Homebrew Dog Comeptition

[JonBrew]

Some brewery competitions work that way, like this one and the Thornbridge/Waitrose one, but most aren't hosted by a brewer so a different "prize" is at the end of it.

I can understand why homebrewers would boycott this and similar competitions, I don't think I'd enter the Thornbridge one, because it's taking your creative work and making a lot of money on it which they keep for themselves. The difference is Brewdog are offering the winner a job which make it a bit more ethical.

The way I feel with Thornbridge though is they take your recipe, give you £250 and a tour around the brewery. It sounds like a terrible deal considering they are gonna make a lot of money on it and not do a great deal of operational work. It's a bit like entering a song into a battle of the bands competition or something, the winner gets their song recorded and released by Queens of the Stone Age. You get £250 for the effort, you get to see the band record the song in the studio, and you get to see it go on sale in iTunes, record stores, Spotify etc. QOTSA get the rights to the song so you make no money other than £250 whilst the band line their pockets with your creative output.

It's not very fair.

Fairness under the circumstances of these competitions is pretty subjective. The people who enter them know what they're signing up for and that they won't get a cut if they win.

I entered both; I would have been thrilled to win and would be honoured to have MY beer brewed by either BrewDog or Thornbridge. That for me would be enough of a reward, nevermind a royalty for each beer sold.

With respect, I also certainly don't think either of these breweries (arguably two of the UK's most ground breaking) need to turn to the homebrewing community for recipe inspiration. Whilst I accept they may stand to make a decent profit from selling the winning beers, when you consider they own the plant, pay the brewery staff and purchase all the raw materials to make the beer, what price can you really put on the creative?

I also believe these competitions are great for the advancement of the homebrewing hobby in general and that can only be a good thing... surely?

 

[pms67]

Some brewery competitions work that way, like this one and the Thornbridge/Waitrose one, but most aren't hosted by a brewer so a different "prize" is at the end of it.

I can understand why homebrewers would boycott this and similar competitions, I don't think I'd enter the Thornbridge one, because it's taking your creative work and making a lot of money on it which they keep for themselves. The difference is Brewdog are offering the winner a job which make it a bit more ethical.

The way I feel with Thornbridge though is they take your recipe, give you £250 and a tour around the brewery. It sounds like a terrible deal considering they are gonna make a lot of money on it and not do a great deal of operational work. It's a bit like entering a song into a battle of the bands competition or something, the winner gets their song recorded and released by Queens of the Stone Age. You get £250 for the effort, you get to see the band record the song in the studio, and you get to see it go on sale in iTunes, record stores, Spotify etc. QOTSA get the rights to the song so you make no money other than £250 whilst the band line their pockets with your creative output.

It's not very fair.

Good point and well said

 

[pms67]

Fairness under the circumstances of these competitions is pretty subjective. The people who enter them know what they're signing up for and that they won't get a cut if they win.

I entered both; I would have been thrilled to win and would be honoured to have MY beer brewed by either BrewDog or Thornbridge. That for me would be enough of a reward, nevermind a royalty for each beer sold.

With respect, I also certainly don't think either of these breweries (arguably two of the UK's most ground breaking) need to turn to the homebrewing community for recipe inspiration. Whilst I accept they may stand to make a decent profit from selling the winning beers, when you consider they own the plant, pay the brewery staff and purchase all the raw materials to make the beer, what price can you really put on the creative?

I also believe these competitions are great for the advancement of the homebrewing hobby in general and that can only be a good thing... surely?

Also a good point,a healthy debate

 

[terrym]

.

Sadly that's why I wouldn't enter a competition with those guys. There is a good reason why they have been successful through ruthless business practises and shameless acts to grow their business.

+1 on that.
As I observed earlier this year on a silly programme about recruitment which featured Brewdog "James Watt, the co-founder of the business, may be passionate about his beer, but he appears to be much more passionate about making his business a success, to the point of being pretty ruthless. So in my view it's business first, beer second."
And anyone who believes otherwise must be a bit naive

 

[Hoddy]

The way I look at it is the home brew world is actually the driver of real innovation in the craft industry. We are able to test and try concepts that the big boys just cannot. Because of time, cost and production restrictions. The top home brew boys are able to really think outside the box and generate ideas.

