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Mazer Cup International 2011

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AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
I don't think I've ever seen them. I'll probably just have to buy some more dogfish head beer (their bottles seem way thinner than normal beer bottles, but I guess must be fine?)... one of my submissions will be carbonated, but not super highly carb'd.

I'd rather try and track down the proper brown bottles right now than take a risk with green ones getting disqualified (and I really should get these bottled within the next week or so to make sure they're totally ready in time for the Mazer Cup).
 

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
11
0
Ithaca, NY
How about Sierra Nevada? They have pop-top bottles and the Pale ale is pretty widely distributed.
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
8
0
34
The OC
Sam Adams bottles will work - you can usually find them around.

Raised letters so not so good for the competition.

We had some good news today and are very close to finalizing a deal with the hotel about doing all judging blind.

Plan for standard bottle rules, but hope for blind judging.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
8
0
34
The OC
I don't think I've ever seen them. I'll probably just have to buy some more dogfish head beer (their bottles seem way thinner than normal beer bottles, but I guess must be fine?)... one of my submissions will be carbonated, but not super highly carb'd.

I'd rather try and track down the proper brown bottles right now than take a risk with green ones getting disqualified (and I really should get these bottled within the next week or so to make sure they're totally ready in time for the Mazer Cup).

Come on folks you gotta read the bottle requirements. Brown or green are fine so go for it!
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
8
0
34
The OC
How about Sierra Nevada? They have pop-top bottles and the Pale ale is pretty widely distributed.

Sierra Nevada work great and the labels come off very easily. Only one bottle that is easier to 86 the labels on and that's Pacifico!
 

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007
Premium Patron
Raised letters so not so good for the competition.

We had some good news today and are very close to finalizing a deal with the hotel about doing all judging blind.

:confused: Last year Sam Adams bottles were okay.
If they aren't okay this year, please confirm that because they are pretty common and many of us may use them. I don't know if I've bottled anything in a Sam Adams bottle so far, but since I bottled some stuff last year, there may be. If they aren't allowed, I'll go through and remove any Sam Adams bottles I find. I don't want to send in entries that will be disqualified, but there is no way that I'm re-bottling anything even if that means I won't be able to send in some batches.

I do hope the blind pours come through.
 

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
Come on folks you gotta read the bottle requirements. Brown or green are fine so go for it!

Sorry, I should have been more specific - all the green ones I can get are distinctly shaped (more tapered than the usual beer bottle with "shoulders") and/or silkscreened and/or have raised lettering. I've read the rules (which actually say raised letting is ok) but as I understand them the bottles I usually use would get me kicked out because it would be 100% obvious which batches were from the same person (which is the point of the bottle rules right?).

I want to play it safe, so plain brown bottles from Dogfish seems like my best bet. PLUS, it's an excuse to buy more Dogfish Head beer! ;D
 

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
That's killer news, I'd been putting of bottling trying to track down more bottles, now I can just go ahead with it! Wooooohoooooo!
 

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
Tickets to the paired dinner seem to be available. Already snagged mine!

Wow, $50 is really reasonable for a price, and the website says there are still 147 seats available?!?!?! That's one freaking HUGE tasting event!

Man, I'm getting more and more tempted to buy some plane tickets and come down... I was planning on waiting until 2012 but really what's my holdup? Time off work is easy, flight won't be that expensive (plus I can likely beg some airmiles off my parents who collect truely insane amounts of airmiles), and it'll be a heck of an experience.

I'm going to sleep on this for at least tonight then try to convince myself to come down and volunteer for this. ;D
 

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
Alright, my ticket to the paired tasting is bought, and place to stay taken care of thanks to Akueck. Filled out the volunteer form to steward for both days (about the only think I think is within my skill range! Other than cleanup, but I'll have to be heading back to Canada at that time).

One stupid question - it says dress in solid colours in the volunteer form. I'm guessing jeans and plain 1-colour t-shirts would be ok?

