WINNERS CIRCLE by Amahl Turczyn Scheppach Southern California Regional Homebrew Competition he Southern California Regional Am competition, the Best of Show beer is T Homebrew Competition has been put on tap at the brewery for the public hosted by the Inland Empire Brewers to enjoy. “There are even a few beers that homebrew club for the last 25 years, have won in the past that Bob will keep according to organizer and club vice around,” Westvig explained. “Their flag- president Erin Westvig. For 2012, the ship IPA, Hop Daddy, is a former BOS event was held at the Main Street Brewery winner from our competition.” in Corona, Calif., and attracted 272 entries from all over California as well as This year’s winner of that honor is Aaron Nevada, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Luelling from Las Vegas, Nev. One of the and Missouri. first and greatest influences on Luelling’s brewing career came from one of the As an added perk, Westvig said, the greatest beer cultures in the world: in event’s Best of Show winner is given the the Army, he was stationed in Germany. opportunity to brew a scaled-up version There, Luelling was able to visit and of the winning recipe on Main Street’s experience some of the great breweries brew system with owner and brewmaster in the world. “Learning their culture, Bob Kluver. Then, as with the annual Pro- particularly as it relates to their beer, was a game changer,” he remembers. “When I returned to the States, I had a devil of a Foreign Extra Stout time trying to find a good hefeweizen. So BEST OF SHOW BEER, 2012 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL I thought, why not just brew one?” HOMEBREW COMPETITION Recipe by Aaron Luelling, Las Vegas, Nev. However, even though German brewers make it look easy, that classic Bavarian INGREDIENTS Boil time: 60 minutes style can be a challenge for novice home- for 5 U.S. gallons (19 liters) Original Gravity: 1.070 brewers. “It was not pretty,” he joked. Final Gravity: 1.025 As it turned out, this was a positive step 10.0 lb (4.54 kg) American two-row IBU: 63 in eventually realizing his brewing goals. pale malt SRM: 60 When asked what it takes to be a good 1.0 lb (0.45 kg) Weyermann ABV: 6.3% brewer, he cited patience, perseverance, Carafoam® malt and fearlessness. “You learn by failing,” 1.0 lb (0.45 kg) black patent malt DIRECTIONS he said. Time passed before he had the 1.0 lb (0.45 kg) chocolate malt Conduct a step mash with rests for 20 min- opportunity to give it another go, but 1.0 lb (0.45 kg) 80° L crystal malt utes at 122° F (50° C), 45 minutes at 152° F fortunately that opportunity did eventu- 6.0 oz (170 g) roasted barley (67° C), and 10 minutes at 168° F (76° C). ally arrive. Thirteen years later, after mar- Brewers 1.0 oz (28 g) Centennial hops (60 min) EXTRACT RECIPE riage, college, a CPA, and kids, Luelling Empire found he needed a hobby—as he put it, 1.0 oz (28 g) Centennial hops (30 Substitute 7.25 lb light malt extract syrup for min) the pale malt. Steep specialty malts in 160° “something to charge my own batteries” Inland —and the time was ripe to dive back into of 1.0 oz (28 g) Willamette hops (10 F (71° C) water for 30 minutes. Drain, rinse, min) dissolve extract completely, and proceed homebrewing. Whirfloc with boil. courtesy 1 tablet White Labs WLP004 Irish ale yeast He brewed his first batch in 1998, but Photos it wasn’t