Beer tasting competitions in the Czech Republic are usually based on awarding the top three places in various categories, such as ALE, IPA, 10°, 11°, and others. However, the organizers of the Czech Beer Star have adopted a different approach to beer evaluation.
“Our system can be compared to the one used in wine competitions. Samples are rated on a 100-point scale, and based on their score, they receive gold or silver medals,” explained David Janda, the competition organizer from Beer Academy. Various aspects of the beverage are assessed, including taste, carbonation, foam, appearance, aroma, and overall impression. Due to the more complex evaluation process, the winners will be announced on March 4.
A total of 27 categories were included in the competition, one of which was dedicated to university breweries. Competing in this category were the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice and Mendel University.
“We submitted two samples—one in the lager category and one in the IPA category. Our lager is more demanding to produce than the IPA because it is made using a double-mash process. Part of the mash is removed twice and separately brought to a boil, which makes the production more time- and energy-intensive. However, this process results in a more aromatic and colorful wort. This is the traditional method for producing Czech lager,” described Tomáš Gregor, brewmaster of the JOHANN university brewery.
The competition also had an environmental dimension. Participating breweries were allowed to submit only one liter of beer per sample, which is a minimum compared to other competitions. This measure helped reduce waste. Any unused beer samples will be sent to a distillery in Pouzdřany, where they will be distilled to remove alcohol, producing what is known as distillery stillage, which will then be used as cattle feed.
“Our distillation process removes alcohol from the beer samples, creating distillery stillage that serves as feed for bulls,” added Gregor.
Assoc. Prof. Ing. Tomáš Gregor, Ph.D., +460 776 151 025, tomas.gregor@mendelu.cz, Department of Food Technology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University