Who's to say it's not the winner but multiple entries below that winner that provides the idea for a new line or beer recipe.

All with no recognition, money, or offer of a job in the ar*e end of nowhere.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Leon103]

You have only got to see that all the top innovating breweries are homebrewers

 

[Hoddy]

You have only got to see that all the top innovating breweries are homebrewers

[emoji1303]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[MickDundee]

The results are in. The winner was an old fashioned 7% stout brewed by a brewer in dublin:
https://www.brewdog.com/lowdown/blog/homebrewdog-winner

I see our very own @dad_of_jon appears to have made the top 12 too (unless somebody else submitted a beer called RIS-ky Business), so a big well done to him and any other forumites who made the top 12.

 

[Leon103]

Wow well done. Noticed that the job offer is now only a trial.

 

[wfr42]

Think it always was a chance to work at brewdog and was a trial in the t&c.

Well done dofj and any others on the list.

 

[MickDundee]

Think it always was a chance to work at brewdog and was a trial in the t&c.

It makes sense. It's as big a risk to the winner switching career and uprooting their life to Ellon as it is to BD hiring someone with no professional large scale brewing experience to brew for one of the biggest independent brewing companies in Europe!

 

[dad_of_jon]

The results are in. The winner was an old fashioned 7% stout brewed by a brewer in dublin:
https://www.brewdog.com/lowdown/blog/homebrewdog-winner

I see our very own @dad_of_jon appears to have made the top 12 too (unless somebody else submitted a beer called RIS-ky Business), so a big well done to him and any other forumites who made the top 12.

Yup my pseudonym is busted! I came 7th (I'm making that place up 'cos' its not in alphabetical or entry number order :lol: so it's the order of the finalists.

My strategy almost worked - don't do a hoppy ipa 'cos everyone else will.
Still I have a cunning plan for next years entry. :twisted:

I'd have loved to see a 10% bd beer in tescos :grin:

 

[MickDundee]

Yup my pseudonym is busted! I came 7th (I'm making that place up 'cos' its not in alphabetical or entry number order :lol: so it's the order of the finalists.

My strategy almost worked - don't do a hoppy ipa 'cos everyone else will.
Still I have a cunning plan for next years entry. :twisted:

I'd have loved to see a 10% bd beer in tescos :grin:

You'll have to get past my Common People to win next year. I'll probably be on version 7 or somethin of my recipe by then!

 

[dad_of_jon]

You'll have to get past my Common People to win next year. I'll probably be on version 7 or somethin of my recipe by then!

I love a challenge :thumb:

 

[MyQul]

Well done d_o_J :thumb:

 

[dad_of_jon]

Well done d_o_J :thumb:

I'd send you one of my few remaining bottles, but 10% would project you from bermondsey to watford! :whistle:

 

[MyQul]

I'd send you one of my few remaining bottles, but 10% would project you from bermondsey to watford! :whistle:

I think just the fumes from it would power my recumbent for a week :lol: .I once tried a 9% or so stout years ago. I couldn't finish it

 

[dad_of_jon]

I think just the fumes from it would power my recumbent for a week :lol: .I once tried a 9% or so stout years ago. I couldn't finish it

I need to find a 125ml bottle then :lol:

 

[IainM]

Yup my pseudonym is busted! I came 7th (I'm making that place up 'cos' its not in alphabetical or entry number order :lol: so it's the order of the finalists.

My strategy almost worked - don't do a hoppy ipa 'cos everyone else will.
Still I have a cunning plan for next years entry. :twisted:

I'd have loved to see a 10% bd beer in tescos :grin:

Very nice. Congratulations!

 

[dad_of_jon]

Still no feedback yet but on enquiring about the situation, I had this....

Hey David,

Thanks for getting in touch...

Our marketing team will be handling the finalists being informed of their results... However with currently collabs and the 2017 plan going live, they have fallen behind!

We will hopefully get all results out in the next few weeks :)


of course i'll be checking the reviews by forumites who've tried it to ensure BD aren't doing a CTRL X - CTRL V :lol: