Meeting schedule change + holiday party

Starting next month, we’re moving all of our meetings to the second Monday of the month.  Our first Mondays schedule has required us to move our meetings 2-4 times per year to avoid holidays, so this should hopefully make things easier going forward.

Our schedule for the beginning of 2017 is:

Monday, January 9: regular meeting/holiday & winter beer tasting.  Bring both homebrew and commercial winter and holiday beers.  No one’s signed up yet to start the meeting—and there are a lot of competitions coming up—so add your info (here: goo.gl/Mw6pMl) for the 7pm focused tasting.

Sunday, January 22: Holiday party.  Bring food and beer.  We’ll probably be able to put a few kegs on tap, so plan to bring one if you want.

Monday, February 13: Sours contest.  There’s ample time to brew kettle sours and even time for some faster post-boil souring.

After that, we’re pretty open, so think about what you’d like to do, and set it up.  Note the plans on the meeting plans spreadsheet.

December Meeting

Howdy Brewsers!

It’s that time again! Get ready for some roasty stouts and smooth, chocolatey porters during our annual Stouts and Porters competition. Thanks to Joe for putting the competition together!

We’ll start off the meeting with some focused feedback at 7pm this evening (12/5) at Brouwerij Lane (78 Greenpoint Ave). With an eye towards the upcoming competitions in the new year, we’re encouraging anyone who is working on a recipe to bring it in to get some feedback. I’ve got a bitter that I’d like a bit of insight into, and there will be plenty of time for anyone else who wants to share any potential contest entries with the group. It’s always helpful to get a few more opinions on a beer, especially since there will be enough time to rebrew ahead of a few of the bigger competitions in 2017. Of course, even if you’re not planning on entering a particular competition but would like to get a bit of discussion going about your beer, bring in on in!

As always, everyone should feel free to contribute to the meeting planning by accessing the meeting planning spreadsheet below:

goo.gl/Mw6pMl

Cheer!

November Meeting

Our November meeting is on Monday, November 7th at 7pm in the usual spot, Brouwerij Lane (78 Greenpoint Ave).

This is a special meeting since we have the much anticipated Drew Bombard speaking to the club about all things microbiological. Drew Bombard is a microbiologist and the QA Lab Manager at Brooklyn Brewery. Drew received his bachelor of science in microbiology from Colorado State University and previously worked in QA and microbiology at New Belgium Brewing. Since he has been kind enough to leave the topics wide open and let us lead the conversation, start compiling any questions you have about yeast, bugs, and laboratory practices. It will definitely be an interesting session and you will definitely come away with a whole lot of useful info.

Currently, there is no one signed up for the focused tasting to start the meeting so feel free to pop your name on the sheet if you have something you want to share with the group to get some quality, discussion-based feedback. If you decide last minute that you want to bring something, do it! Just show up and start pouring!

As always, the meeting schedule spreadsheet is available to all so feel free sign up to lead a future discussion, commercial calibration session, or any other manner of homebrew shenanigan.

Here’s the meeting schedule spreadsheet: goo.gl/Mw6pMl

Fruit ballots, last call for barrel

Excellent meeting yesterday.  Was our largest competition turnout in at least a couple years.  Congratulations to Paul for his winning barrel fermented apricot ale.  Ballots are online.

Today is the last day to get a share (or two) of the NY Common barrel.  Yesterday’s samples were great.  The beer’s still not tart, but it’s a lot more acidic and rounded than when we last tasted, and the rest of what that barrel does well is all present.  To reserve a share, add your info to the sign up sheet.  If you already claimed one but want a second, add that too.  We need people to claim three more shares.

Fruita de Agosto – August Meeting Preview

Fellow Brewsers!

Our August meeting is just around the corner on Monday, August 1st starting at 7 pm at Brouwerij Lane. To help beat the heat, we’ve got a refreshing line-up of delicious homebrew happenings for the evening.

Andrew will regale us with tales of his recent week-long fantasy beer camp up in Vermont where he spent time among some of the best brewers in New England and even collaborated on a brew at Hill Farmstead. If we’re lucky (and I’m pretty sure we will be), he’ll be pouring some rarities from the trip.

Alongside our Fruit Beer Competition, Paul will be leading a discussion of the various methods he (and others) have used to incorporate fruit into beers. If you are planning on entering the competition, make sure to sign up at the spreadsheet below by noon on Sunday so Joe can include you on the scoresheets.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gLTlDaOm9KrsFBFhg96QT3URU4lmcfuxVg7eMAcaa2o

Last, but certainly not least, we will finally get to taste the Brewser-brewed Brett Hawaiian Pizza. This Rockaway Brewing and Brewser collaboration is a Bretty twist on Ray’s (you all know Ray, right?) Hawaiian Pizza IPA recipe. Expect tastiness.

See you all there. Cheers!

Upcoming events: KCBC open house, picnic, and Rockaway

KCBC is hosting an open house for greater NYC area homebrewers Saturday, July 23, from 3:30 to 6:30.  They’re off the Jefferson stop of the L at 381 Troutman St.

Remember also to sign up for the homebrew picnic on July 16.

 And, if you’re open, swing by Rockaway on Thursday, July 28, to taste the Brewsers’ mini-batch brewed in the tap room, “Brett Eats Hawaiian Pizza.”  It’s a Brett C. version or Rockaway’s Hawaiian Pizza (created by Rockaway brewer and longtime Brewser Ray Girard).  If you can’t make it, we’ll have some at the August meeting too.

Meeting Tonight, July 11: Pilsner + Sessions

Just a reminder that our July meeting is today at 7pm at Brouwerij Lane. We are going to begin the meeting with a discussion of Daniel’s Bohemian Pilsner, so please try to get to the meeting on time.

Alex and Andrew are going to then lead a discussion on session beers with both commercial and homebrew examples. If you have a homebrew session beer you are bringing, please add it to this spreadsheet.

We will also be recapping the National Homebrew Conference.

As always, check out and contribute to the meeting schedule.