Being asked whether you'd like a glass of home brew beer can bring on one of two reactions.
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You're either a 'yeah, I'll give it a go,' type of beer drinker or you'll recoil in horror as you remember those very ordinary brews that a mate once cooked up in the corner of his shed.
With the assistance of modern brewing systems complete with Bluetooth controllers, temperature controlled fermentation vessels and any number of YouTube videos to watch, home brewers are a loud and proud bunch, and now they have a real opportunity to exercise their bragging rights.
Country Brewer stores in Orange, Bathurst and Mudgee are collaborating with the Mad Hatter Drink Lab in Orange to find the best home brew and offer them the kind of prize that will fulfil their ultimate brewing fantasy.
Everyone told me I'd get the bug once I started and I'd end up going all-grain.
- Millthorpe home brewer Chris Frith
First prize is 800 litres of their beer commercially brewed by Mad Hatter and sold on tap at the Carriers Arm in Orange, plus a keg for their own consumption at home.
Country Brewer Orange owner Darrell Mogford has developed the Brewmuda Beer Battle competition with the Bathurst and Mudgee stores to help create a broader understanding of how far brewing techniques have come, and give the brewers a place to bang on and on about how good their beer truly is.
"It's all about bragging rights," he said.
"There has been a big increase in people brewing beer with these all-in-one systems and they love nothing more than bragging about how they won a prize at the local show for their stout or pale ale."
Millthorpe home brewer Chris Frith began brewing only four years ago and started with the well-known kits before getting the brewing bug and moving to all grain.
"Everyone told me I'd get the bug once I started and I'd end up going all-grain," he said. "At first I said that I won't because all I want is cheap beer, but soon enough I was doing brew in a basket in stainless steel and now have a customisable system."
For the competition he's going all out with two very flavouful beers that he hopes will wow the judges.
"I'm thinking of entering a chocolate vanilla stout and an American Pale Ale," he said.
Mr Mogford said that the judges would be from the hospitality industry, coffee roasters and one other who will likely be Beer Judge Certification Program certified.
"Brewers can enter two different styles of beer and will need to submit two stubby sized bottles," he said.
Second prize is a Hark two door smoker and third prize is one of three $50 vouchers.
Competition is free and closes August 19. Entries can be entered into your respective store.
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