Are you fully entered in the Bluebonnet yet?

[Brewboy]

Tomorrow is the last day.

I botteled all my kegged beers last Sunday thanks to my brothers help. I've got to say that I was loving my beer gun this bottleing day.

I've managed to get 29 entries into this years Bluebonnet. Granted some I'm just looking for feedback because they're not winners still I'm entering for the critique. Some however have a fighting chance. I'm really happy with some I've made this fall / winter. I'm sure that you have some too.

It's not too late, grab 3 bottles and go to the Bluebonnet website, get them registered and enter. Registration

Make sure you've got all your enteries to a drop-off location no later than close of business tomorrow, Thursday the 25th.

[Bill Lawrence]

Wow, 29 entries you must do nothing but brew beer. I thought I was doing really well but sadly, I have only twelve entries. To tell you the truth, it kills me to ship off 1 1/2 cases of beer knowing that only one of the three bottles will actually be consumed (probably by somebody who then lets me know how bad it sucks). At some point, all this starts to get expensive. If you think about it, with over $200 going to entry fees alone that for sure would cut into my ingredient money. Maybe what we need to do is have a mini judging before the event. If the scores from the mini judging come in lousy, just don't bother entering into the main event thereby saving the money as well as the shame. Anyhow, here is what Willy's Brewing has entered this year:

Belgian Dubbel
Belgian Blond
Belgian Pale Ale
Octoberfest
Double Bock
CAP
Northern German Alt
Munich Dunkel
American IPA
Heffe Weizen
Dunkel Weizen
Robust Porter

As usual, I don't have a damn clue if any of this will even make it out of the first round. I do however have a side bet going with Orlando and Damon and I would like to avoid the pounding I got in last year's Limbo from those two.

[Brewboy]

How do I get in on that action Bill?

You've got a really respectable entry list there and the only one you and I are both are entered in is the Hefeweizen.

Good job!

I've only got 29 entries because I'm a man on a mission. I've been challenged and I'm hopeing to rise to the occasion to meet that challenge. It just tears me up when I'm told that I can't or it can't be done. I'll do it or die trying.

[Brewboy]

Maybe what we need to do is have a mini judging before the event. If the scores from the mini judging come in lousy, just don't bother entering into the main event thereby saving the money as well as the shame.

Shame? There is no shame in trying and failing, there is only shame in laying down and not trying. So bunk on that!

There's always a chance. In my short judging experience, I've seen beers pushed to second round that had style shortcommings and even flaws. Also, I've seen some really good beers score in the 20's when judges are not well educated or experienced. You just never really know who's going to be tasting your beer and what they're perception will be at that moment and time.

All you can do is brew your best and put it forward and hope they like it too.

[Bill Lawrence]

Humm, I guess he told me.

Interesting, how is it that you have 29 entries yet only one of them is directly competing with one of mine? Are you doing a bunch of meads and ciders? I figure I have enough trouble with beer that I don't need to go messing around with either of those two beverages. By the way, the bet between me, Damon and Orlando is no big deal, we just compete for, you guessed it, beers. Of course, there is some trash talking involved which is what makes it fun. If you think about it, I have little to lose since I am not a decorated National brewer like those two so I don't have a reputation to protect.

[Brewboy]

I've entered the following:

Common Cider
English Cider
Cyser semisweet still sack
Cyser sweet sparkling sack
Open Category Mead with an eastern spice Cyser
Dortmunder Export
Cream Ale 2 entries
American Rye 2 entries
Kolsch 2 entries
Scottish 70
Scottish 80
Wee Heavy 2 entries
American Amber
Northern English Brown
Imerial India Pale Ale 2 entries
Hefeweizen
Saison 2 entries
English Barleywine
American Barleywine
Fruit Beer
Wood Aged Imperial Stout
Plus 2 new entrants category

I really don't expect to do anything with my Meads or ciders but I like them. The other beers, who knows, they're all plesant to drink. We'll see what the judges have to say.

[BrotherhoodBrew]

Well Orlando and I have a Total of 24 entries. Here is the list of what we currently have going in. Some of these will be double entered. Should be some good competitive fun going on between some of us

1D Helles
2B Bohemian Pilsener
3B Oktoberfest
4B Munich Dunkel
5C Doppel Bock
5D Eisbock
6A Cream Ale
6C Kolsch
6D American Rye
9A 60 Schilling
9B 70 Schilling
10B American Amber
10C American Brown
11B S. English Brown
12A Brown Porter
16A Wit
21A Pumpkin Ale

[MixnMatchBrew]

Scott you are a machine!

I will enter 15 this year. All single entries. A couple in different categories.

Vienna lager
Oktoberfest
Munich Dunkel
Blonde Ale
Kölsch
ESB
American Amber
American Stout
Saison
sweet mead
Pyment
Other melomel
Open category mead
Cyser
Specialty Cider/Perry

I am officially sick of bottling. Still not done yet for Nationals or cevesa.

[Brewboy]

Awsome! It looks like we'll have some good representation for the NTHBA and plenty of Steins to go around. We are all some brewing machines.

[ssage21]

Out of all these impressive entries, what happens to the bottles that don't make it to the 2nd or 3rd rounds? God forbid any of those ever get trashed even if it was pretty bad.
Where do all the "dead" entries go?

[Guerra]

what happens to the bottles that don't make it to the 2nd or 3rd rounds?

"Looser Beer" is distributed at the Awards Ceremony, Sat. night. Makes a fun game of Homebrew Russian Roulette, because the only markings on the bottles are the entry numbers.

[kingsbrew]

You guys make me feel like such a slacker. I have six entries which I believe are good quality. I had another beer but it is definitely not worthy of the BB.
BTW, whatever looser beer that does not get distributed Sat. night is distributed to the host clubs at 9am on Sunday. If you want some get your butt up out of bed and join me and whoever else wants to help. I won't make any guarantees but you stand a better chance if you are there than if you're not.

[Bill Lawrence]

So Leroy, which special ingredient did you tell the judges you added to all your beers this year?

[MixnMatchBrew]

I really don't know how I managed the beer I did make. I swear I have less time to brew than when I had a real job

[truckpoetry]

Yeah - I only have 6 as well...

California Common
Strong Scottish Ale
Dry Stout
Irish Red
Jalapeno Pale Ale (Vegetable/Herb)
Winter/Specialty Spice

But...different categories all around. Looks like lots of coverage.