47th California Homebrew Competition (CHC)
Thanks to all who participated in the 47th California Homebrew Competition (CHC).
There were 564 entries judged and 348 registered participants, judges, and stewards.
Best of Show Winners
Best of Show – Beer
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Steve Davidson Co-Brewer: Dirk Manders | Check Amber Larger | 3C: Czech Amber Lager | Bay Area Mashers |
Best of Show – Cider
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Dan Acheson | Ice Is Nice | C2C: Ice Cider | Urban Knaves of Grain |
Best of Show – Mead
| Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bill Boyer | Castle Anthrax 2025 | M2B: Pyment | North Georgia Malt Monkeys |
Heavy Medal Brewer (135 Participating Brewers)
Scores and tie-breakers have been applied in accordance with the scoring methodology. Numbers reflected are rounded to the hundredth place. Hover over or tap the question mark icon () for the actual calculated value.
Heavy Medal Homebrew Club (54 Participating Clubs)
| Place | Club | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE) | 6 | 4 | 5 | 31.15 |
| 2nd | Bay Area Mashers | 5 | 5 | 3 | 28.13 |
| 3rd | Ace Brewing Society | 4 | 5 | 3 | 25.12 |
Scores and tie-breakers have been applied in accordance with the scoring methodology. Numbers reflected are rounded to the hundredth place. Hover over or tap the question mark icon () for the actual calculated value.
Winning Entries
Table 1: Standard American Beer (14 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Todd Slater MHP Co-Brewer: Matt Castellino | Lupe Lite | 1B: American Lager | Thousand Oaked Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Todd Slater MHP Co-Brewer: Matt Castellino | Todd Lite | 1A: American Light Lager | Thousand Oaked Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Ken Wigginton | America Meets Andechs | 1B: American Lager | Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE) |
Table 2: International Lager (8 entries)
Table 3: Czech Lager (19 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Steve Davidson Co-Brewer: Dirk Manders | Check Amber Larger | 3C: Czech Amber Lager | Bay Area Mashers |
| 2nd | Jason Dunn MHP | The Most Gluggable | 3D: Czech Dark Lager | Inland Empire Brewers |
| 3rd | Richard Whitefoot MHP | One Step Forward | 3A: Czech Pale Lager | Inland Empire Brewers |
Table 4: Pale Malty European Lager (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Steve Davidson Co-Brewer: Dirk Manders | My Neck, Maibock, Malt My Barley And Decoct | 4C: Helles Bock | Bay Area Mashers |
| 2nd | Luke Hafdahl MHP Co-Brewer: Adam Sawatsky | Curbside | 4A: Munich Helles | Rochester Area Zymurgy Enthusiasts (RAZE) |
| 3rd | Charlie Friesen | My Bock | 4C: Helles Bock |
Table 5: Pale Bitter European Beer (13 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | David Towles MHP | Kolsch | 5B: Kölsch | High Plains Drafters [TX] |
| 2nd | William Vigil MHP | Muttertag | 5D: German Pils | Ace Brewing Society |
| 3rd | Michael Riddle MHP Co-Brewer: Alex Riddle | Killer Kolsch | 5B: Kölsch | HOME |
Table 6: Amber European Beer (14 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Adam Bradley | "Hey, Goat!" | 6C: Dunkels Bock | Bay Area Mashers |
| 2nd | Dirk Manders | Altbier Im Wald Hier | 7B: Altbier | Bay Area Mashers |
| 3rd | Matthew Johnsen MHP | No Time Like The Past | 7B: Altbier | Rock Hoppers Brew Club |
Table 7: Dark European Beer (8 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Taylor Shastid MHP | Nine Ball | 8B: Schwarzbier | Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE) |
| 2nd | Curtis Ritter MHP | Black Lantern | 8B: Schwarzbier | Ace Brewing Society |
| 3rd | Jason Dunn MHP | ACE In The Dark | 8B: Schwarzbier | Inland Empire Brewers |
| HM | Scott Patrick MHP | Echoes In The Floorboards | 8A: Munich Dunkel | Mountain Ale and Lager Tasters (MALT) |
Table 8: Strong European Beer (12 entries)
Table 9: German Wheat Beer (16 entries)
Table 10: Oktoberfest (21 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Stephen Schmitt MHP | Märzenbier | 6A: Märzen | Evanston Homebrew Club |
| 2nd | Taylor Shastid MHP | Die Verschlimmbesserung | 6A: Märzen | Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE) |
| 3rd | Taylor Shastid MHP | Der Zwilling | 4B: Festbier | Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE) |
Table 11: British Beer (17 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | William Vigil MHP | Hucklebearer | 13A: Dark Mild | Ace Brewing Society |
| 2nd | Travis Cherry MHP | Sequence One | 13C: English Porter | Bay Area Mashtronauts |
| 3rd | William Vigil MHP | Rusty Flaggon | 13B: British Brown Ale | Ace Brewing Society |
Table 12: Scottish & Irish Beer (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bill Mandel | Fight On Irish Red | 15A: Irish Red Ale | Inland Empire Brewers |
| 2nd | David Towles MHP | Scottish Export | 14C: Scottish Export | High Plains Drafters [TX] |
| 3rd | Michael Depozsgay | Red Rye Ale | 15A: Irish Red Ale |
