JUDGING of the ACT Amateur Brewing Championships will take place at the Wig and Pen brewery, Alinga Street, Civic, on Saturday and Sunday, September 24-25.

The Canberra Brewers Club has received a record 210 entries for this year’s championships, double last year’s entries.

The competition acts as a qualifier for next month’s national championships in Adelaide, where the ACT hopes to win its third consecutive title as champion State.

More than 25 judges, many recognised by the international Beer Judging Certification Program, will judge the beers entered in one of 81 styles across 18 categories. Styles range from Czech pilsners and Australian lagers to fruit beers, German wheat beers, English bitters and Russian imperial stouts.

The top three beers from each category will qualify for the national competition in Adelaide, and the best beer from each category will be judged again for the Wig and Pen Trophy for beer of show on October 4.

This beer will be brewed and sold at the Wig and Pen and qualify for the US National Homebrew Competition, the world’s biggest brewing competition.

The Canberra Brewers Club has more than 120 members who meet monthly to discuss brewing techniques and recipes while sampling members’ beers and offering feedback.