Author: Admin

Hey there brewers! Big weekend ahead, and another great meeting coming up next week, here’s a taste of what’s going on in the Best Homebrew Club in Australia!!

 

Club rallying to show off their skills for International Home Brew Day!

OK so it’s not part of the monthly meeting, but don’t forget it’s International Home Brew Day tomorrow!! A bunch of people have put in a bunch of work to get everything together for this event, which is shaping up to be a real showcase for beer and homebrewing in Canberra. It’s on at Westside at Acton Park (the shipping container village beside Lake Burley Griffin) and we’ll have eight brewers on site brewing along with a bunch of different demos from club members. We’ve had heaps of interest at the event’s Facebook Page, so check it out for more details. We’re publicising a 10am start time, but setup will begin from 8:30am if you want to help out. It should be a great day.

 

Test your taste buds

Are you struggling to dial in your senses to detect some of the more common off flavours? Well at the meeting on Thursday, May 7, we’re going to run a quick session with some beer flavouring kits we’ve imported from the UK. This is a must-do for new brewers trying to identify what’s going on in their beer, and great practice for experienced judges.

 

The highs and lows of mash temperatures

Darren “Spaz” Blackhurst has been dialling in his new HERMS system and has been good enough to brew two batches of bitter for this month’s Brewers Showcase. We all know that high mash temps make a thicker, higher gravity finish on a beer, right? Well let’s put it to the test and see how much difference it makes. Is it worth stressing over hitting your strike temp, or does it really not matter? The proof will be in the tasting!

 

Counter-pressure filling: Judgement Day

We’re also hoping to have the beers filled during the counter-pressure filling demo two months ago to see how they fared – and see if Patrick really was talking rubbish!

 

And of course, we’ll have the monthly raffles!

Full Pint Brewing Supplies is coming to the party this month, kindly kicking in a prize of one of the new fancy Sterilock dry airlocks (that filter air in and out of the fermenter), a pack of ultra-fresh 2015-crop Melba hops, and a pack of the Whitlabs Platinum Whitbread Ale Yeast. And that’s just the beginning! We’re also looking to secure a couple more prizes, and some great new books are on their way as well.

 

Reserve your books from the club library

We’re expecting a couple of new books in this week, so don’t forget to head to the club’s online library catalogue at https://canberrabrewers.librarika.com/ to peruse this great resource. You can reserve a copy of something and we’ll deliver it at the meeting. If the book is currently on loan, email education@canberrabrewers.com.au and we’ll arrange to have it brought back for you to borrow. Don’t have access to the library? Email us and we’ll hook you up.

So grab some home brew and bring it along to share with friends and have a chat.

See you tomorrow, and then again on Thursday!!

The Canberra Brewers are getting ready to share their love of homemade flavour when they bring International Home Brew Day to Westside at Acton Park on Saturday (May 2).

As well as nine club members brewing three different beer styles onsite beside Lake Burley Griffin’s newest community hub, members will also host demonstrations of mead and cider making, coffee roasting and meat curing at home.

Canberra Brewers president Joel Baines said as well as making their own beer, many brewers were keen to use this creativity in other food and drink arts.

“Home brewing is all about exploring the history, heritage and flavour of different beer styles, and this curiosity often leads to an interest in other areas,” he said.

“We’re really looking forward to sharing some of these passions with the wider community – and the new Westside venue will be a great public space for us to do this.”

The nine brewers will use a variety of different brewing equipment, suitable for beginners right to the more experienced, and between them will brew an American pale ale, a German kolsch and a barley wine. The same recipes will be brewed around the world on Saturday as part of the International Home Brew Day.

As well as the Canberra Brewer’s demonstrations, visitors will be able to enjoy a variety of international foods from Middle Eastern, Vietnamese and French vendors as well as coffee and fresh juice.

International Home Brew Day activities will kick off from 10am-2pm.

Greetings brewers! We’ve got another great meeting planned as we head into Aprill. Here’s a tast of what’s happening at next Thursday’s meeting (April 2) at the Harmonie German Club in Narrabundah.

 

Warm your cockles (and your yeast cells)

The meeting will kick off at 7:30 with another fireside session, this time for newer brewers. So if you want to bring things back to basics, or have a friend that’s just getting started, head along to this early session. We’ll have a bit of a focus on temperature control and yeast handling (including making starters), but will have a couple of experienced hands on deck to answer your questions on how to improve your brewing.

 

Comp 1 presentation

With club competition 1 for 2015 attracting a record 95 entries, judges and stewards will be run off their feet on Sunday. So it’s likely the first you’ll get to hear about your results is when competition secretary Stephen “the Law” Lawford hands out certificates at the meeting!

 

International Homebrew Day – May 2

International Homebrew Day is just five weeks’ away, so we’ll be updating you on our plans for this yearly celebration of home brewing around the world. We’ll be looking for brewers who can bring their gear along and brew side-by-side with other brewers so everyone can share ideas on how we go about making our beer. We then get to taste the different results at the June meeting! If you’re keen to come along and brew, add your name and brew rig details to this thread in the forum.

 

Brewer’s Showcase – Funky Cold Berliner(weisse)

Hoggy has been getting all sweet and sour on us for this month’s meeting, brewing up a nice fresh batch of Berlinerweisse, very much a style du jour among budding funk-o-files. He’ll sit down and discuss the recipe and methods involved in this intriguing style.

 

Reserve your books from the club library

Head to the club’s online library catalogue at https://canberrabrewers.librarika.com/ to peruse this great resource. You can reserve a copy of something and we’ll deliver it at the meeting. If the book is currently on loan, email education@canberrabrewers.com.au and we’ll arrange to have it brought back for you to borrow. Don’t have access to the library? Email us and we’ll hook you up.

 

BJCP 2015 locked in and loaded

Thanks to all those who put their hands up to do the BJCP course for this year. Due to an overwhelming response (and an offer of a couple of great venues) we’ve doubled our intake this year, so it should be a great group. The first session kicks off on Tuesday night, with those involved to receive separate emails.

 

And of course, we’ll have the monthly raffles!

 

So grab some homebrew and bring it along to share with friends and have a chat. Don’t forget it’s a public holiday the next day so you can let your hair down!