CMI Oktobersbest HomeBrew Competition
Entries
Judging
Entry Registration
Judge Registration
Steward Registration
Entry Drop-Off
Entry Shipping
Rules
Judge and Steward Registration is Open
If you have not registered and are willing to be a volunteer, please register.
If you have registered, log in and then choose Edit Account from the My Account menu indicated by the icon on the top menu.
Entry Registration is Open
The Oktobersbest Homebrew comp is brought to you by Cincinnati Malt Infusers Homebrew Club.
Competition is Saturday, October 3, 2026 and judging will begin promptly at 9:00. A light breakfast will be provided for judges and stewards. There will be two judging sessions plus BOS with lunch served in between sessions.
Registration will close on September 25, 2026. All beer brought in and dropped off or mailed to drop off locations must be received by September 26 to be included in sorting. Entries not received by September 26 may not be received and judged, get your entries in on time!
This competition is a BJCP-registered event, and will be judged in accordance with the BJCP rules and style guidelines. Two unlabeled 12 oz brown bottles should be entered for each beer. One bottle is needed for Ciders and Meads.
We will be using the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines.
The competition is open to all BJCP styles. Ciders and Meads will not be accepted in this competition.
See Entry Info Section for more Rules and Instructions
Entry Acceptance Rules
Be sure to print bottle labels at time of entry as they will not be available to print after registration is closed! Attach labels to each bottle with clear tape. Do not attach to the neck of the bottle and print label full size
Entries can be either
-
Brought in and dropped at the drop-off locations. Provide entries in 4 or 6 pack containers.
-
Shipped to Braxton Brewing
September 26
Please provide (2) 12-ounce brown bottles with no markings per entry.
Entries will not show up as recieved until a few days before the competition. That is when all entries will be sorted and entered into the competition software.
Entry Info
Entry Limits
- Entry Limit:
- 100
Entry Limits Per Participant
- Entry Limit Per Participant:
- 4
- Per Style Entry Limit:
- 1
Pay Entry Fees
After creating your account and adding your entries to the system, you must pay your entry fee(s). Accepted payment methods are:
- Credit/debit card and e-check, via PayPal
BJCP 2015 / 2021 Styles Accepted
Indicates that the style's entry limit has been reached and no more entries of that style will be accepted.
| 1A American Light Lager | 1B American Lager | 1C Cream Ale |
| 1D American Wheat Beer | 2A International Pale Lager | 2B International Amber Lager |
| 2C International Dark Lager | 3A Czech Pale Lager | 3B Czech Premium Pale Lager |
| 3C Czech Amber Lager | 3D Czech Dark Lager | 4A Munich Helles |
| 4B Festbier | 4C Helles Bock | 5A German Leichtbier |
| 5B Kölsch | 5C German Helles Exportbier | 5D German Pils |
| 6A Märzen | 6B Rauchbier | 6C Dunkels Bock |
| 7A Vienna Lager | 7B Altbier | 8A Munich Dunkel |
| 8B Schwarzbier | 9A Doppelbock | 9B Eisbock |
| 9C Baltic Porter | 10A Weissbier | 10B Dunkels Weissbier |
| 10C Weizenbock | 11A Ordinary Bitter | 11B Best Bitter |
| 11C Strong Bitter | 12A British Golden Ale | 12B Australian Sparkling Ale |
| 12C English IPA | 13A Dark Mild | 13B British Brown Ale |
| 13C English Porter | 14A Scottish Light | 14B Scottish Heavy |
| 14C Scottish Export | 15A Irish Red Ale | 15B Irish Stout |
| 15C Irish Extra Stout | 16A Sweet Stout | 16B Oatmeal Stout |
| 16C Tropical Stout | 16D Foreign Extra Stout | 17A British Strong Ale |
| 17A1 Burton Ale | 17B Old Ale | 17C Wee Heavy |
| 17D English Barley Wine | 18A Blonde Ale | 18B American Pale Ale |
| 19A American Amber Ale | 19B California Common | 19C American Brown Ale |
| 20A American Porter | 20B American Stout | 20C Imperial Stout |
| 21A American IPA | 21B Specialty IPA | 21B1 Belgian IPA |
| 21B2 Black IPA | 21B3 Brown IPA | 21B4 Red IPA |
| 21B5 Rye IPA | 21B6 White IPA | 21B7 Brut IPA |
| 21C Hazy IPA | 22A Double IPA | 22B American Strong Ale |
| 22C American Barleywine | 22D Wheatwine | 23A Berliner Weisse |
| 23B Flanders Red Ale | 23C Oud Bruin | 23D Lambic |
| 23E Gueuze | 23F Fruit Lambic | 23G Gose |
| 24A Witbier | 24B Belgian Pale Ale | 24C Bière de Garde |
| 25A Belgian Blond Ale | 25B Saison | 25C Belgian Golden Strong Ale |
| 26A Belgian Single | 26B Belgian Dubbel | 26C Belgian Tripel |
