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Rules
Lager Than Life Homebrewing Competition is a BCJP-sanctioned competition where your lager beers are assessed by qualified judges against current BJCP 2021 style guidelines. Score sheets and written feedback will be provided for each entry. Prizes are awarded for Best of Show places.
The competition is open to all lager beers which were fermented using only lager (bottom-fermenting) yeast - those intended to be in the 2021 BJCP Guidelines - lagers, pilsners, bocks etc. Any other beer made with a lager yeast should be entered in one of the special or "other beer" categories, and be fully described by the entrant. Pressure fermentation is allowed as long as you use bottom-fermenting yeast.
If you need some advice on how to brew great lagers, this presentation by Graeme Coates, who is an excellent brewer and a prolific homebrew award winner, should help you understand how to brew a winning lager Graeme's presentation
After judging, the remaining portions of the entries will be available for sampling on Saturday 22nd March 2025 in the afternoon at the Pillars Brewery Taproom. Pillars will also have exciting craft lagers available for purchase on the day. Entrants may bring further examples of their entries to share.
It's always a great day where you can sample homebrew and commercial beers, as well as learn from experts and fellow homebrewers.
Style Guidelines & Eligibility
Entries will be assessed against the BJCP Style Guidelines 2021 available via this link (PDF).
Eligibility: This competition is open to everyone, worldwide. Competition organisers, staff, judges and stewards may enter the competition. Measures are in place to ensure fair, anonymous, judging. Judges and stewards will not be assigned to categories that they have entered. Entries must have been made at home. Those made in commercial establishments, including brew-on-premise establishments, are not eligible.
Where
Pillars Brewery, London
When
Saturday 22nd March 2025
- Open to entrants/friends from 3 PM. Entrants' homebrew samples available as soon as judging is complete.
- Best of Show judging session - around 12 PM.
- Awards Ceremony - sometime after 5 PM
Important Deadlines
- Register online and pay for all entries - no later than 5th March 2025
- Delivery of entries to Pillars Brewery in person or by delivery service - to arrive no earlier than 14th March 2025 and no later than 21st March 2025 at 6 PM. Due to organisational reasons, we won't be accepting entries on the day of the competition.
Pillars Brewery drop-off times during the shipping window:
Monday - Thursday 10 AM - 5 PM
Friday 10 AM - 10 PM
Saturday 2 PM - 11 PM
Sunday 2 PM - 8 PM
Entry Cost & Essentials
The entry fee is £10.00 (plus any PayPal handling fees) per entry.
PayPal handling fees are beyond our control.
Competitors are encouraged to come along to the event, sample the entries and share their beers with their friends and fellow competitors.
Important information for overseas entrants: Due to potential limitations, we may be unable to ship certain prizes internationally if the associated costs exceed our budget. In such cases, we will work with the entrant to find a suitable alternative, or the entrant may choose to cover the additional expenses.
How to Enter
- Register yourself on this site via the Home page, Enter your beer(s) into the correct category and pay the fee via PayPal using the My Info and Entries Info page of this site. For help selecting a category see the BJCP Style Guidelines 2021. The Judges and organisers will not reclassify entries so please choose styles carefully. E-mail the Competition Organiser if you need guidance.
- The last date for payment is 5th March 2025
- The last date for entry editing is 9th March 2025.
- The last date for judge/steward registration and entry editing is 21st March 2025.
- Label each of your beers as per the Bottle Acceptance Rules on the Entry Info page of this site.
- Package your entries and then drop off or ship your entry to the drop-off location at Pillars Brewery.
- Make sure the parcel is clearly marked as "FAO LAGER THAN LIFE", even if dropping off in person. If possible please use some red tape on the corners of the parcel to make an identification easier.
- Drop at, or ship to, the designated site to arrive NO EARLIER than 14th March 2024 and NO LATER than 21st March 2025 at 6 PM. Due to organisational reasons, we won't be accepting entries on the day of the competition.
- Come along in person on Saturday 22nd March 2025 from 3 pm to sample beers with your fellow homebrewers and friends.
Style and Award Categories
Styles will be grouped to form judging flights of similar styles or strengths of beers and to form roughly equal numbers on each table where possible. Beers will be judged against the style guideline under which they were entered. The best beers withing each flight will be judged against eachother to establish top 3 on the table (Judges can decide to reduce number of placing beers or add honourable mentions).
The 1st place entry in each group will advance to the Best of Show (BOS) round.
The overall winner prize will be announced shortly.