I promise to not wear any Hawaiian shirts!
 

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
I figured I'd add my name to my signature so people don't have to try to pronounce AToE when they meet me! And then I figured I'd explain AToE so that they don't think those are my initials or something...:p

I'm looking forward to meeting everyone too, it'll be funny to see how my preconcieved images line up/don't with the real deal!
 

epetkus

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 1, 2009
378
2
0
Florida
Well folks its official....

We've worked it out with the hotel and will be doing blind pours for the Home competion!

Check out the updated bottle information at http://www.mazercup.com/mcih_entry_rules.htm

Cheers!

Dani

OK, so beer bottles are preferred, but if we already have ours in 750ml wine bottles, it seems that will be acceptable, yes?

Also, can someone with first-hand experience comment on whether or not a 750ml wine bottle provides enough quantity for the tasting rounds?

Thanks!
 

wayneb

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
750 ml wine bottles ARE acceptable this year. However, keep in mind that a single 12 US fl. oz. beer bottle is approximately 355 ml, so a single 750 ml wine bottle is just slightly more than two beer bottles' net volume. In order to ensure that you have enough mead on hand to survive the prelim judging, then a possible second round (to select best of category), then possibly Best of Show and/or subsequent tasting for the Pro-Am, the minimum you should send per entry is two wine bottles if your mead is still. For sparkling meads I would recommend sending three bottles, since you don't want your mead de-gassing between rounds and losing your intended degree of sparkle as the day wears on.

And yes, to be completely comprehensive about it, one 750ml plus one 375ml is slightly more than three beer bottles' volume so if you sent in a one-and-one entry like that, you'd be supplying enough mead to "run the gauntlet" of rounds, but if you're that protective of your mead then I'd recommend you just send it in beer bottles to begin with - it'll be much easier for us to handle that way! ;D
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
8
0
34
The OC
750 ml wine bottles ARE acceptable this year. However, keep in mind that a single 12 US fl. oz. beer bottle is approximately 355 ml, so a single 750 ml wine bottle is just slightly more than two beer bottles' net volume. In order to ensure that you have enough mead on hand to survive the prelim judging, then a possible second round (to select best of category), then possibly Best of Show and/or subsequent tasting for the Pro-Am, the minimum you should send per entry is two wine bottles if your mead is still. For sparkling meads I would recommend sending three bottles, since you don't want your mead de-gassing between rounds and losing your intended degree of sparkle as the day wears on.

And yes, to be completely comprehensive about it, one 750ml plus one 375ml is slightly more than three beer bottles' volume so if you sent in a one-and-one entry like that, you'd be supplying enough mead to "run the gauntlet" of rounds, but if you're that protective of your mead then I'd recommend you just send it in beer bottles to begin with - it'll be much easier for us to handle that way! ;D

Just a note here.

Sending mismatched entry sizes presents us with a number of issues. Storage of entries becomes complicated with mismatched bottle sizes since we try to minimize the footprint of our storage area by keeping like-sized bottles together and as a result the potential for loss his higher. At the competition there is a higher potential that your mead will sit through several other flights of judging (hours) after being opened before it gets back to the judging tables for the BoS round if it makes it that far. Another key factor is, that if one of those bottles gets broken, leaks, or has an issue, you're done! You won't make it past the first round.

If you already have your mead in wine bottles, send two and you should be covered unless one breaks during shipment.

I also want to say that Wayne is a very patient and dedicated guy and he already goes way out of his way to do everything he can to accommodate really questionable entries that we have received in the past. I ask that you folks bear in mind the really daunting task that Wayne faces every year of going through six hundred bottles or more, by hand, after work, on his own time in order to verify, identify, register and account for your entries. He is a star in every sense of the word.

It is just simpler, more secure and overall more conducive to the flow of the competition to go with three like sized and shaped bottles of 10oz or more, or 4 bottles under 10oz. Color, closures, raised lettering and shape isn't an issue this year.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
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