| 26D Belgian Dark Strong Ale | 27A Historical Beer | 27A1 Kellerbier |
| 27A2 Kentucky Common | 27A3 Lichtenhainer | 27A4 London Brown Ale |
| 27A5 Piwo Grodziskie | 27A6 Pre-Prohibition Lager | 27A7 Pre-Prohibition Porter |
| 27A8 Roggenbier | 27A9 Sahti | 28A Brett Beer |
| 28B Mixed Fermentation Sour Beer | 28C Wild Specialty Beer | 28D Straight Sour Beer |
| 29A Fruit Beer | 29B Fruit and Spice Beer | 29C Specialty Fruit Beer |
| 29D Grape Ale | 30A Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer | 30B Autumn Seasonal Beer |
| 30C Winter Seasonal Beer | 30D Specialty Spice Beer | 31A Alternative Grain Beer |
| 31B Alternative Sugar Beer | 32A Classic Style Smoked Beer | 32B Specialty Smoked Beer |
| 33A Wood-Aged Beer | 33B Specialty Wood-Aged Beer | 34A Commercial Specialty Beer |
| 34B Mixed-Style Beer | 34C Experimental Beer | LSX5 New Zealand Pilsner |
Drop-Off Locations
Entry bottles accepted at our drop-off locations Monday, September 14, 2026 3:00 PM, EDT — Saturday, September 26, 2026 5:00 PM, EDT.
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.
27 W Seventh St. Covington Ky 41011
859-261-5600
11276 Chester Rd, Sharonville, OH 45246
513-771-2739
Shipping Info
Entry bottles accepted at our shipping location Monday, September 14, 2026 12:00 AM, EDT — Saturday, September 26, 2026 5:00 PM, EDT.
Ship entries to:
Braxton Brewing Company
27 W Seventh St. Covington Ky 41011
Packing and Shipping
Carefully pack your entries in a sturdy box. Line the inside of your carton with a plastic trash bag. Partition and pack each bottle with adequate packaging material. Please do not over pack!Write clearly: Fragile. This Side Up. on the package. Please only use bubble wrap as your packing material.
Every reasonable effort will be made to contact entrants whose bottles have broken to make arrangements for sending replacement bottles.
Best of Show
The BOS winner will receive admiration of the masses and will receive a special Best Of Show engraved trophy.
The Best of Show winner will also brew their winning beer at a local brewery in Cincinnati Ohio.
The Best of Fest winner will receive admiration of the masses and will receive a special Best Of Fest engraved trophy.
The Best of Fest winner will also brew their winning beer at the Sam Adams Tap Room Cincinnati Ohio.
Awards
First, second and third place will receive medals for each table. Note some beer categories may be combined depending on number of entries.
If you win an award and are not present to recieve it, then the award will be mailed to you in several weeks.
Awards Ceremony
Braxton Brewing Co, 27 W Seventh St. Covington Ky 41011
,27 W Seventh St. Covington Ky 410
Saturday, October 3, 2026 4:00 PM, EDT
Volunteers
Judges and Stewards
If you have registered, log in and then choose Edit Account from the My Account menu indicated by the icon on the top menu.
If you have not registered and are willing to be a judge or steward, please register.
Staff
If you would like to volunteer to be a competition staff member, please register or update your account to indicate that you wish to be a part of the competition staff.
Other Volunteer Info
Competition is Saturday, October 3, 2026 at The Braxton Brewing Co, 27 W Seventh St. Covington Ky 41011 and will begin with welcome receception at 8:30. Competition judging will begin at proptly at 9:00. Out of town judges and stewards can bring entries the day of the competition but they must arrive no later than 8:30 AM. We ask that all Cincinnati Area participants drop your entries at one of the drop locations as it can be very busy the morning of the comp.
There will be two rounds of judging followed by BOS judging and awards announcements.
Approximate schedule for the competition (times subject to change)
Judge sign in- 8-9
Morning Session: 9:00-11:45
Lunch Break 11:30-12:30 (Lunch provided)
Afternoon Judging Session: 12:30-2:45
BOS Judging: 3:00-3:30
Awards announcements at approximatly 4:00. More info & Events to come for Volunteers and Judges - Stay Tuned! The awards wil be posted live on the Cincinnati Malt Infusers Facebook page. If the awards are running late, we will post the updated time on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/CincinnatiMaltInfusers/.
The digital scoresheets should be available the evening of the competition.
Sponsors
Contact
Use the links below to contact individuals involved with coordinating this competition:
- – Competition Coordinator
- – Competition Director
- – Head Judge