QUAFF announces comp winners

Last year, local amateur brewing club QUAFF (Quality Ale and Fermentation Fraternity) had to postpone one of its biggest events of the year, the America’s Finest City Homebrew Competition, by six months due to the pandemic. But with conditions improving throughout the county and people able to gather with greater ease and less fear of contracting COVID-19, QUAFF was able to get back to a late-winter/early-spring timeframe for the annual affair, judging for which (pictured above) took place over the weekend at AleSmith Brewing in Miramar.

This year’s competition included 324 entries (283 beer, 20 cider and 21 mead). Nearly 300 of the recreationally fermented beverages came from California, while the others were submitted from nine other states (with Georgia and Texas leading the way with 10 entries each) as well as Baja California. 

QUAFF garnered 63 medals (21 gold, 23 silver and 19 bronze) out of the 117 awarded, amounting to nearly 54% of this year’s total. The club also ran nine categories (Amber Maty European Lager, Belgian Ale, Czech Lager, German Wheat Beer, Historical Beer, Irish Beer, Scottish Ale, Strong Belgian Ale and Strong European Beer). And bringing home the Brewing Machine award with five gold medals, eight silvers and three bronzes was Scott Rauvola.

The following is a complete list of all of the winners from the 2022 AFC Competition…

BEST OF SHOW WINNERS

Beer

• First Place: Fki American IPA; Ralph Carrasquillo, Gab Padilla, Erick Ruiz, Dennis Clay & Jason Justeson
• Second Place: The Duke of Bavaria Roggenbier, Mike Page & Paul Haws *
• Third Place: Quaker Stout Oatmeal Stout, Dan Stoneman & Doug Brown *

Mead & Cider

• First Place: Sir Lancelot the Brave V4, Bill Boyer
• Second Place: Alan Turken New World Cider, Alan Turken *
• Third Place: Num Nums, Karl Kahleck
• Honorable Mention: Meadowfoam, Steven Phillips

BEER CATEGORY WINNERS

Standard American Beer

• Gold: Owney’s Cream Ale, Brew Mutt
• Silver: Fiel Maxima Low Carb Lager, Alfredo Rocha
• Bronze: Tuf Chop Cream Ale, Jeff Case *

International Lager

• Gold: Int’l Dk Lager, Scott Rauvola *
• Silver: Titan Mexican Lager, Richard Dunaway

Czech Lager

• Gold: Under Pressure Czech Amber Lager, John Bell & Mark Alfaro *
• Silver: Czech Dk Lagr, Scott Rauvola *
• Bronze: Elbows Up Czech Dark Larger, Tricia & Jamie Gallant *

Pale Malty European Lager

• Gold: Helles Real Munich Helles, Patrick Leon *
• Silver: To Helles & Back Helles Bock, Joe St. John
• Bronze: Helles? Munich Helles, Ben Frymark *

Pale Bitter European Beer

• Gold: K Pils German Pilsner, Joe St. John
• Silver: Stearman’s German Leichtbier, Fritz Schanz
• Bronze: Sunflower Kölsch, Eric Dang

Amber Malty European Lager

• Gold: Bog Body Rauchbier, Scott Rauvola *
• Silver: Alan Turken Dunkels Bock, Alan Turken *

Amber Bitter European Beer

• Gold: Alan Turken Altbier, Alan Turken *
• Silver: Sienna’s Vienna Lager, Joe Dauria
• Bronze: Good Old Beer Altbier, Curt Wittenberg *

Dark European Lager

• Gold: Dorothy Schwarzbier, Patrick Bresnahan & Samantha Brunelle
• Silver: Quarts of Schwarz Schwarzbier, Joe Dauria
• Bronze: Munchausen’s Moustache Munich Dunkel, Terrell Hillard

Strong European Beer

• Gold: Doppelbock, Scott Rauvola *
• Silver: Baltik Porter Baltic Porter, Scott Rauvola *
• Bronze: Penguin Juice Eisbock, John Bell *

