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 In March of 2011, I was approached by my friend Ed to create a beer to enter in the first annual Bacon & Brew HaHa competition to be held at Appalachian Brewing Company. The event would benefit LLS and feature baconcentric recipes and beers.
 I admit I forgot about the request, and eventually remembered 3 weeks before the event. I quickly found and modified an online recipe, and Ed and I convened to brew.
This beer became Smokey the Beer (label | recipe), a rauchbier that complemented the AMAZING bacon dishes that were created for the April 2011 event. Smokey swept both facets of the competition: Best of Show and People's Choice. Not bad for my first smoked ale and first of hopefully many forays into the world of charity bacon festivals!
 In May 2009 I took 3rd place overall, out of 36 entries, in Appalachian Brewing Co.'s annual homebrew contest. I entered my Belgian Dubbel. The winner received the chance to brew his winning beer on the ABC Camp Hill (4.5 bbl) system. 
As proud recipient of the 3rd place position, I received a $30 gift card to ABC and I suppose the chance to brew my beer in Camp Hill if either of the top two winners don't feel like it.
Click image to see details!
In October 2008 I entered a few beers in the Lancaster County Brewers Showdown.
I got first place for "Deez Nutz" Nut Brown Ale in category 4 (which seems to be a combination of the Beer Judge Certification Program's (bjcp.org) categories 10 and 11, encompassing American Pale Ale, American Amber Ale, American Brown Ale, English Mild, English Southern Brown Ale, and English Northern Ale.
(Scoring and comments below the pics)
There were only 10 entries in my category, but I'll take it! Deez Nutz earned 41 out of a possible 50 in the scoring. Judges comments included:
Aroma (10/12)
"Nice chocolate malt aroma... no hops present... no off aromas"
Appearance (3/3)
"Light brown color... adequate carbonation and lacing"
Flavor (16/20)
"Nice roast and chocolate character up front... a touch of coffee... finishes with a touch of sweetness"
Mouthfeel (4/5)
"Maybe a bit big on the body side, but great mouthfeel with appropriate carbonation... no astringency"
Overall Impression (8/10)
"A well-made example of the style... a bit on the big side, but I guess it's an American interpretation... no technical flaws... nice balance"
Total: 41 out of 50 points.
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