Hop Idol 2022: The Nottingham Homebrew Competition is Back!

As part of Nottingham Craft Beer Week 2022 we have teamed up with The Abdication micropub, Brew Day home brew supplies and Black Iris brewery and more to once again run ‘Hop Idol’ a contest for the local homebrewing community.

Prizes on offer to the winner includes the opportunity to brew your beer with local brewery Black Iris and have it available on tap at the 2022 Nottingham Beer and Cider Festival!

ENTER HOP IDOL 2022 NOW! 

We are inviting you to submit your interest and get brewing. Entry is completely free and all successful entries will be tasted and judged during Nottingham Craft Beer Week 2022 by a panel of local brewers and experts. Entering the contest is free and prizes will include:

  • The opportunity to brew your beer on the Black Iris kit alongside their team
  • The opportunity to have your beer available to buy at Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival in October 2022
  • Vouchers for the Brew Day homebrew supplies online shop
  • A selection of NCBW22 merchandise
  • A selection of beers from Black Iris Brewery
  • Two tickets for Nottingham’s Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival 2022

There will also be prizes for category winners, as well as for the overall winner , including merch & beer from local breweries, plus  the opportunity to join another local brewery to brew one of their beers with them. 

Members of the judging panel will include representatives from: The Abdication Micropub, Black Iris Brewery, Nottingham Craft Beer Festival, Totally Brewed brewery, Lenton Lane Brewery, Navigation Brewery, Blue Monkey Brewery, CAMRA and other pubs and bers in Nottingham. 

 

The Rules

1. Beer styles

We will accept beers this year in the following styles: 

  • Bitter/Amber ales
  • Export & Imperial Porters & Stouts
  • Fruit & Wheat beers
  • IPAs, including New England, Double and Triple IPAs
  • Milds, Stouts and Porters
  • Pale ales
  • Other speciality beers such as Kettle Sours, Smoked beers and Table Beers
  • Please note: these are NOT the judging categories: these will be decided after the closing date for registering your entry. 

We cannot accept lagers or aged beers this year (because we do not have the facility or time to brew them to be ready for RHBACF) or wild/spontaneously fermented beers.

The winning beer will need to be commercially viable at a larger scale. Cost and availability of the ingredients will need to be taken into account. The final decision on recipe and ingredients will be with Black Iris Brewery.

Judging processes will be informed by BJCP beer style descriptions and beers will be assessed on five main characteristics: Appearance, Aroma, Flavour, Mouthfeel and Aftertaste. 


2. Eligibility

  • This competition is only open to residents of Nottinghamshire, UK
  • No entries will be accepted from professional brewers or people who work in commercial brewery production.


3. How to enter

  • To enter you need to complete our entry form on or before Sunday 15 May 2022.
  • We will get back to all entrants after entries close with details of next steps.
  • Be ready to deliver 2 x 500ml bottles of your beer off to us at The Abdication micropub between 1-9 June 2022.

ENTER HOP IDOL 2022 NOW!