German Wheat Beer

• Gold: Weizenbock, Scott Ravuola *
• Silver: The Smith of Kochel Weizenbock, Mike Page & Paul Haws *
• Bronze: Vorfreude Weissbier, John Bell *

British Bitter

• Gold: Craictastic Ordinary Bitter, Patrick Leon & Alan Polk *
• Silver: St Louis Special Strong Bitter, Jared Rowley *
• Bronze: Balden Bitter, Joshua Boldt

Pale Commonwealth Beer

• Gold: Not of English Way English IPA, Mike Page *
• Silver: Nugget Beach Day English Golden Ale, Jared Rowley *
• Bronze: BIg Ben Gold English Golden Ale, Ben Sookying

Brown British Beer

• Gold: Our Man in Toddington Dark Mild, Terrell Hillard
• Silver: Bear Market Brown English Brown Ale, Ben Sookying
• Bronze: Brow Nail English Brown Ale, Terrell Hillard

Scottish Ale

• Gold: Zeppelins Last Drop Scottish Export, Mike Page *
• Silver: Sheep in the Basement Scottish Export, Brent Krohn *

Irish Beer

• Gold: Luck of the Irish Stout, John Bell *
• Silver: Put Me i Gaffer Irish Red Ale, Jeff Case *
• Bronze: Dublin Dry Irish Stout, Jared Rowley *

Dark British Beer

• Gold: Quaker Stout Oatmeal Stout, Dan Stoneman & Doug Brown *
• Silver: Sweet Spot Sweet Stout, Jeff Case & Doug Brown *
• Bronze: Oat Stout Oatmeal Stout, Jason Justeson

Strong British Ale

• Gold: McMarion Wee Heavy, Charles Macaluso
• Silver: Man’s Dilemma Old Ale, Scott Rauvola *
• Bronze: Stearman’s English Barleywine, Fritz Schanz

Pale American Ale

• Gold: Just Beer Blonde Ale, Curtis Ritter
• Silver: Punxsutawney Pale, Neil Ian Horowitz
• Bronze: Shark Bait Blonde Ale, Joshua Boldt

Amber & Brown American Beer

• Gold: Borracho Yeast Starter American Amber Ale; Ralph Carrasquillo, Gabe Padilla, Erick Ruis, Jason Justeson & Dennis Clay
• Silver: Calcommon California Common, Scott Rauvola *
• Bronze: Raise the Anchor California Common, Mike Page & Paul Haws *

American Porter & Stout

• Gold: Project Dark Angel Imperial Stout, Charles Macaluso
• Silver: Sons of Liberty Porter, Scott Rauvola *
• Bronze: Stoutly Supporting Ukraine Imperial Stout, Joe St. John

IPA

• Gold: Fki American IPA; Ralph Carrasquillo, Gab Padilla, Erick Ruiz, Dennis Clay & Jason Justeson
• Silver: Tombo Pils American IPA, Tom Fontes
• Bronze: I Dislike Your Fedora American IPA, Chris Erdos

Strong American Ale

• Gold: Just a Regular Normal Double IPA; Ralph Carrasquillo, Gabe Padilla, Eric Ruiz, Jason Justeson & Dennis Clay
• Silver: Alan Turken American Strong Ale, Alan Turken *
• Bronze: Chupacabrew American Barleywine, Scott Rauvola *

European Sour Ale

• Gold: Berliner, John Warner
• Silver: Viejo Panzón Flanders Red Ale, Atonio Aguirre
• Bronze: Vino Supremo Fruit Lambic, Karl Kahleck

Belgian Ale

• Gold: Alan Belgian Pale Ale, Alan Turken *
• Silver: Biere de Garde, Scott Rauvola *
• Bronze: Le Géant de Flandres Belgian Pale Ale, Peter Howson *