The competitions are non-profit. Funds from the competition are used to run the competition itself, including food provision for volunteers at the event. A small amount may be used to support the training of judges (for example to purchase off-flavour kits). Everything else is fed back as prizes or used to pay for up-front costs for the next competition. All the organisers and judges volunteer their time freely to support the homebrewing community.
Massive thanks to Alex Allen who prepared our fantastic competition poster!
Contact
In the first instance contact the Competition Organisers:
Lucas Stolarczyk, at beerheadman@gmail.com
Follow us
Facebook: London Amateur Brewers & LAB Competitions
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We will only use your personal data for the purpose of running the competition and will delete all personal data 12 months after the competition ends. A list of winners will be available on social media in perpetuity.
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BJCP 2021 Judging Styles
If a style's name is hyperlinked, it has specific entry requirements. Select or tap on the name to view the subcategory's requirements.
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Number of Bottles Required Per Entry: 3
Judging Sessions
Lager Than Life 2025
Saturday 22 March, 2025 09:00, GMT
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Best of Show
The overall winner prize will be announced shortly.
BEST OF SHOW Prizes
(On top of the Table winner prizes)
Overall LTL winner:
The overall winner of LTL 2025 will get a fantastic opportunity to experience and help during a brewday at The Home of Lager in Walthamstow.
2nd Place in BOS
2nd prize is a brewery tour and tasting
3rd Place in BOS
3rd prize is a 24 pack of brewery fresh Pillars beers
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Awards
The awards ceremony will take place once judging is completed.
Places will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd beer in each category/table with a rosette and a prize.
Important information for overseas entrants:
Due to potential limitations, we may be unable to ship certain prizes internationally if the associated costs exceed our budget. In such cases, we will work with the entrant to find a suitable alternative, or the entrant may choose to cover the additional expenses.
Table/Category top 3 prizes:
1st Place
TBC
2nd Place
TBC
3rd Place
TBC
Results will be posted to the competition website after the ceremony concludes.
Feedback sheets will be uploaded to the competition website within a few days after the competition.
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Awards Ceremony
Pillars Brewery
Unit 2, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Walthamstow, E17 9HQ
Saturday 22 March, 2025 17:00, GMT
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A strong, rich, and very malty German lager that can have both pale and dark variants. The darker versions have more richly-developed, deeper malt flavors, while the paler versions have slightly more hops and dryness.
Entry Info: The entrant select specify whether the entry is a pale or a dark variant.
An unfiltered, unpasteurized, fully-attenuated German lager traditionally served from lagering vessels. May be a little richer, more robust, and rustic than the base styles. A fresh beer without fermentation defects associated with young, green (unfinished) beer.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the base style: German Pils, Munich Helles, Märzen, or Munich Dunkel.
A pleasant integration of fruit with beer, but still recognizable as beer. The fruit character should be evident but in balance with the beer, not so forward as to suggest an artificial product.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type(s) of fruit used. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items. Fruit Beers based on a Classic Style should be entered in this style, except Lambic
A tasteful union of fruit, spice, and beer, but still recognizable as beer. The fruit and spice character should each be evident but in balance with the beer, not so forward as to suggest an artificial product. Use the definitions of Fruit in the preamble to Category 29 and Spice in the preamble to Category 30; any combination of ingredients valid in Styles 29A and 30A are allowable in this category. For this style, the word
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of fruit, and the type of SHV used; individual SHV ingredients do not need to be specified if a well-known blend of spices is used (e.g., apple pie spice). Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
A appealing combination of fruit, sugar, and beer, but still recognizable as a beer. The fruit and sugar character should both be evident but in balance with the beer, not so forward as to suggest an artificial product. A Specialty Fruit Beer is a Fruit Beer with some additional ingredients, such as fermentable sugars (e.g., honey, brown sugar, invert sugar), sweeteners (e.g., lactose), adjuncts, alternative grains, or other special ingredients added, or some additional process applied. A Specialty Fruit Beer can use any style within the Fruit Beer category as a base style (currently, 29A, 29B, or 29D).
