The 2021 Pacific Brewers Cup will be held on Saturday, November 6, 2021 starting at 8:30 AM. We are still short of our desired number of judges and stewards. The registration site for Judges, Stewards and other volunteers is now up and running at http://comp.pacificgravity.com/ .
We will be running both a morning and afternoon session. If at all possible, please stay and do a second round. To help me out with planning, when you register, please check your “availability” to reflect the one or both sessions if you can stay for both. We completed the bottle organizing session on the 30th with 172 entries. Entry registration is now closed.
Please note we are asking that all judges and stewards be fully vaccinated in accordance with LA County brewery patron rules. Joe is allowing us to spread out over the entire brewery floor and will have the doors open. We will also ask everyone to observe COVID protocols such as wearing a mask whenever you don’t have your nose inside a taster cup.
If you have never done stewarding before it is a fun and simple task. (A more detailed write-up is found below). The main steps are as follows:
- Your main job is to bring entries to the judging tables when asked by the judges. Do not open any bottles. They may ask for just one entry at a time, or possibly 2 or 3 depending on the ideal serving temperature for the style. Beers will be organized by category and style.
- Check the table supplies. Tables should have scoresheets, cups, bottle openers, flight sheets, a dump bucket and bread.
- After the judges finish writing scoresheets, check the math. Then deliver the scoresheets to Tim, who will be doing data entry.
- The judges may tell you which beers are “keepers”, or “dumpers”. Recap the keepers. You are free to sample the dumpers.
- Collect discarded cups as needed. As part of COVID protocols, do not drink out of any reused cup. Empty the dump buckets if needed.
- After all the entries in a group have been judged, the judges may ask for the keeps to do a final taste-off.
- After any taste-off, the judges may invite you to taste some of the keepers.
- The lead judges at the table will then hand you the “Flight Summary Sheet”. Verify the math on the form, and make sure the lead judge has signed it. You can sign the steward line. Then, hand it to Tim.
This competition is hosted on a rotating basis with Pacific Gravity Homebrewers Club, Strand Brewers and Long Beach Homebrewers. This is a BJCP and AHA-sanctioned competition. This is full-category competition based on the 2015 BJCP Guidelines, including meads and ciders.
Our host brewery this year is Tortugo Brewing Co, located at 916 W Hyde Park Blvd Inglewood, CA, CA 90302. Breakfast snacks and a full lunch will be provided to all volunteers. In addition, we have a bunch of cool swag from Sierra Nevada Brewing and Wyeast, and gift certificates from Stein Fillers, Moonlight Meadery and Williams Brewing.
For more information, check out http://pbc.pacificgravity.com/ .
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, Nov 5th, early evening: First Friday at the Daily Pint, 2310 PICO BLVD SANTA MONICA, CA 90405
Saturday, Nov 6th, 8:30 AM: Pacific Brewers Cup at Tortugo Brewing Co, 916 W Hyde Park Blvd Inglewood, CA, CA 90302
Saturday, Nov 20, Noon: Annual Chili Cookoff, Board Elections and Member of the Year voting. At Casa Molloy, 6738 W. 87th Place Los Angeles, CA 90045
Long Instructions for Stewards:
Stewards are responsible for assisting judges during the judging process, and interfacing with the
competition staff to preserve anonymity of entries. If judges have questions or requests during
judging, handle them as best as possible including checking with the competition staff if unsure
of something. One frequent request is to check competition entries against the database to ensure
an entry is correct, and that all supplied information has been provided to the judges.
Stewards bring the beer to the table for judging. This can be done one bottle at a time, or
multiple bottles can be brought at once (this is a common occurrence when using multiple teams
on a category, or if judges think the serving temperature is too cold). Handle the judge requests
as best you can. They may also request ice if they believe the entries are too warm.
Stewards should double-check the entry numbers before presenting the beer for judging.
Announce the entry and category for the judges. Do not open the bottles unless requested. Most
judges prefer to look at the bottles and open them themselves. Remember that beer can contain
sediment, so be careful in the handling of the bottles.
Stewards should monitor the table supplies and replenish items as necessary. Remove used cups
(check with judges first before touching their cups, as judges often save favorite samples for
later). Empty dump buckets as they fill, or if an objectionable-smelling entry is dumped. Do not
remove bottle caps without checking with judges; they may be needed to identify entries.
Judges may request assistance with paperwork, usually the Flight Summary Sheet and the Cover
Sheets. Stewards who do this job for judges will be helping to speed up the competition, and
deserve the thanks of judges. Regardless of other requests, stewards should check the math on
scoresheets, and scan them for completeness and inappropriate comments.
In general while judging is active, defer to the lead judge at the table unless you are directed
against specific competition instructions. Structure your activities so that you are doing your
work while the judges are judging; this keeps things moving along. Stewards who anticipate
judge needs and who pay attention to the judging process are quite valuable to competition
operations.
If stewards are invited to taste while judges are judging, stewards should refrain from
commenting until the judges have completed their scoresheets and turned them in, unless directly
asked by a judge for an opinion. If a steward has entered the competition, the steward should not
work in categories where they have entries.
