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Rules

2024 Minnesota State Fair Homebrew Competition rules (please read carefully)

The Minnesota State Fair Homebrew Competition is open ONLY TO MINNESOTA RESIDENTS. There is a $10.00 fee per entry. Paid entries from non-residents will be judged, however, they will not be eligible for placing or prizes. NO REFUNDS. NO EXCUSES. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Entries are limited to 400 paid entries. We may consider increasing the number of allowed entries depending on demand AND number of available judges and stewards who volunteer.

The competition committee will determine the final award categories based on the number and styles of entries received. All entries will be judged according to the style in which they were originally entered according to the BJCP Style Guidelines.

A Best Of Show Beer, Best Of Show Mead, and Best Of Show Cider will be determined by a second judging of the winners of each award category.

The Minn-kasi Award will be awarded to the brewer racking up the most points for beer, mead, and cider placing in this year’s competition. The winner will receive a custom-engraved, handcrafted wooden chalice with your name. Do you have what it takes???

Questions? Contact us at homebrewcompmnstatefair@gmail.com for more information before submitting -- and paying for! -- your entries.


PLEASE support our past sponsors as well as your local homebrew supply shops, favorite bars, bottle shops, local breweries, and restaurants! They helped make this competition possible when we needed their support in the past – let’s return the favor and help them now when they need our support.


Minnesota residents of legal age may enter.

Entries must be entered under the name of all brewers who helped.

Entries brewed in commercial facilities are ineligible. This includes AHA Wort Day rallies, free wort or wort shares from commercial breweries, etc.

We will only accept online entries and online payment.

Entry bottles accepted at our drop-off locations found here:

Entry bottles will be accepted at our shipping location found here:

No refunds.

The Minnesota State Fair Homebrew Competition accepts no responsibility for entries that are damaged during shipping or do not arrive at an approved shipping destination within the time limits. Late entries will not be accepted. Should only 1 bottle survive shipping then that entry will not be judged at best of show should the entry make it to that level.

All other entries will be disqualified!

The organizers reserve the right to make a final decision about an entry's eligibility in cases of a dispute.

All entries become the property of the Minnesota State Fair Homebrew Competition. No entries will be returned for any reason.

Questions? Contact us at homebrewcompmnstatefair@gmail.com for more information before submitting (and paying for!) your entries. Sorry, no refunds.

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BJCP 2021 Judging Styles

If a style's name is hyperlinked, it has specific entry requirements. Select or tap on the name to view the subcategory's requirements.