Strong Belgian Ale

• Gold: Le Petit Hibou Belgian Golden Strong Ale, Peter Howson * 
• Silver: La Finta Nonna Belgian Golden Strong Ale, Lucas Orr *
• Bronze: Wit Blonde Belgian Blonde Ale, Ben Frymark *

Trappist Ale

• Gold: That’s Not a Meal Trappist Singel
• Silver: Monastic Mission V3 Belgian Tripel, Sean Gardiner *
• Bronze: Optimistic Belgian Dark Strong Ale, Cutis Ritter

Historical Beer

• Gold: The Duke of Bavaria Roggenbier, Mike Page & Paul Haws *
• Silver: Zungen Brecher Lichtenhainer, Scott Rauvola *
• Bronze: Alan Turken Pre-Prohibition Porter, Alan Turken *

American Wild Ale

• Gold: Brett Saison, John Warner
• Silver: Reverdie Mixed Fermentation Sour Beer, Jeremiah Peterson *
• Bronze: Stay Currant Borrachos Wild Specialty Beer, Ralph Carrasquillo, Jason Justeson, Gabe Padilla & Erick Ruiz

Fruit Beer

• Gold: Coffee Uniquely Ubiquitous Stout, Jose Dias & Mark Zanfardino *
• Silver: Brett Blueberry, Masahiro Kitano
• Bronze: Castaway IPA, Joe St. John

Spiced Beer

• Gold: Morning Buzz – Cafe de Olla Milk Stout, Alfredo Rocha
• Silver: Pumpkin Red V, Guillermo Velasco & Isa Plascencia
• Bronze: Belgian-ish, Steven Severn
• Honorable Mention: Big Barry, Johnny Floerscheimer

Alternative Fermentable

• Gold: Buckwheat Rye Imperial Stout, John Warner
• Silver: P90 Rye Pale Ale, Jared Rowley *
• Bronze: Ppl+obh, Ben Frymark *

Smoked Beer

• Gold: Smoke Signals, Geoffrey Young *
• Silver: Stearman’s Smoked Chipotle Porter, Fritz Schanz
• Bronze: Rauchbock, Scott Rauvola *

Wood Beer

• Gold: Gorilla Munch, Eli Palma *
• Silver: Barrique Rauchbock, Scott Rauvola *
• Bronze: Coffcocstout, Scott McFarlane

Specialty Beer

• Gold: Samiclone Clone Beer, Scott Rauola *
• Silver: Timbo Clone, Eric Dang
• Bronze: Barrique Rauchbock w/ Cherries, Scott Rauvola *

CIDER CATEGORY WINNERS

Standard Cider & Perry

• Gold: Alan Turken New World Cider, Alan Turken *
• Silver: Soida New World Cider, Karl Kahleck
• Bronze: Steve’s Perry 2.0, Ben Frymark *

Specialty Cider & Perry

• Gold: Num Nums, Karl Kahleck
• Silver: Sudra Siajer 3000, Karl Kahleck
• Bronze: Alan Turken Specialty Cider, Alan Turken *

MEAD CATEGORY WINNERS

Traditional Mead

• Gold: Meadowfoam, Steven Phillips
• Silver: Carol’s Traditional Mead #26, Carol Rutherford *
• Bronze: Bucket Mead, Larry Stein *

Fruit Mead

• Gold: Sir Lancelot the Brave V4, Bill Boyer
• Silver: Montmorency vs Balaton B2, Matthew Mead
• Bronze: Like Warm Apple Pie, Matthew Mead

Spiced Mead

• Gold: Carol’s Figgy Spice #27, Carol Rutherford *
• Silver: Hidromiel de Jamaica, Steven Phillips
• Bronze: Wassail Winter Warmer, Matthew Mead

Specialty Mead

• Gold: Bridge of Death – Bourbon, Bill Boyer
• Silver: Sizzurp, Karl Kahleck
• Bronze: It’s 5 o’clock Somewhere!, Matthew Mead

* indicates entries from QUAFF members