The 2015 Homebrewer’s Ball Call for Beer!

Mash Tun Society and Mash Tun Journal present:
The 2015 Homebrewer’s Ball Call for Beer!

The 2015 Homebrewer’s Ball is our second annual homebrewers competition.  The 2015 winner will have their liquid brewed and distributed by Marz Community Brewing Co. The competition is open to homebrewers in the Chicagoland area and entry to competitors is FREE!

Judging of the event is open to members of the Mash Tun Society. Proceeds of the event go to the Public Media Institute, the non profit that publishes Mash Tun Journal and organizes The Mash Tun Society.

Here’s how it works:
•    Any homebrewer, whether a member of a homebrewing club or not, is encouraged to enter his or her beer in the competition. There is no entry fee for competitors.
•    A maximum of 25 beers will compete. You must email us to state you are going to compete.
•    The Ball and competition both kick off at 3pm at the Co-Prosperity Sphere on August 23, 2015.
•    Mash Tun Society members will sample competing beers and vote on their favorites.
•    Four finalists will be selected based on Mash Tun Society members voting results.
•    A panel of judges chosen by Mash Tun Journal will choose the winning beer through a blind tasting.
•    The Winner will have their beer brewed by Marz Community Brewing Co.

How do homebrewers Qualify?
1.    You need to decide if you are going to compete and then email ed@mashtunjournal.org  Email Ed your name, address and phone number.
2.    The competition is open to anyone, regardless of homebrew club affiliation. There are no “official club entries”.
3.    Register early! ONLY THE FIRST 25 ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED.  You must email ed@mashtunjournal.org and inform him that you will be competing. The first 25 persons to email will be put on the list of competitors. You will be contacted to receive information about your submission and the process for getting your brew into the competition.
4.    Only one beer may be entered per person/team.
5.    One co-brewer is allowed. Please, no brewing teams of three or more.
6.    Beers may be submitted in Cornelius ball-lock kegs or pin-lock kegs. Bottles will be accepted this year. We need about 5 gallons of bottled beer to be sampled out.
7.    Brewers must will supply all tapping equipment. We supply the sampling glasses, buckets and ice. ( We do not have 25 tanks of gas or tapping systems, sorry).
8.    Beer submissions must be dropped off during business hours at Co-Prosperity Sphere by August 22. No late submissions will be accepted! You must label your submission with your name, phone number, email and name and style of beer.
9.    Beers not received by August 22 will be disqualified from the competition.
10.    It is not guaranteed that the winning beer will be the exact beer that will be made by Marz Community Brewing Co—e.g., if the winning entry is a sour beer, we may not be able to brew it. Regardless, the winning brewer will select the recipe and work directly with Marz brewers to make the beer.
11.    The locally released beer will be a collaboration between Marz and the winning homebrewer(s) only.
12.    We cannot accept recipes for bacterially soured beers, Brettanomyces beers, beers brewed with artificial flavorings or ingredients, or beers requiring extended aging (more than 60 days) for brewing on our system.
13.    Employees of Marz Community Brewing Co. and their family members are not eligible to compete.

Important Information on How to Submit Your Beer
•    All beer must be submitted in Cornelius ball-lock kegs or pin-lock kegs or as bottled beer.
•    Beer must be dropped off at Co-Prosperity Sphere between Wednesday, August 19 and no later than Saturday, August 22 during the hours of ( 11pm – 7pm)
•    Participating homebrewers must bring their own gas, and tapping equipment, we will supply the ice and containers for your brew.
•    Any changes to your entry (e.g. different beer or name) must be submitted no later than 4pm on Thursday, August 20, 2015.