1A American Light Lager1B American Lager1C Cream Ale
1D American Wheat Beer2A International Pale Lager2B International Amber Lager
2C International Dark Lager3A Czech Pale Lager3B Czech Premium Pale Lager
3C Czech Amber Lager3D Czech Dark Lager4A Munich Helles
4B Festbier4C Helles Bock5A German Leichtbier
5B Kölsch5C German Helles Exportbier5D German Pils
6A Märzen6B Rauchbier6C Dunkels Bock
7A Vienna Lager7B Altbier8A Munich Dunkel
8B Schwarzbier9A Doppelbock 9B Eisbock
9C Baltic Porter10A Weissbier10B Dunkels Weissbier
10C Weizenbock 11A Ordinary Bitter11B Best Bitter
11C Strong Bitter12A British Golden Ale12B Australian Sparkling Ale
12C English IPA13A Dark Mild13B British Brown Ale
13C English Porter14A Scottish Light14B Scottish Heavy
14C Scottish Export15A Irish Red Ale15B Irish Stout
15C Irish Extra Stout16A Sweet Stout16B Oatmeal Stout
16C Tropical Stout16D Foreign Extra Stout17A British Strong Ale
17A1 Burton Ale17B Old Ale17C Wee Heavy
17D English Barley Wine18A Blonde Ale18B American Pale Ale
19A American Amber Ale19B California Common19C American Brown Ale
20A American Porter20B American Stout20C Imperial Stout
21A American IPA21B Specialty IPA 21B1 Belgian IPA
21B2 Black IPA 21B3 Brown IPA 21B4 Red IPA
21B5 Rye IPA 21B6 White IPA 21B7 Brut IPA
21C Hazy IPA22A Double IPA22B American Strong Ale
22C American Barleywine22D Wheatwine23A Berliner Weisse
23B Flanders Red Ale23C Oud Bruin23D Lambic
23E Gueuze23F Fruit Lambic 23G Gose
24A Witbier24B Belgian Pale Ale24C Bière de Garde
25A Belgian Blond Ale25B Saison 25C Belgian Golden Strong Ale
26A Belgian Single26B Belgian Dubbel26C Belgian Tripel
26D Belgian Dark Strong Ale27A Historical Beer 27A1 Kellerbier
27A2 Kentucky Common27A3 Lichtenhainer27A4 London Brown Ale
27A5 Piwo Grodziskie27A6 Pre-Prohibition Lager27A7 Pre-Prohibition Porter
27A8 Roggenbier27A9 Sahti28A Brett Beer
28B Mixed Fermentation Sour Beer 28C Wild Specialty Beer 28D Straight Sour Beer
29A Fruit Beer 29B Fruit and Spice Beer 29C Specialty Fruit Beer
29D Grape Ale 30A Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer 30B Autumn Seasonal Beer
30C Winter Seasonal Beer 30D Specialty Spice Beer 31A Alternative Grain Beer
31B Alternative Sugar Beer 32A Classic Style Smoked Beer 32B Specialty Smoked Beer
33A Wood-Aged Beer 33B Specialty Wood-Aged Beer 34A Commercial Specialty Beer
34B Mixed-Style Beer 34C Experimental Beer C1A New World Cider
C1B English Cider C1C French Cider C1D New World Perry
C1E Traditional Perry C2A New England Cider C2B Cider with Other Fruit
C2C Applewine C2D Ice Cider C2E Cider with Herbs/Spices
C2F Specialty Cider/Perry M1A Dry Mead M1B Semi-Sweet Mead
M1C Sweet Mead M2A Cyser M2B Pyment
M2C Berry Mead M2D Stone Fruit Mead M2E Melomel
M3A Fruit and Spice Mead M3B Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Mead M4A Braggot
M4B Historical Mead M4C Experimental Mead  

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Number of Bottles Required Per Entry: 2

Judging Sessions

Session 0: Distributed Judging Session (aka Pre-judging if necessary)
Saturday, August 10, 2024 5:00 PM, CDT through Saturday, August 17, 2024 11:00 PM, CDT
TBD

Bottle Sort
Sunday, August 11, 2024 11:00 AM, CDT

Session 1: Afternoon - Summit Brewing Co. - Admin & Training Bldg.
Friday, August 16, 2024 2:00 PM, CDT

Session 2: Evening - Summit Brewing Co. - Admin & Training Bldg.
Friday, August 16, 2024 5:00 PM, CDT

Session 3: Morning - Summit Brewing Co. - Admin & Training Bldg.
Saturday, August 17, 2024 9:00 AM, CDT

Session 4: Afternoon - Summit Brewing Co. - Admin & Training Bldg.
Saturday, August 17, 2024 12:00 PM, CDT

Session 5: Evening - Summit Brewing Co. - Admin & Training Bldg.
Saturday, August 17, 2024 2:35 PM, CDT

Beer Best In Show - Summit Brewing Co. - Admin & Training Bldg.
Saturday, August 17, 2024 5:00 PM, CDT

Cider Best In Show - Summit Brewing Co. - Admin & Training Bldg.
Saturday, August 17, 2024 5:00 PM, CDT

Mead Best In Show - Summit Brewing Co. - Admin & Training Bldg.
Saturday, August 17, 2024 5:00 PM, CDT

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Awards

Ribbons will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each category.

Best of Show Ribbons will be awarded to the best of show beer, best of show mead, and best of show cider selected by a panel of special judges.

The Minn-kasi winner will be awarded to the brewer accumulating the most points for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place entries (beer, mead, and cider) in the competition, and will receive a goblet engraved with their name.

Entrants will be able to download their scoresheets from the competition site shortly after the conclusion of the awards ceremony.

PLEASE support our past sponsors as well as your local homebrew supply shops, favorite bars, bottle shops, local breweries, and restaurants! They helped make this competition possible when we needed their support in the past – let’s return the favor and help them now when they need our support.

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Awards Ceremony

MN State Fairgrounds, Horticulture Building
Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Area in the Horticulture Building
Saturday, August 24, 2024 12:30 PM, CDT

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