Here’s what went down on 1/21:
- Pre meeting:
- tasting of Nick P’s Brett Saison (10 mo old)
- Introductions/misc. (5 min.)
- Still no gavel!
- Attendance: Andrew N, Matt P, Justin G, Steve A, Eric C, Tim S, Rick & Dave T, Andrew W, Adam S, Steve M, Brendan K, Grant W, Tyler B, Nick P, Kevin S
- Announcements/upcoming events/new business (15 min.)
- Collect 2012 membership dues from those yet to join, $20.00
- Hand out membership cards to those who have paid dues
- Membership card entitles you to 10% off purchases at Northern Brewer and Midwest Supplies. If you find out any other companies offer us a discount, be sure to share that information with the group.
- By-laws update [ExComm]
- Please read, there are some changes, they are posted http://nordeastbrewersalliance.org/club-by-laws/
- Upcoming competitions
- Feedback received during meeting that we should create a page on our site that lists upcoming local/regional competitions. Page created: http://nordeastbrewersalliance.org/upcoming-competitions/
- We are an official AHA club, though not yet listed as an option.
- St. Paul Beer Dabbler on 1/28 [Tyler]
- Bring Snowpants, boots, warm clothing. http://www.thebeerdabbler.com/festivals/winter-carnival
- 4-8pm at the St. Paul Farmer’s Market grounds. Held outdoors.
- Tickets are only available online at this point.
- $30 adult admission. With this, you are also able to enter the homebrew contest. One entry per person; you print labels from the site once you register. http://www.thebeerdabbler.com/festivals/winter-carnival/homebrew
- UPDATE 1/27: Tickets are sold out
- Upper Mississippi Mashout on 1/28 [Grant]
- Deadline has passed, but a renowned IPA home brewer will be there, as well as master cicerone.
- Gordon Strong will be there.
- March meeting is on St. Patrick’s Day [Grant]
- Keep the date or move it to 3/10 or 3/24?
- Moving to 3/10- Majority vote passed
- Group experiments update (5 min.)
- Barrel-aging project update [Andrew N. and Nick]
- Bring $25 if you want in. You’ll also be asked to contribute 5 gallons of wort at a later date.
- Nick P has barrel from Town Hall’s “Eye of the Storm” in the back of his Jeep. http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/town-hall-eye-of-the-storm/79695/
- Barrel needs to be tested to see if it holds water, as well as sanitized.
- Burning a sulfur stick will sanitize, kill any lingering bugs.
- Once the viability of the vessel is established, everyone who is participating will need to brew their contribution and allow for primary fermentation as per usual.
- Repeated: if you have a project idea, you are spearheading the project.
- Pending: Andrew trying to get us a brew day at the Fulton brewery.
- Once date is set up, have a best of show in our club to decide what recipe to brew at Fulton. Best of show TBD from internal club competition.
- Barrel-aging project update [Andrew N. and Nick]
- Internal brew club competition ideas
- Tentatively to be held every 6 months
- JULY DATE SET!!! 7/21/12 – Summer BBQ date. Rules posted @ http://nordeastbrewersalliance.org/2012/01/22/summer-bbq-and-club-only-competition-beers-below-6-abv/
- Under 6% ABV
- Vote passed
- Financial Report (5 min.)
- Banking situation update [Matt]
- Still collecting dues, founding member dues need to be paid by end of January.
- What we will be doing with the funds is yet TBD. Ex) trips, tours, summer bar-b-q.
- Education session (20 min.)
- Brewing a high-gravity beer above 10% [Nick]
- General Q&A (10 min.)
- Rousing not-so-active yeast:
- Temperature, agitation are the best ways to “re-activate”
- 1.020 curse – Unable to ferment below 1.020 when using extracts (LME/DME)
- You can attempt adding the extract late in the boil. However, sometimes things just don’t ferment all the way down.
- Don’t focus on the numbers, as long as it tastes finished.
- Hops
- To grow: plant multiple rhizomes to increase odds/yield in first year
- Dig shallow, bury just two to four inches below the surface
- Plant them so they’ll get southern exposure, the most sun possible
- Grow along a fence if possible. Get some poultry mesh – to keep away pests, pets… and… poultry.
- Rousing not-so-active yeast:
- Break (5 min.)
- Tasting/group critique (20 min.)
- Tyler – pale ale
- Andrew N. – doppelbock
- Matt – ’09 russian imperial stout
- What’s on tap? (5 min.) Suggest items of discussion for next month.
- Members-only event ideas? Already made some headway on that earlier in the meeting
- Upcoming education topics decided:
- Feb – “Building a Dual Stage Temperature Controller (for your Fermentation Chamber)” [Andrew W.]
- March – stir plates construction and starters [Dave T.]
- April – Mash tun designs and techniques (Fly and batch) [Adam S. and Andrew N.]
- May – Session beers [Matt P.]
- Next meetings:
- Feb 18th
- March 10th
- Social hour/open discussion