Competition Rules:

  1. The Los Angeles Belgian Beer Challenge (LABBC) is a BJCP-sanctioned homebrew competition open to all homebrewers.
  2. An entry is a set of two (2) bottles or aluminum cans from a single batch of beer. The bottles must be between 10 to 34 oz, must be made of clear, green or brown glass, and be free from labels, excessive dirt and identifying marks. All bottles must be filled within an inch and a half of the top, and be capped with a metal crown cap or cork/cage. The caps must be plain colored, or be completely blacked out with a black permanent marker.  12 oz or 16oz cans are allowable provided they are bare aluminum with no identifying markings.  Aluminum cans of 12 or 16 oz are also acceptable as long as the exterior of the can is bare aluminum free of any identifying markings.
  3. An entry may not be brewed, fermented or bottled using commercial equipment. However, entries mashed at a commercial brewery and then modified and fermented at home (AKA monster brews) are allowed.
  4. An entrant is the one or more people submitting an entry. Member(s) of an entrant must have actively contributed to brewing, fermenting, and bottling an entry. Every member must be at least 21 years of age. An entrant may not be an entire brew club. Competition staff, judges and stewards are permitted to be entrants. Professional Brewers are permitted to be entrants as long as the entry was not brewed on commercial equipment
  5. The official style guidelines for this competition are the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines.  Every entry must be declared a particular subcategory according to these guidelines. Under no circumstances will competition organizers, staff, or judges categorize entries.
  6. Only entries that fall under Belgian sub-categories will be accepted for this competition (21b, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, 23f, 24a, 24b, 24c, 25a, 25b, 25c, 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, & 28a)
  7. There is one additional specialty category 35a that should be used only if your beer does not fit within the style descriptions listed in item 6.  This would pertain to wood aged, smoked, fruit styled beers.
  8. Only one entry per sub-style is allowed. The exception is in Category 35A – Belgian Specialty, where multiple entries will be allowed if they are distinctly separate base styles.
  9. Every entry must be submitted with a completed entry form and a bottle identification label attached to each bottle with a rubber band.   Using glue or tape to secure the labels to the bottles will disqualify an entry.   Entry forms and all bottle labels for a single entry must have the same information on them.
  10. The entry form must list the following information for entries in the categories specified:
    • 21B: Specialty IPA – Entrant must specify a strength (session, standard, double); if no strength is specified, standard will be assumed. Entrant must specify specific type of Specialty IPA – Belgian or White. Entrants may specify specific hop varieties used, if entrants feel that judges may not recognize the varietal characteristics of newer hops.  Entrants may specify a combination of defined IPA types (e.g., Belgian Rye IPA) without providing additional descriptions.
    • 23F: Fruit Lambic – The type of fruit used must be specified. The brewer must declare a carbonation level (low, medium, high) and a sweetness level (low/none, medium, high).
    • 24C: Bière de Garde – Entrant must specify blond, amber, or brown bière de garde. If no color is specified, the judge should attempt to judge based on initial observation, expecting a malt flavor and balance that matches the color.
    • 25B: Saison – The entrant must specify the strength (table, standard, super) and the color (pale, dark).
    • 28A: Brett Beer – The entrant must specify either a base Belgian beer style (Classic Style, or a generic style family) or provide a description of the ingredients/specs/desired character. The entrant must specify if a 100% Brett fermentation was conducted. The entrant may specify the strain(s) of Brettanomyces used.
    • 35A: Belgian Specialty – Smoked, Experimental, Historical, & Other : The entrant must specify the underlying beer style as well as the special ingredients/processes used and any additional information necessary to accurately describe the entrant’s intent with a historical beer.
  11. Entries MUST be registered online via the form on the LABBC web site at http://comp.belgianbrewchallenge.com.  Online registration eliminates the need to fill out a paper entry form and will automatically generate bottle identification labels.   Email confirmation will be provided as well.   In case the entrant is unable to print the custom labels, it is acceptable for the brewer to make individual slips with the same information, as long as the Registered Entry Number is included.
  12. The entry fee is $8.00 for each entry.   Please use the link provided to pay on-line, You may pay by Credit Card or PayPal.  Online payments make it quicker, easier to account for and makes the whole competition easier to run.   If you do not have a pay-pal account, setting one up is quick and easy and you will see how much time it saves you compared to writing checks etc. once it is set up.
  13. A panel of at least two judges will judge each entry according to the sub-category in which it was entered.   No judge will be assigned to a category for which they are entrants.   First, second, and third prizes may be awarded in each sub-category at the judge’s discretion.  All contestants will receive the score sheets with judges’ comments for their entries.
  14. All entries become the property of the Pacific Gravity Homebrewers Club and will not be returned.   Any questions or disputes will be settled by the competition organizers, and all decisions are final.