From local club comps to the national stage — competitions are one of the best ways to get expert feedback, improve your brews, and connect with the wider homebrew community.
Hosted by Carolina BrewMasters every May in Charlotte, the US Open is one of the largest homebrew competitions in the Southeast — drawing entries from across the country and judges from the regional BJCP community.
Brewers submit two brown bottles per entry, labeled with the style category. Most competitions accept 300–500 entries across all styles.
All entries are sorted by BJCP style category so that beers are judged against comparable examples — IPAs with IPAs, stouts with stouts.
On competition day, certified BJCP judges and stewards travel to the host city to evaluate entries. Each beer is scored by at least two judges.
Every entry receives a completed score sheet with written feedback from the judges — detailed notes on aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impression.
Score sheets are invaluable. Use the judges' notes to identify exactly what to adjust in your next batch — competitions are one of the fastest ways to grow as a brewer.
Get written notes from certified BJCP judges on every aspect of your beer.
Place in CBoY comps to accumulate points toward Carolina Brewer of the Year honors.
Competitions bring together brewers from across the Carolinas and beyond — great for networking and learning.
Stewarding and judging at competitions is one of the best ways to learn from more experienced brewers about what separates great from mediocre.
The Carolina Brewer of the Year title is determined by a cumulative roll-up of results from all six major competitions held in North Carolina and South Carolina each calendar year. Competitions that count toward CBoY points are highlighted in gold on the calendar below. Compete consistently across the season to build your standing on the CBoY leaderboard.
The AHA's National Homebrew Competition is the biggest homebrew competition in the world — all styles, all regions, culminating with final awards at the national conference in June. Regional first-rounds are held in April, with winners submitting two bottles to advance to the national level. AHA members receive a discount on entry fees, and winners' names are published in Zymurgy magazine.
There is a homebrew competition happening somewhere in the US virtually every weekend of the year. The BJCP maintains a comprehensive annual schedule of all sanctioned competitions — searchable by date, region, and style. If you want to compete beyond the Carolinas, this is your starting point.
Carolina BrewMasters