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of fruit used. The entrant MUST specify the type of additional ingredient (per the introduction) or special process employed. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
An appealing fusion of spices, herbs, or vegetables (SHVs) and beer, but still recognizable as beer. The SHV character should be evident but in balance with the beer, not so forward as to suggest an artificial product. Often called Spice Beer, regardless of whether spices, herbs, or vegetables are used.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of spices, herbs, or vegetables used, but individual ingredients do not need to be specified if a well-known spice blend is used (e.g., apple pie spice, curry powder, chili powder). Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
A stronger, darker, spiced beer that often has a rich body and warming finish suggesting a good accompaniment for the cold winter season. Winter Seasonal Beers are beers that suggest cold weather and the Christmas holiday season, and may include holiday spices, specialty sugars, and other products that are reminiscent of the festive season.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of spices, sugars, fruits, or additional fermentables used; individual ingredients do not need to be specified if a well-known blend of spices is used (e.g., mulling spice). Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
An appealing combination of spices, herbs, or vegetables (SHVs), sugars, and beer, but still recognizable as beer. The SHV and sugar character should both be evident but in balance with the beer, not so forward as to suggest an artificial product. A Specialty Spice Beer is a 30A Spice, Herb, or Vegetable (SHV) Beer with some additional ingredients, such as fermentable sugars (e.g., honey, brown sugar, invert sugar, maple syrup), sweeteners (e.g., lactose), adjuncts, alternative grains, or other special ingredients added, or some additional process applied. 30B Autumn and 30C Winter Seasonal Beers already allow additional ingredients, and should not be used as a base in this style.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of SHVs used, but individual ingredients do not need to be specified if a well-known spice blend is used (e.g., apple pie spice, curry powder, chili powder). The entrant MUST specify the type of additional ingredient (per the introduction) or special process employed. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
A base beer enhanced by or featuring the character of additional grains. The specific character depends greatly on the added grains. An Alternative Grain Beer is a standard beer (Classic Style or not) with additional or non-standard brewing grains (e.g., rye, oats, buckwheat, spelt, millet, sorghum, rice) added or used exclusively. Gluten-free (GF) beers made from completely gluten-free ingredients may be entered here, while GF beers using process-based gluten removal should be entered in their respective base style categories.
Entry Info: he entrant MUST specify the type of alternative grain used. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
A well-balanced fusion of the malt and hops of the base beer style with a pleasant and agreeable smoke character. Intended for smoked versions of Classic Style beers, except if the Classic Style beer has smoke as an inherent part of its definition (of course, that beer should be entered in its base style, such as Rauchbier).
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify a Base Style. The entrant MUST specify the type of wood or smoke if a varietal smoke character is noticeable.
A well-balanced fusion of the malt and hops of the base specialty beer style with a pleasant and agreeable smoke character. A Specialty Smoked Beer is either a smoked beer based on something other than a Classic Style (a Specialty-Type style, or a broad style family such as Porter rather than a specific style), OR any type of smoked beer with additional specialty ingredients (fruits, vegetables, spices) or processes employed that transform the beer into something more unique.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of wood or smoke if a varietal smoke character is noticeable. The entrant MUST specify the additional ingredients or processes that make this a specialty smoked beer. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a base style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
A pleasant enhancement of the base beer style with the characteristics from aging in contact with wood. The best examples will be smooth, flavorful, well-balanced, and well-aged. This style is intended for beer aged in wood without added alcohol character from previous use of the barrel. Bourbon-barrel or other beers with an added alcohol character should be entered as 33B Specialty Wood-Aged Beer. This category should not be used for base styles where wood-aging is a fundamental requirement for the style (e.g., Flanders Red, Lambic). Beers made using either limited wood aging or products that only provide a subtle background character may be entered in the base beer style categories as long as the wood character isn
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the type of wood used and the toast or char level (if used). If an unusual varietal wood is used, the entrant MUST supply a brief description of the sensory aspects the wood adds to beer. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
An elevation of the base beer style with characteristics from aging in contact with wood, including alcoholic products previously in contact with the wood. The best examples will be smooth, flavorful, well-balanced, and well-aged. This style is intended for beer aged in wood with added alcohol character from previous use of the barrel. Bourbon-barrel or other similar beers should be entered here.
Entry Info: The entrant MUST specify the additional alcohol character, with information about the barrel if relevant to the finished flavor profile. If an unusual wood or ingredient has been used, the entrant MUST supply a brief description of the sensory aspects the ingredients add to the beer. Entrant MUST specify a description of the beer, identifying either a Base Style or the ingredients, specs, or target character of the beer. A general description of the special nature of the beer can cover all the required items.
Entry Info: Entries must state the base BJCP style, strength, alternative sugar/grain (if used), any additional ingredients or character (if used, eg. spice, herb, vegetable, fruit, wood, smoke).
Entry Info: Entries must state the base BJCP style, strength, alternative sugar/grain (if used), any additional ingredients or character (if used, eg. spice, herb, vegetable, fruit, wood, smoke).
Entry Info: The entrant must specify the base style.
Entry Info: The entrant must specify the base style.