Cores & Divisions

CORES AND DIVISIONS

 

CORE 1 – BEERS (See note A)

1.1 Top Ferment – Light
1.2 Top Ferment – Dark
1.3 Bottom Ferment – light
1.4 Bottom Ferment – Dark
1.5 Cider (Apple Cider, Perry, etc,)

CORE 2 – WINES

2.1 Grape
2.2 Fruit (other than Grape)
2.3 Mead (See Note B)
2.4 Sparkling
2.5 Miscellaneous (Flower, Herbal, etc.)

CORE 3 – VARIETAL

3.1 Sodas
3.2 Fortifieds
3.3 Liquers
3.4 Vinegars
3.5 Miscellaneous (See Note C)

CORE 4 – FERMENTED FOOD (See note D)

4.1 Fermented Fruits and Vegetables
4.2 Fermented Meat and Seafood
4.3 Cheese (both fermented and non-fermented)
4.4 Fermented Sauces
4.5 Miscellaneous

NOTES:

A. Core 1 – Beers: The BJCP color guide of SRM 18 or lower is defined as the cutoff for light beer. The BJCP color guide of SRM 19 or higher is defined as a dark beer. Cider is defined as a non-grape fruit wine of less than 10% ABV, usually but not necessarily carbonated.

B. 2.3 – Mead – This category includes both what used to be identified as Short Meads and Long Meads

C. 3.5 – Miscellaneous – includes all drinks that do not fit in any other Beer, Wine, or Varietal division. Examples include chums and candles. Candles that are designed to be eaten rather than drunk would fall under Core 4.5

D. Core 4 – Fermented Food: excludes breads. Foods that use a fermented beverage (something that would fall into one of the other three cores) as a primary ingredient but are not themselves fermented, fall into 4.5 – Miscellaneous. Thus fermented sauerkraut and fermented pickles belong in 4.1 – Fermented Fruits and Vegetables, but their non-fermented counterparts belong in 4.5 – Miscellaneous. Other examples of items for 4.5 – Miscellaneous include yogurt, brandied cherries, and possets.

Examples of things that are not appropriate for 4.5 – Miscellaneous are syllabubs, Rum Cake, and Chicken Masala – in each case while wine/alcohol is an ingredient, it is not a primary ingredient. If the judges feel that a fermented beverage is not a primary ingredient in a 4.5 – Miscellaneous entry, they may decline to judge it.

NOTE: Core 4 may be excluded from some brewing contests. Even if Core 4
is allowed in a brewing contest, 4.5 – Miscellaneous may not be allowed.