Table 13: British & Irish Stout (15 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Mandy Porter MHP Co-Brewer: Jason Dunn | Donnybrook Stout | 15C: Irish Extra Stout | Inland Empire Brewers |
| 2nd | Jim Williamson MHP | You're Not From Around Here, Are You? | 16D: Foreign Extra Stout | M.A.S.H. Marietta Association of Schoolhouse Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Jordan Stone MHP | Guinno You Di'int | 15B: Irish Stout | Rock Hoppers Brew Club |
Table 14: Strong British Ale (10 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | David Towles MHP | English Barleywine | 17D: English Barley Wine | High Plains Drafters [TX] |
| 2nd | Ken Wigginton | Monk's Wine | 17D: English Barley Wine | Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE) |
| 3rd | Greg Strom | Moggy's Best | 17D: English Barley Wine | Bay Area Mashers |
Table 15: Pale Commonwealth Beer (7 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | David Towles MHP | British Golden Ale | 12A: British Golden Ale | High Plains Drafters [TX] |
| 2nd | Cole Christian MHP Co-Brewer: Paulette Palacios | Belly Rubs | LSX5: New Zealand Pilsner | DC Homebrewers |
| 3rd | Damien Jones | NZ Pils | LSX5: New Zealand Pilsner |
Table 16: American Pale Ale (17 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Travis Cherry MHP | Boardwalk Blonde | 18A: Blonde Ale | Bay Area Mashtronauts |
| 2nd | Dirk Manders | Ghost Dog Pale Ale | 18B: American Pale Ale | Bay Area Mashers |
| 3rd | Evan Brill | Buzz Off | 18B: American Pale Ale | Louisville Area Grain and Extract Research Society, LTD |
Table 17: Amber, Brown & Dark American Beer (19 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jason Dunn MHP | Pops And The Pretender | 19C: American Brown Ale | Inland Empire Brewers |
| 2nd | Greg Strom | The Best Ever Porter Brewed In Denton | 20A: American Porter | Bay Area Mashers |
| 3rd | David Gulotta MHP | Roasted N Blitzed | 20A: American Porter | Ace Brewing Society |
Table 18: Imperial Stout (8 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Doug Walker MHP | 48 Tears Base- Eternal Tears | 20C: Imperial Stout | Inland Empire Brewers |
| 2nd | Stephen Schmitt MHP | Imperial Star Destroyer | 20C: Imperial Stout | Evanston Homebrew Club |
| 3rd | Dirk Montgomery MHP | Tsar's Choice | 20C: Imperial Stout | Red Earth Brewers |
Table 19: American IPA (16 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Mike & Stephanie Butler MHP | Stop Scrolling | 21A: American IPA | Kansas City Bier Meisters |
| 2nd | Damien Jones | WC IPA | 21A: American IPA | |
| 3rd | Taylor Shastid MHP | Dreams About The West | 21A: American IPA | Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE) |
Table 21: Specialty IPA (20 entries)
Table 22: Strong American Ale (12 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Taylor Shastid MHP | Fill Your Hand | 22A: Double IPA | Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE) |
| 2nd | Kelly Dunham | Let's Go To The Hop | 22B: American Strong Ale | Brewbirds Of Hoppiness |
| 3rd | Stephen Schmitt MHP | Rancor | 22B: American Strong Ale | Evanston Homebrew Club |
Table 23: Wild & Sour Ale (15 entries)
Table 24: Saison (13 entries)
Table 25: Belgian Ale (14 entries)
Table 26: Monastic Ale (16 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Paul Brown | Premonition | 26A: Belgian Single | Diablo Order of Zymiracle Enthusiasts (DOZE) |
| 2nd | Scott Estlund MHP | I'm A Hugger | 26D: Belgian Dark Strong Ale | The Brü Club |
| 3rd | Kenneth Berry | Devil On The Dark Horizon | 26D: Belgian Dark Strong Ale | Humboldt Homebrewers |
Table 27: Specialty Beer (17 entries)
Table 28: Historical Beer (11 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Curtis Ritter MHP | Right To Smoke | 27A5: Piwo Grodziskie | Ace Brewing Society |
| 2nd | David Towles MHP | Piwo Grodziskie | 27A5: Piwo Grodziskie | High Plains Drafters [TX] |
| 3rd | Deborah And Marc Prichard MHP | Captain Fantastic Amazing Balls | 27A2: Kentucky Common | Kansas City Bier Meisters |
Table 29: Fruit & Spiced Beer (23 entries)
Table 30: Wood Beer (8 entries)
Table 31: Standard Cider & Perry (11 entries)
Table 32: Specialty Cider & Perry (11 entries)
Table 33: Traditional Mead (24 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ryan Vigne MHP | So Dies The Dream | M1C: Sweet Mead | Pittsburgh Mead Makers And Homebrewers |
| 2nd | Austin Brown | A Mead With No Name | M1B: Semi-Sweet Mead | Brewers Anonymous |
| 3rd | Melissa Greenfield MHP | Julian Backyard | M1A: Dry Mead | QUAFF |
| HM | Nathan Steigman | Deficiant | M1B: Semi-Sweet Mead | Minnesota Home Brewers Association |
Table 34: Berry Mead (15 entries)
Table 35: Cyser & Pyment (14 entries)
| Place | Brewer | Name | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Bill Boyer MHP | Castle Anthrax 2025 | M2B: Pyment | North Georgia Malt Monkeys |
| 2nd | Aaron Bagnell | Pyment To Do This | M2B: Pyment | Bay Area Mashers |
| 3rd | Dan Acheson MHP | This One Is Just My Cyze | M2A: Cyser | Urban Knaves of Grain |
