The BrewDog Pilot Brew Competition

The BrewDog Pilot Brew Competition

Our brew team consists of some of the craziest, cleverest minds in brewing. We're not going to deny that, we have a team of super stars at Brew HQ in Ellon and we're very proud of them! However, it's sometimes fun to switch things up a bit, throw everyone outside their comfort zone and let their imaginations run wild. Which is why, for the second year running, we're launching the BrewDog Pilot Brew Competition!

Our brew teams, HQ folk (i.e. Those who don't do it for a living), bar staff and anyone else in between are going to be divvied up in teams of two to brew batches of 60 bottles of whatever concoction they can conjure up. Each team will have at least one competent brewer, just so it's fair! We will then be shipping these samples out to everyone across our HQ and bar division and taking a vote to see whose brew is top of the hops! Why the bar teams, I hear you ask? Well, the winning duo's brew will be scaled up and put into production as a limited beer for our bars! So you, dear blog reader, will get to try it too.


Our brewers can go as crazy as they like day-to-day but the pilot brew comp aims to open up the intrigue and science of brewing to minds outside our dedicated brew team, and see if we can uncover some hidden beery protégés along the way!

Last year's winner was former BrewDog Grad Scheme-r, Nick Ziegler. Challenged with brewing a sour beer, he dived in head first and created a Gose hopped with Sorachi Ace and Amarillo. He was helped along the way by fellow brewer Ste, and it was a landslide victory as everyone who voted opted for his brew! Nick's Gose was undoubtedly awesome, but the yeast was just a bit too whacky for scaling up, so it never made it into the bars, but this year we're hoping for something pretty special that we can stock all over the UK.

Some of the total beery newcomers have already brainstormed with potential special twist ingredients such as jellied eels and, ahem, blood…can't deny their enthusiasm…!
 
Got an idea you reckon our brewers should consider? Drop it below!

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kevinM 24.08.2014 @ 6:21pm
Crystal rye habanero IPA!
MarkC_belfast 23.08.2014 @ 6:33pm
AvacadoSmoked ChipotleSour CreamCheese
Optiimusprimerib 23.08.2014 @ 6:42am
Cat food
simonHead 22.08.2014 @ 3:51pm
Stout finished with hazelnuts and a little salted caramel
erick 21.08.2014 @ 12:04pm
Scottish? How about Haggis? :-)
Chris thompson 13131313131 21.08.2014 @ 11:10am
Belgian Quad Aged in Moscato wine barrels ;P
erick 20.08.2014 @ 7:56pm
Brussel sprouts
TheIndianTonic 20.08.2014 @ 4:45pm
Something involving maple syrup, black pepper and thyme.
owi 20.08.2014 @ 2:07pm
Dont limit yourselves due to whiny veggies, Id love to try meaty beer.
Chillilicious 20.08.2014 @ 2:00pm
How about some Scottish grown chillies from the most northerly chilli farm in Europe!! Let us know!!www.chillilicious.co.uk
PeteH 20.08.2014 @ 12:51pm
Please - No eels, blood or oysters, otherwise us veggies wont drink it.Loving the idea of aging beer in Tequila barrels. Well wacky !Get Lewis from Nottingham on the case. He had some great (home) brew ideas.
Colin HQ 20.08.2014 @ 12:29pm
More salty or sour beers please :D
Matt-sw 20.08.2014 @ 12:08pm
Blackberry Punk (Black IPA)
Mugwump 20.08.2014 @ 11:57am
100% Brettanomyces Trois IPA
GarethY 20.08.2014 @ 11:49am
More Goses!Lime Gose aged in tequila barrels.orRed-Wine Barrel Gose Oyster Stout (with oysters for saltiness instead of salt, and red-wine flavours so its like drinking stout with oysters and red-wine-vinagrette)Kettle-sour them then boil and use straight saccharomyces strains, so no whacky yeast.
Mikkel 20.08.2014 @ 11:32am
How about a low-ABV (
JasonArgo 20.08.2014 @ 11:26am
Eels?! Cockney brew ;)