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Entry Registration is Open

QUAFF Club Only Competitions are FREE for all dues-paid QUAFF members, who by definition are age 21 or older.  If you would like to enter but are not a member or haven't yet paid your dues - please pay your 2026 dues!  (A Competition staff member will verify your membership status and clear the balance for all dues paid members).

The May 2026 COC theme is "Sam I, Pro-Am!".  The winner of each beer category will have their beer brewed professionally by the sponsoring brewery and then entered in the 2026 GABF Pro-Am.  Your entries will be judged by a BJCP ranked judge alongside a representative of the brewery.

• Gravity Heights: 21A West Coast IPA
• AleSmith: 19B California Common
• Home Brew Mart: Wild Card - any style not included in another 2026 COC [see Styles Accepted below]

This is a dual track competition with Cider entries counting toward Fermentationist of the Year.  Cider entries will be judged alonside a representative from Bivouac Ciderworks.  The winning entry will be scaled up at Bivoac.

For this COC, each brewer (including co-brewer pairs) may submit a maximum of three (3) entries per track.  You may choose to enter all entries in a single category, or spread them out.  Each entry must be unique enough to be judged as a separate and distinct beverage.  NOTE: For this competition, if you submit more than three entries in a track (i.e. more than 3 beers or more than 3 ciders), the entries submitted after the third will be discarded and not judged.

All entries must be received at the drop off location by the posted deadline.  Late entries will (most likely) be disqualified.

Entries must be handcrafted products, containing ingredients available to the general public, and made using private equipment by hobbyist brewers (i.e., no use of commercial facilities or Brew on Premises operations, supplies, etc.).

QUAFF is not responsible for mis-categorized entries (consult the BJCP Style Guidelines if you are unsure), entries that are not received by the entry deadline, or entries that arrived damaged.

QUAFF's Club Only Competitions serve three primary functions: 1) unbiased and qualified feedback on our members' entries; 2) the opportunity for our members to earn BJCP judging points; 3) the opportunity for our members to become familiar with stewarding and administration of homebrew competitions.

Entries will be evaluated by at least two judges.  At least one judge will be BJCP ranked.

SCORES will not necessarily determine the overall placement of entries at a given table or in BOS ranking.

Best Of Show winners will earn points toward QUAFF Homebrewer of the Year.  For more information about the point system used, click here.

Bottles will not be returned to entrants.

NOTE: If sending messages through the Contact form below or trying to retrieve a lost password, check your spam folder.

Entry Acceptance Rules

Two bottles should be submitted to ensure judging in the BOS round.

Bottles and caps should be non-descript so as to preserve the anonymity of the entrant.

Bottles should be 12oz or smaller (smaller bottles may not have enough contents to be fully evaluated).  Brown bottles are preferred, but green and clear bottles are acceptable.

Caps should be black, gold or silver only.  All other caps will be rejected if not blacked out.

Silver or black cans 16oz or less in size, corked bottles, and swing top bottles will be accepted so long as they can fit into a standard 12oz case box.

Bottles will not be returned to contest entrants.

The labels printed from your registration must be submmited with each entry.  Secure the label using a rubberband only - DO NOT TAPE OR GLUE your label to the bottle.

Be meticulous about noting any special ingredients that must be specified. Failure to note such ingredients may impact the judges' scoring of your entry.

Entry Fees

$31.00 (USD) per entry.

Entry Limits

Entry Limit – Paid:

150

Entry Limits Per Participant

Entry Limit Per Participant:

6

BJCP 2021 / 2025 Styles Accepted

Indicates that the style's entry limit has been reached and no more entries of that style will be accepted.

Entry Delivery

Entry bottles accepted at our drop-off locations Monday, May 11, 2026 8:00 AM, PDT — Thursday, May 21, 2026 5:00 PM, PDT.

Please pay attention to the notes provided for each drop-off location. There could be earlier deadlines for some drop-off locations listed, particular hours when entries are accepted, certain individuals to leave your entries with, etc. All entrants are responsible for reading the information provided by the organizers for each drop-off location.

Ben's Office
Email Ben for Details
619-000-0000
*M-F 8am-5pm

Judging Sessions

Pre-Judging
Friday, May 22, 2026 8:00 AM, PDT

Gravity Heights: West Coast IPA
Saturday, May 23, 2026 8:00 AM, PDT

AleSmith: California Common
Saturday, May 23, 2026 8:01 AM, PDT

Home Brew Mart: Wild Card
Saturday, May 23, 2026 8:02 AM, PDT

Bivouac Ciderworks: Ciders
Saturday, May 23, 2026 8:03 AM, PDT

BOS
Sunday, May 24, 2026 12:00 PM, PDT

Best of Show

The BEST OF SHOW beer will be selected from the top entries at each table, where they will be judged by a separate panel.  The Best of Show winners will earn points toward Homebrewer of the Year.  While unlikely, it is possible that the entries earning overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd BOS are NOT scaled up by a brewery.

The BEST OF SHOW cider will be scaled up at Bivouac Ciderworks.

Awards

COC winners will be announced at the QUAFF General Meeting following judging.

Points are awarded to 1st, 2nd, 3rd Best Of Show from each track.

Score sheets will be posted digitally through this competition website following the General Meeting.

Awards Ceremony

The Gärten
5322 Banks Street, San Diego, CA 92110
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 7:00 PM, PDT