until October 2011 when he HomebrewersAssociation.org November/December 2012 ZYMURGY 55 * KUDOS —Best of Show AHA/BJCP Sanctioned Competition Program May 2012 Elevator’s Procrastinator Gluten Free Beer Blues and Brews Homebrew Competition, 2012 Brew Maui Homebrew Off, 56 entries— Homebrew Competition, 10 entries— 227 entries—Michael Switzer, Newburyport, MA. Bob Culnan, Hilo, HI. Ryan Bell, Columbus, OH. Evergreen State Fair 2012, 185 entries— California State Fair 2012 Commercial Craft First Coast Cup, 598 entries—Gary Yetter. Nate McLaughlin, Everett, WA. Brewing Competition, 456 entries—Lightning Summer Beer Dabbler Showcase 2012, Kentucky State Fair Homebrew Competition, Brewing Old Ale, Poway, CA. 66 entries—Jeff Swanson, Andover, MN. 467 entries—Nathan Vogelpohl, Louisville, KY. June 2012 All American Brew Off, 69 entries—Jed Reinhard, Western Idaho Fair, 57 entries—Ryan Collings, Fort Smith, AR. Boise, ID. Barley’s 16th Annual Homebrew Competition, 64 entries—Richard Sheppard, Columbus, OH. The Bubbly Creek Barrel Brawl, 23 entries— Nebraska State Fair Beer & Wine Competitions, Nathan Barth, Chicago, IL. 112 entries—Leo Vitt, Sidney, NE. Inland Empire Brewing Company’s Pro Am Competition, 41 entries—Israel Arrieta, 16th Annual NJ State Fair/SCF&HS Homebrew Bristol IPA Showdown, 64 entries— Pasadena, CA. Competition, 191 entries—Thomas Eagan, Mark Grundy. Lambertville, NJ. California State Fair 2012 Home Brewing Benton Franklin Fair Homebrew Competition, Competition, 384 entries—Virg Redman. 2012 German Fest Stein Challenge, 242 31 entries—Darin Curtis, Pasco, WA. entries—Randy Simmons, Springboro, OH. The Empire Cup, 37 entries—Ben Maeso, Beer & Sweat, 261 entries—Brian Jackson, Rochester, NY. Iowa State Fair, 306 entries—Tim Mason, Cincinnati, OH. Pleasant Hill, IA. Maineiac Homebrew Competition, 36 entries— AHA Club-Only Competition, Porter, Brian Hall, Portland, ME. Best of the Bay, 178 entries—Jeremy Allison, 92 entries—Rob Bernard, Keene, NH. Oak Harbor, WA. Longshot American Homebrew Contest (West), 5th Festival Internacional de la Cerveza 152 entries—Kenneth Reister, Olympia, WA. Dancing Bear Pub’s Homebrew Competition, Artesanal Buenos Aires 2012, 136 entries— 9 entries—Mark Laack, Harker Heights, TX. Paez Emiliano, Buenos Aires, ARG. McHale’s Quarterly Mashout - 2nd Quarter 2012, 25 entries—Dave Stahl, Fort Wayne, IN. Brisbane Amateur Beer Brewers (BABBs) Timbers Army Homebrew Competition, Annual Club Competition 2012, 67 entries— 30 entries—Jeremie Landers & Jenn McPoland, Longshot American Homebrew Competition Kristian Domagala, Brisbane, AUS. Portland, OR. (Northeast), 353 entries—Rob North, Manchester, NH. Gnarley Barley Brewfest, 427 entries— The Anchor Town Invitational, 51 entries— William Beeson, Castle Rock, CO. Tim & Jen Bisson, Anchorage, AK. All Idaho Hausbrau Challenge, 65 entries— Ryan Collings, Boise, ID. Nevada County Fair, 50 entries—Mystery 4th Annual Beehive Brew-Off, 595 entries— Lofgren, Nevada City, CA. Brad Cooley, Salt Lake City, UT. July 2012 Ventura County Fair Amateur Beer Contest, Grant County Fair Homebrew Championship, Keep Austin Beered ProAm, 21 entries— 106 entries—Jeff Ham, Ventura, CA. 6 entries—Jeremy Adair, John Day, OR. Dan & Joelle Dewberry, Austin, TX. ASH Homebrewer of the Year Round 6, Kitsap County Fair Homebrew Competition, 2012 WanCup2, 170 entries— 4 entries—Sam Patterson. 