CORES AND DIVISIONS

 

CORE 1 – BEERS (See note A)

Top Ferment – Light
Top Ferment – Dark
Bottom Ferment – light
Bottom Ferment – Dark
Cider (Apple Cider, Perry, etc,)

 

CORE 2 – WINES

Grape
Fruit (other than Grape)
Mead (See Note B)
Sparkling
Miscellaneous (Flower, Herbal, etc.)

CORE 3 – VARIETAL

Sodas
Fortifieds
Liquers
Vinegars
Miscellaneous (See Note C)

 

CORE 4 – FERMENTED FOOD (See note D)

Fermented Fruits and Vegetables
Fermented Meat and Seafood
Cheese (both fermented and non-fermented)
Fermented Sauces
Miscellaneous

 

NOTES:

A. 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. CORE2–Mead – This category includes both what used to be identified as Short
Meads and Long Meads

C. CORE3-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
CORE4-Miscellaneous

D. The Fermented Foods (CORE4) 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 CORE4-Miscellaneous. Thus fermented sauerkraut and fermented pickles
belong in CORE4-Fermented Fruits and Vegetables, but their non-fermented
counterparts belong in CORE4-Miscellaneous. Other examples of items for
CORE4-Miscellaneous include yogurt, brandied cherries, and possets. Examples
of things that are not appropriate for CORE4-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
CORE4-Miscellaneous entry, they may decline to judge it.

NOTE: CORE4 may be excluded from some brewing contests. Even if CORE4
is allowed in a brewing contest, CORE4-Miscellaneous may not be allowed.