Past home brew competition winner gives advice to budding brewers

Bell's Brewery will open its doors to homebrewers from across the area Saturday Sept. 13 as the 5th annual Home Brew Competition and Expo kicks off with performances by Leftover Salmon, Johnny Cash tribute band Cash'd Out, and features vendor booths, home brew lectures and the wildly popular Hot Dog Eating Contest.

The day-long event ,which also marks the brewery's 29th birthday, will give homebrewers an opportunity to sign up for the competition, and pick up the mandatory brewery approved Wort which will be used in every beer entered.

Since 2011 when Oscar Folley won with an IPA he brewed with Jarrett Cupp, Bailey Cupp, and Paul Gentz, the previous four winners had the honor of having their beer on tap at the Eccentric Cafe. In recognition of the competition celebrating its fifth anniversary, The previous four winners, this year Bell's decided to take the event one step further. The winning entrant will go along with his brew to the Pro-Am Brewing Competition at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colo.

With so much riding on this year's competition and with a multitude of talented home brewers in the area, we wondered how entrants could gain an edge on the rest of the field. To find out we caught up with Geoff Groff, the 2012 winner who wonthe competition with his beer, A Bit of Heat; an IPA brewed with rose hips, habanero and paradise seeds.

Groff got us caught up on what he has been up to since winning, and handed out some insights on what it takes to win the contest.

Second Wave Media: How have you been? Tell us a little bit about what you have been up to since winning. Where are you working, any big life events?

Geoff Groff: I have completed the BJCP exam (Beer Judge Certification Program) and currently have a recognized rank. I am currently working with an engineering and architectural company on a local environment project in a technical editor/quality auditor role.

SWM: Are you still home brewing?

GG: Yes, I am definitely still homebrewing. I recently packaged about three different batches adding up to about 15 gallons and then brewed another two batches with more planned.

SWM: What beer styles are you particularly interested in right now? What do you like drinking? What do you like brewing?

GG: I try to brew a variety of styles, most recently I brewed a Roggienbier (German rye) and an Oktoberfest. Additionally, I attempted something a bit more unusual with a Finnish Sahti, a bit of an obscure beer made from rye, barley, and some oats that uses juniper predominantly both for flavoring and for filtering the beer itself.

SWM: Have you considered going commercial?

GG: Yes, I have certainly considered going commercial, either as a brewer or with my own microbrewery. An opportunity for both might be in the near future. I think there is still a strong potential for craft beer in Michigan despite the number of new breweries opening. Since 2010, five new breweries have opened up in the Kalamazoo area, and the addition of another Arcadia location in Kalamazoo. There is at least two more opening within the next 12 months or so. Craft beer currently makes up around 14 percent of the beer consumed in U.S., with AB-InBev and MillerCoors together accounting for about 74 percent. I am certain the area can support several more brewpubs.

SWM: Have you followed along with the Homebrew competition over the past couple years?

GG: I have participated in the competition each year and plan to do so as well this year. I have yet to decide on what I will be brewing.

SWM: Going into your championship year, how did you prepare? How did you choose the beer you decided to go with?

GG: I did not do much preparation at all and believe that I decided on what to brew the day before the competition. I chose to do a pepper beer as I had wanted to do so for a short while.

SWM: What advice do you have for home brewers who are considering entering?

GG: Review your brewing methods, including sanitation, which is probably among the most important steps in brewing. Everything else can go as planned, but having a contamination can potentially ruin a batch of otherwise excellent beer.

SWM: What beer styles have the best chance of winning and how important is the style you choose over the quality of the beer?

GG: If you were to look back at the past winners, a majority of them have been IPAs or otherwise hoppy ales.

SWM: Has winning changed or altered the way in which you home brew?

GG: Winning has not changed how I brew, although it did help to add to my confidence. I have participated in several BJCP competitions and I have made adjustments to either my brewing methods or to my recipes based on the feedback I have received.

SWM: During the competition, how did it feel to have your beer judged by a panel of strangers? Afterward, how did it feel to know your beer was being consumed by the general public?

GG: Personally I look forward to getting feedback from judges, as it is meant to enable homebrewers to improve upon their methods and brews. The judging is blind and the participating judges don't know whose beer they are tasting, the only consideration is the beer itself. Our friends may always say they like our beers, and probably do, but I do think there is value in getting feedback from someone who is knowledgeable, yet is unbiased.

All homebrewers interested in entering the event must stop by the Eccentric Cafe to pick up the official competition wort before beginning brewing and have four bottles of beer turned into the Bell’s General Store by Saturday, Oct. 25.

Winners will be announced on Bell's annual All Stouts Day, Sunday, Nov. 2, Complete entry details can be found at bellsbeer.com.

Jeremy Martin is the craft brew writer for Southwest Michigan's Second Wave.

Photos courtesy Bell's Brewery.