Meeting Recap: 4/3/12

Thanks for the meeting minutes and congrats to Mike for taking home the gold!

I couldnt make the meeting. Bewtween working out schedules with the taxman and finding my next hunting spot for the weekend filled my tuesday.

Thanks for the meeting minutes and congrats to Mike for taking home the gold!

I couldnt make the meeting. Bewtween working out schedules with the taxman and finding my next hunting spot for the weekend filled my tuesday.

sorry for the double post, coffee is kicking in

Thanks to all who attended for a great meeting, I had a good time. The best part was seeing us sharing "troubled beers" and helping folks identify flaws and potential solutions. It's positive to see members getting good feedback on their brews. There were a lot of questions and some helpful answers all around. And a quick thanks to Mike Thomas, our generous host, we appreciate you opening up your man cave to us! Finally, thanks to everyone who voted for my ESB - I'm humbled you chose my beer amongst the other quality brews available at the meeting.

In any case, I think I can safely say we're getting pumped for the forthcoming spring and summer events!

Thanks for the re-cap, and congrats to Mike P on taking home the Mash Paddle of Destiny! Sorry I couldn't make it, had pinewood derby races with my boy.

Location: Mike T's
Time: 7-9:30
Attendees: Mike T, Ivan, Mike P, Randi, Todd, Eric D, Tyler S

Beers:
Mike T had an ESB and Saison on tap and a bunch of snacks for us! Eric brought his "what went wrong with this -IPA". Todd brought his Irish Red and an Amber. Mike P had his Ninth Toast Brown, Homegrown Hops ESB, and a Belgian Strong, Ivan brought an Amarillo IPA and Applewine. To finish the meeting off Mike T opened a bottle mead.

Business:

Hop Rhizomes
The Rhizomes are here! If you weren't available to pick up your rhizomes at the meeting. Please contact Randi with a time that works best for you. If you want to drive out to Lincoln to get them, please do so after 6pm (Wednesday-Thursday). I can bring your rhizomes into town with me on Friday, let me know where and when you'd like to meet up (after 1pm). Otherwise they can be picked up in Lincoln on Friday and Saturday. Please give me a heads up before you stop by. Thanks!

Next Taster Glass
The Fish and Mug design will be on the next taster. We'll be ordering 100 of these this month.

Brews and Blues
Brews and Blues is June 2nd in Dickinson. This event is a homebrew contest with other commercial vendors there. There are cash prizes for homebrew winners. This event is not a Masher event, but we have been invited to participate. Mike F would like a count of people that are interested in riding to the event (whether or not you are entering or just drinking). (Counted at the meeting that were entering were Mike P, Randi P, and Ivan).

Hopluck
Since Blues & Brews is on June 2nd, we’ve had to reschedule the Hopluck. We’re looking at the end of August and early September, please vote here for the date(s) that work best for you.

Statewide Campout
The North Dakota Brewers Campout is scheduled for June 23rd-24th. The campout will be at the Cross Ranch State Park (just south of Washburn on the west side of the river). Brewers across the state are invited to camp, meet, and share homebrew. So far the attendance is 10+ brewers and their families. If you can’t camp, since we are so close, please feel free to stop by on Saturday and meet some of these folks. If you want to camp, visit NDBrewers.com and register your campsite soon. For more information and fliers please visit NDBrewers.com: Campout.

Big Brew Day
Big Brew Day is next month. For those of you not familiar with Big Brew Day, AHA Big Brew is a celebration of National Homebrew Day (May 5). Each year homebrewers around the world invite family and friends to their brewing site on the first Saturday in May to celebrate the holiday. Everyone is encouraged to help out with the brew, enjoy the fun and join in on a world-wide toast at noon CDT. The Mashers are going to do a large brew site with multiple brews going on. Our location fell through so we are working on a new one. We'll let you know when a substitute spot has been found. In the meantime get those systems dusted off and ready to go.

AHA Club Only Competition
Next meeting (May 1st) we will hold an internal contest to find a Scottish or Irish Ale to send to the Scottish and Irish Ale Club Only Competition in Texas. This competition covers category 9. To enter, bring 4 bottles May 1st.

• Plan ahead. You can keep track of all upcoming AHA Club Only Competitions with the Club’s online calendar. This year’s lineup is: May- Scottish and Irish Ale, August-Porter, September – light hybrid beers, November – Olde Ales.

Grain Tea Series
We tasted three dark malts back to back, Coffee (Simpsons), Chocolate (Briess), Roasted Barley (Simpsons)
Coffee Malt:
As the name suggests the first smell of this grain brings out a rich coffee flavor that will add complexity to any dark ale.

Chocolate Malt:
Chocolate malt will give your beer a warm, nutty, chocolate-like flavor. Just a few ounces in a batch will impart a slight brown color. Use up to a pound in porters and stouts and dark lagers.

Roasted Barley:
Use this grain when you want a sweet, coffee-like, grainy flavor and red to deep brown color. A little goes a long way. Roasted barley imparts the flavors associated with Irish Stout.


Paddle
Since we are the “Mashers” we’ve obtained a lovely golden mash paddle. This traveling trophy will be awarded monthly for the winner to take home and proudly display. At the end of each meeting we will look for nominations on outstanding homebrew of the night. This beer can be a new brew or a reworked recipe. Once a beer has taken home the paddle, it will no longer be eligible to win. When nominating a brew, look at flavor, style, and originality. A majority vote will declare the winner. If you win the paddle, make sure that you can have it back to an officer at the next meeting.

• Mike P took home the paddle for the Homegrown Hop ESB

If I forgot anyone or any beers, feel free to post it. Sometimes as the beer flows, the notes get sloppier and I get more forgetful. Cheers!