View all the 2024 winners!
Homebrewers have become very vocal about our January competition, and are spreading the word like wildfire! Not only do we time it well as a preliminary run for those of you competing in Nationals, but we have an exceptional judging panel that is eclectic, constructive and extremely well-educated in the brewing industry.
One of our participating Homebrew Clubs calls the Big Beers Festival and Competition “the highlight” of their season, and the competitive edge and number of entries make for a challenge of the highest degree!
In addition to our classic medals, winners of the 2024 Big Beers, Belgians & Strong Ales Homebrew Competition will walk with an assortment of prizes from our sponsors. This will include goodies from Murphy & Rude Malting Company, White Labs, Five Star Chemical Company, Root Shoot Malting, The Brew Hut, and Dry Dock Brewing Co. The Best of Show brewer and Heavy Medal winners will be awarded a One Year Industry All Access Subscription to Craft Beer & Brewing, and the Best of Show winner will also be featured and celebrated by the team at All About Beer. Keep an eye out for additional sponsors and prizes!
Judging will take place January 5 & 6, 2024 at Burns Family Artisan Ales Barrel House, with lunch for the judging staff sponsored by Five Star Chemical Company. Our homebrew sorting and overall organization will be hosted in December by Dry Dock Brewing Co. We are endlessly appreciative of all of our sponsors!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
“The Big Beers homebrew competition features the highest quality of homebrew I’ve experienced under one roof.” – Judge Lauren Lerch
The AHA/BJCP Beer Styles that we include in our competition are reflective of the Festival theme and are listed below. The brewing competition is sponsored and sanctioned by the American Homebrewers Association, and the AHA guidelines will be strictly followed. For more information on specific styles and requirements, please visit the AHA Sanctioned Competition Style Guidelines.
- Category 4C – Helles Bock
- Category 6C – Dunkles Bock
- Categories 9A-C – Doppelbock, Eisbock, Baltic Porter
- Category 10C – Weizenbock
- Categories 17A-D – British Strong Ale, Old Ale, Wee Heavy, English Barleywine
- Category 20C – Imperial Stout
- Categories 22A-D – Double IPA, American Strong Ale, American Barleywine, Wheatwine
- Categories 23B-F – Flanders Red Ale, Oud Bruin, Lambic, Gueuze, Fruit Lambic
- Category 24A-C – Witbier, Belgian Pale Ale, Biere de Garde
- Categories 25A-C – Belgian Blond Ale, Saison, Belgian Golden Strong Ale
- Categories 26A-D – Trappist Single, Belgian Dubbel, Belgian Tripel, Belgian Dark Strong Ale
- Category 27i – Sahti (1.070 min OG)
- Categories 28A-D – Brett Beer, Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer, Wild Specialty Beer, Straight Sour Beer (1.070 min OG)
- Categories 29A-D – Fruit Beer, Fruit and Spice Beer, Specialty Fruit Beer, Grape Ale (1.070 min OG)
- Categories 30A-D – Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer, Autumn Seasonal Beer, Winter Seasonal Beer, Specialty Spice Beer (1.070 min OG)
- Categories 31A-B – Alternative Grain Beer, Alternative Sugar Beer (1.070 min OG)
- Categories 32A-B – Classic Style Smoked Beer, Specialty Smoked Beer (1.070 min OG)
- Categories 33A-B – Wood-Aged Beer, Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (1.070 min OG)
- Categories 34A-C – Clone Beer, Mixed-Style Beer, Experimental Beer (1.070 min OG)
- Category 43 – Italian Grape Ale (1.070 min OG)
- Category 999A – Specialty Double IPAs (black /white /red /etc.)
Three bottles of each entry are required with the appropriate informational labels attached. 12 oz. brown bottles are preferred, but some other sizes/colors will be admitted. For example, Belgians are often bottled in 750ml bottles for several good reasons. Please ask for further information.
All entries must be registered online via the link at the bottom of this page, and entry fees can be submitted with your entries by credit card and through PayPal in the registration process. The entry fee for this competition is $10 per entry, and the deadline for entries to reach us is Saturday, December 2, 2023.
Please note that this competition is limited to non-professional brewers only. Brewers who have received their TTB license to brew commercially are not eligible to compete in our homebrew competition.
Please plan to ship early, as the holidays are a significant shipping challenge at this time of year! If you have shipping issues, please call and ask.
All entries should be shipped to:
Dry Dock Brewing Co. – North Dock
2801 Tower Rd.
Aurora, CO 80011
Attn: Big Beers Festival
Drop-Off Locations
Drop-off locations for homebrew entries are located strategically on the Front Range/in the mountains in several different areas. We thank everyone for allowing our contestants the option to drop their entries rather than shipping them. Please patronize your drop-off location!
Instructions: Clearly label all boxes with Big Beers Competition printed in large letters to ensure your beer entries are properly routed to the festival.
- Boulder: Boulder Fermentation Supply 2510 47th St Unit A2, Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 578-0041
- Northglenn: Quirky Homebrew 425 W 115th Ave Unit 6, Northglenn, CO 80234
Note: All entries must be dropped off in a box or 6pk carrier. - Aurora: The Brew Hut/ Dry Dock Brewing 15120 E. Hampden Ave., Aurora, CO 80014
- Castle Rock: 105 West Brewing Co. 1043 Park St, Castle Rock, CO 80109 (303) 325-7321
- Colorado Springs: Old West Homebrew Shop 229 E Pikes Peak Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, drop off hours are M-F 10-6 and Saturday 10-5
- Glenwood Springs: Glenwood Canyon Brewpub (drop off before 4pm), 402 7th Street, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 (970) 945-1276
- Silverthorne: Syndicate Brewing Co. 203 Summit Place, Silverthorne, CO, 80498 (970) 485-6799, hours: noon – 9pm
If you absolutely cannot get your entries to us by December 2, 2023, please call or email to discuss alternate arrangements.
Homebrew Competition Online Registration for Entries, Judging and Stewarding
2024 Online Registration CLOSED
- All participants (judges, stewards, and entrants) should register via the online site.
- Judges can register August 25th – December 31st, 2023.
- It’s quick and easy to register, let us know whether you are willing to judge or steward, enter your brews, and print all necessary documentation and bottle identification forms.
- Then pay via PayPal or credit card and you’re done!
- Homebrewers: Beer entries will be accepted starting November 4th, 2023. There is a maximum of 300 entries, so registration will close when we reach that number or by the December 2nd, 2023 deadline, whichever happens first. Please note this competition is NOT for commercial brewers.