and Bryce Tippett are psyched. Photo: John McCutcheon.

Anyone can enter as long as they are a Sunshine Coast resident who brews their own beer, and the bottles that are entered will be mixed and redistributed to each brewer.

“They then have two weeks to taste the beers, and judge them online,” Mr Johnson said.

“A brewer will be able to see how his own beer scores as it’s judged, but no one knows who’s winning until we present it.”

Sunshine Coast Amateur Brewers Club President Ged Johnson along with brewers and Committee members, Ashley Pearce and Bryce Tippett are psyched. Photo: John McCutcheon.

Mr Johnson said he spent weeks building the online anonymous scoring app so that no one would know whose beer they were judging.

“It’s quite exciting to have an in-house competition like this, and the app is a first for any club I think,” he said.

“Brewers decide who has the best beer, making it possible for anyone to win.”

The online judging is based on a simplified BJCP scorecard, which is the standard of judging western beer.

Mr Johnson said the brewers club had been overwhelmed by the support from local bars and breweries, including the Sneaky Baron and Moffat Beach Brewing Co, who had donated prizes and vouchers for the winners.

Contestants can enjoy German sausage making and a barbecue lunch before finding out who the winners are at the prize presentation on April 4.

Registration closes on February 9 at midnight and costs $10, which includes entry to the presentation lunch.

For more information go to https://sunshinecoastbrewers.com/.

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