REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN | KOLSCH CUP 2024 is April 11th – April 13th 2024
USE THIS LINK TO REGISTER FOR THE 2024 KOLSCH CUP: https://forms.gle/gRJeb1vQppgWnDdJ7
Also, to sweeten the deal for our wonderful Patreon members… your entry into the competition is HALF PRICED ($20 for Patreon members in the $5 or higher tier)! Make sure, when registration is open, that you include the email you use for Patreon and in the comments mention that you’re a Patreon Trub Club member. For everyone else entering, it’s only $40 to enter and that’s basically just to help us cover our costs on the shirts and shipping the swag out to you all.
We will be talking about this on our weekly show so tune in to catch any updates or news. You’ll also receive an email with any updates and also an email with a PayPal invoice to pay your registration fee. When we receive your payment, you’ll be assigned an entry # with instructions for how to label the kolsch you ship or deliver to us.
Good luck to all who enter!
(here is an example of the scoresheet we’ll be using and sending back to participants)
Kölsch Cup 2024 Rules & Guidelines
Entry Fee
The entry fee in 2024 will be $40 per entry. Your entry fee is to cover our costs for the shirt you will receive, and the Grand Champion trophy along with the two runner up medals, and shipping this stuff back out to you after the competition.
How to enter the Kölsch Cup
Step 1: Competition Application/Payment: February 8th – March 8th (or until we fill up all 40 spots)
Step 2: Entry Registration & Payment
CONFIRMATION EMAIL: Confirmation emails are all sent by me, Joshua, shortly after you submit your registration form. A $40 per entry charge is due via the PayPal invoice you’ll receive at the same time. Once you pay for your entries, you are officially entered in the competition. Payments are due by March 9th, 2024. THIS EVENT IS LIMITED TO 40 entries so sign up asap to reserve your spot!
Disclaimer: Failure to pay within the deadline window will result in dismissal from the competition.
Getting your kölsch to us!
You need to deliver two 12oz bottles (or cans) of your kölsch to
Kölsch Cup | ATTN Joshua
1800 EDC Parkway
Comanche, TX 76442
and they must be delivered to us on or before Friday, April 5th. Please do your best to make sure your kölsch gets to us by the deadline! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE have your registration number included in your shipment AND on each bottle/can you deliver. It can be a generic sticky label, a piece of paper with a rubber band to fasten it – whatever. Just make sure your bottles are labeled with only your registration number!
When I send you your confirmation email AFTER you’ve paid for your entry/s, you’ll also get a unique entry number. PLEASE INCLUDE THIS NUMBER either on a piece paper inside your shipment packaging or tape it to the bottles or somehow make sure it’s included with your bottles/cans.
These unique entry numbers will allow you to view your scoresheet online (we’ll also be shipping you a scoresheet with your t-shirt) with anonymity so only you will know that your kölsch was the kölsch that I loved best and nobody even came close to making a delicious kölsch like you did!
UNITED STATES SHIPPING DETAILS
It is the entrant’s responsibility to make sure entries arrive on time and are labeled correctly.
Package MUST have “Kölsch Cup” listed on package when delivered.
Deliver Direct (drop-off): If you’re near us, feel free to drop off your entry!
Pack it well (make it unbreakable). I, personally, recommend using https://www.craftyshipping.com/ products. We use them all the time and they’re great!
Create a packing list/inventory each box in case of an incident
JUDGING & AWARDS
Kölsch Cup will rate every beer on a similar scale used by the American Homebrewer’s Association (scoring the beer overall from 1-50) and we will be awarding ONE Grand Champion trophy and TWO Runner Up medals.
Judging Process
The widely recognized expertise regarding the topic of kölsch by myself (Joshua), Todd (caveman), and James (handsome) is world renowned and we’re excited to be judging a kölsch only competition. As of right now, the plan is to begin the first “round” of judging on Thursday, April 11th. We’ll continue the 2nd group of Round 1 entries on Friday and then judge the top 10 as a group on Saturday to determine our winners. This is why we ask for two bottles or cans, so that we can have that second bottle/can to drink if your kölsch is in the final running!
We want to live stream this but, worst case, we’ll be recording and publish the videos immediately after. The only thing keeping us from potentially live streaming is Todd’s awful internet at the ranch. The livestreaming/recording component is another reason why it’s important to include your entry number (given to you by me via email AFTER you pay for your entry) so that you’ll know if we’re judging your beer at that time.
WARNING: Todd is brutally honest and will, undoubtedly, say harsh things if he feels it’s warranted while drinking your kölsch. I can promise you that I’ve been called the worst of the worst by him and you get used to it after a while. I’m anticipating only really good things being said during kölsch cup though because, well, we’ll be drinking your kölsch!
HAVE FUN!
Competitions are fun already but the last thing we want is for anyone to stress over this. Brewing and drinking kölsch is already my favorite thing to do and our community (YOU) are awesome and I can’t wait to try your brews. Someone messaged me asking if I’m opposed to adjuncts in their entries and I said “GO FOR IT!”. I promise you that even if you brewed a 1:1 clone of Fruh Kölsch that it won’t guarantee you winning because I’m only 1/3 of the votes anyway. Todd loves dry kölsch with more hop forwardness while James likes the crisp lager’esque kölsch of Peter’s Kölsch in Cologne. Our tastes are so different that I’m genuinely excited to see who’s entries end up getting our collective praise and prizes!
JUDGING BEGINS THURSDAY, April 11th for ROUND 1 Day 1, Friday will be ROUND 1 Day 2, and then ROUND 2 + CROWNING OF THE GRAND CHAMPION WILL BE ON SATURDAY, April 13th