09/10/2026
A note from our Director's Committee..
We are very aware that many brewers have moved away from Propane systems into the convenience of all-in-one electric systems. We are very cognisant of that and wanted to offer Ironmash as available to as many of you as possible. You may have seen earlier today that we are going to allow quiet generators this year to see how plausible it is for future years. This will be in addition to the regular 120V electric spots that always sell out.....
And so with no further ado.....
Iron Mash 2026 — Format & Rules: Stage One
Hello, Brewers!
This year’s Iron Mash is just about here, and we’re going to announce the format and rules in two stages.
As always, the secret ingredients and the rules for using them will be revealed on brew day. But we have the first stage ready for you now!
This Year’s Challenge
This year, the focus is going to be on the secret ingredients you choose and, more importantly, how you use them.
We want you to have the opportunity to brew a really solid b**r that gives you a strong foundation for incorporating those secret ingredients. Because of that, you’ll be able to formulate your base b**r recipe ahead of time.
Along with a fantastic selection of Base Malts, Specialty Grain & Hop varieties, we’ll have several yeast strains available for you to choose from. All b**rs must be ales, so there will be no l***r yeast available.
Your challenge is to take the ingredients provided and develop a well-crafted, balanced base b**r that you’ll be able to adapt to whatever secret ingredients are revealed on brew day.
With so many talented brewers having the opportunity to carefully formulate their base b**rs ahead of time, the bar for first place is going to be very high. It will take more than simply making a good b**r to win. Your b**r will need to be exceptionally well-crafted, with the secret ingredients thoughtfully incorporated in a way that is complementary, balanced, and intentional.
Bring your A game!
We will be emailing the Paypal email that you signed up with in the near future with ingredient lists.....All team recipes are due to be turned into us by 9/27/26
Judging Format
The judging format is changing this year as well.
There will be no BJCP scoresheets. Instead, judging will be conducted in a Best of Show format.
If you choose to declare a BJCP style for your base b**r, we will still expect it to be a solid representation of that style. However, judges will not be filling out traditional BJCP scoresheets or assigning standard BJCP scores.
This year, we’re looking for the b**r that stands out above the rest — a great base b**r, expertly crafted, with secret ingredients that elevate rather than overpower it.
Good luck, Brewers. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Send a message to learn more