78 entries—Ron Gresley, Bremerton, WA. Motoyasu Nakazawa, Shizuoka. August 2012 Colorado State Fair Homebrew Competition, 675 entries—Scott Jackson, Brighton, CO. Indiana State Fair Brewers’ Cup Competition, 25th Annual Southern California Homebrew 1,124 entries—Shawn Kaus, Noblesville, IN. Championship, 272 entries—Aaron Luelling, 2012 ACO Brewfest, 30 entries—Todd Esslinger, Bethel Homebrew Festival and Brewers Las Vegas, NV. Longmont, CO. Challenge, 30 entries—Scott Bales, 17th Annual Montgomery County Agricultural Crystal Coast Brew Off, 61 entries— Merrimac, NH. Fair Homebrew Competition, 175 entries— Terry Laurie, Newport, NC. Ohio State Fair Homebrew Competition, Walter McGrath & Penny Peanut, 2012 RBT American Ales Brewing Competition, 485 entries—Chris Schaeffer, Lakewood, OH. Silver Spring, MD. 42 entries—Scott Eckford, Townsville, AUS. ESB 2012 The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Lunar Rendezbrew XIX, 603 entries— Malt Madness VI, 585 entries— 90 entries—Matt Cawley, Ballina, NSW, AUS. David Rogers, Cypress, TX. John Wible, Philadelphia, PA. Mile and a Quarter Beer Fest, 28 entries— Brew Haven, 97 entries—Paul Till, Fort Wayne, IN. KC Irish Fest Scottish or Irish Ale Brewing John Chase, Flagstaff, AZ. Los Angeles County Fair Homebrew Contest, 32 entries—Michael Fagan, Edwards, 2012 Buffalo County Fair Beer/Mead/Wine Competition, 280 entries—Ward Walkup IV, MO. Competition, 86 entries— Pasadena, CA. St. Mary of the Rockies Harvest Festival, Mark Wethington, Kearney, NE. Tillamook County Fair Homebrew Competition 35 entries—Mark Vakos, Evergreen, CO. Amador County Fair Homebrew Competition, 2012, 13 entries—David Swisher, Jefferson, OR. September 2012 97 entries—Ryan Truax & Constance Marshall, Denver County Fair - Craft Brew, 124 entries— Heart River Home Brewers Members Only, Los Angeles, CA. Kyle Campbell, Westminster, CO. 7 entries—Ryan Jilek, Dickinson, ND. Brewster’s Cup 2012 July Open, 80 entries— National Capital Homebrewing Competition, Consumer’s Beverages 1st Annual Homebrew Darren Link, Dayton, OH. 225 entries—Joey Kilbride, Ottawa, ON. Competition, 52 entries— El Paso County Fair Homebrew Competition Mystery Brewing Style Competition, Terry Ostrander, Orchard Park, NY. (Limited Styles), 35 entries—Mike Bordick, 36 entries—Matthew Mathias, Durham, NC. The Great Frederick Fair, 125 entries— Colorado Springs, CO. Stapleton Beer Festival Homebrew Competition, Calvin Perilloux, Middletown, MD. IAMNSOB Homebrewing Competition, 34 entries— 49 entries—Dale Galligan, Mason City, IA. Scott Kendall, Aurora, CO. 2012 GCHC - Anything Goes, 132 entries— Deer River Bar-b-que and Brew Fest, Brad Clifford, Toronto, CAN. 31 entries—Bud Cone, Grand Rapids, MN. 2012 Battle of the Brews, 300 entries— 19th Annual Dominion Cup, 518 entries— Phil Bayle & Jamie Klarman, Fallston, MD. Brian Berquist, Scott Berquist, & Rod Berquist, Cowlitz County Fair 2012, 47 entries— Mineral, VA. Bill Brawand, Kelso, WA. Josephine Co. Homebrew Competition, 27 entries—David Hunt, Grants Pass, OR. 56 ZYMURGY November/December 2012 HomebrewersAssociation.org started brewing regularly. Since then, it’s become a weekly ritual. “My short-term goal is to brew every Saturday, five gal- lons at a time,” he said. And professional aspirations are definitely on his mind: “Longer-term goals are in the works.” Luelling brews on a single tier, three- burner system.