Brewing Belgian Style This Saturday!!

My first blog ever. How exciting. Can you feel it people? Woo-hoo. Damn you Jeremy for making me bow to this new communication technology!! What's next, are you going to make everyone create a "My Space" page?

Ok, enough of my bitching. On to what I am BLOGGING about. I will be brewing this Saturday, April 12th at my house. It will be my second solo all-grain outing and it will be a Belgian Blond no less, so I am expecting some chaos. The first go around involved 7 hours of effort that produced only 3.5 gallons of wort!! It can only get better from there, right? We will see. Just incase, I plan on starting early, like 8 am early.

So, if anyone is looking to brew or just wants to be entertained, drop me an email and I will send you directions to my place. Blog away my friends!

Its Beer and Chili Time!!!

Hi Guys - Lets get a big group together this year and show 'em how its done.

Basically provide beer on sunday and get a free party pass for the weekend.


Homebrewers Welcome!

So you enjoy beer, hops, and like to have fun? Is your secret homebrew up for a challenge? Attendees at the Fifth Annual Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest Local’s Competition are ready to find out! You and other homebrewers will battle it out for the honored title of “Best Homebrew Winner.” The first place winner will be awarded a $100 cash prize and an original Snowmass trophy. Chili Pepper prizes will also be awarded to 2nd and 3rd place winners.

Wondering about Requirements?
• Judging for the homebrew competition is comprised of some of the local chili cooks and home-brew enthusiasts around the valley.
• All brewers must bring enough beer for 30 people to taste 4 oz. Samplers. The more flavors and types are encouraged!
• The People’s Choice Homebrew Tasting and Voting begins at 1:30 pm; please do not allow the cooks to taste your brew samples until that official time.
• In order to sign-up as a local homebrewer, please e-mail Jacqie at rainlord@aol.com your name, phone number, address, and credit card number. A credit card number is required as ransom for Pepper & Brew Fest weekend Party Pass you’ll receive to use in advance of Sunday. Any no-shows on Sunday will be charged $60 for the $50 weekend Party Pass.
• Please bring a sign with the name of your brews and your name for voters to identify your entry. Or, contact Jacqie at 970-925-1663, rainlord@aol.com and a sign will be made for you.

What are the Spicy Benefits of Being a Homebrewer?
• You’ll receive one FREE PARTY PASS for the entire weekend’s festivities. This pass provides access to the Pepper Hill festival grounds where you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy microbrew sampling & grand tasting, ICS chili competition chili tasting, and concerts such as Stephen Marley, Dr. John, The Neville Brothers and more.
• Recognition in the Valley as one of the greatest homebrewers stars!

People’s Choice Local’s Homebrew Competition - Sunday, June 8, 2008
• Brewer Check-in is at Snowmass Ticket Pavilion at 1:30pm.
• Table and serving cups will be provided; please bring anything to make your table festive!
• People’s Choice Homebrew Tasting and voting are at 2:30 pm; winners are announced at 4:00 pm.


Questions? Contact Vanessa at 970-925-1663,

See you in Snowmass for a hot time in a cool place!

The Beer Prayer

Our Lager,
Which art in barrels,
Hallowed be thy drink.
Thy will be drunk, (I will be drunk),
At home as it is in the pub.
Give us this day our foamy head,
And forgive us our spillages,
As we forgive those who spill against us,
And lead us not into incarceration,
But deliver us from hangovers.
In the name of the bitter, the lager, and the pale ale...

Barmen....

And Women!

HAMS Homebrewers Ball 2007

The HAMS Homebrewers Ball was a great success in its first year. On Saturday, December 1, 2007, 130 Guests joined 15 Brewers and Actors for a very civilized evening of celebrating the arts of beer and theater. The Thunder River Theater Company in Carbondale CO, a non-profit professional theater company, http://www.thunderrivertheatre.com/ is renowned for their superb presentations of many famous playrights. The Roaring Fork HAMS Homebrew Club partnered with the Theater Company for a private fundraising party to benefit their non-profit, in hopes that we could hold this event every year, to also benefit other community non-profit organizations.

The Guests appeared to be unanimous in their hearty approval of this new partnership, and they partook with enthusiasm the twelve taps of distinctly custom-brewed beers, the fine graphic "labels" we used to describe each beer, and especially the inspiring, even hilarious, beer history and trivia. researched and performed by Lon & Valerie. There was even a "beer prayer".

There was more. Imagine their surprise to find a 5-gallon keg of fresh-brewed root beer, hiding out among the grown-up beers. Following the signs to the "Bottle Lounge" in the basement, yielded a limited supply of nearly two-dozen more homebrewed beers, brought by lots of other local brewers, to share with everyone. There in the Bottle Lounge, we saw a few Guests working feverishly with crayons, pens and paper, while sipping samples of our brews, to complete their entries to the "Guest Label Contest" upstairs.

The Label competition was pretty stiff, with 12 entires by 10 artists. When the voting deadline had passed, we learned that 58 people had voted, and 22 of them had selected Brent and Jen Moss' "YUMPI" Ale (Young Urban Mountain Professionals"), this years Guest Label Winner. The Moss family will win a case of 12-oz. bottles, each containing an "Extra Special Bitter" (ESB) Ale, to be brewed by MT in January. This ESB will be dressed in their "YUMPI Ale" winning label, of course.

The Guests voted Jeremy West's "Shellabration Stout" as best homebrew. We all liked his label, also.

We have lots of people to thank for the successful start of what we hope will be an annual tradition, something for all the HAMS, and a growing number of community members, to be proud of:
Lon Winston & Valerie Haughan, theater co-directors;
Ken Jones, Glenwood Canyon BrewPub master brewer, sponsor of the RF HAMS Homebrew Club;
Wes MacCachran, tap station builder, organizer, brewer of the "Bock" and the "Weizenbock";
Jeremy West, R.F. HAMS President, organizer, brewer of the "Sweet Stout" and the "Root Beer";
Cody O'Niel, organizer, "rang the bell" in August to start making this party happen, brewer of the "Cathedral ESB";
Landon Anderson, organizer and brewer of the "Whiteout Belgian White";
Mike Wieczorek, organizer and brewer of the "Brown Ale";

Jeff Dahl, kegging organizer, logo art setup, brewer of the "IPA";
Paul Stoffel, brewer of the "Honey Raspberry Wheat";
Charles Englebert, responsible for many of you being here, and brewer of the "Amber Ale";
Todd Malloy, brewer of the "Pilsener";
Amy Capron and Justin Barrow, "rookies" of the year, and brewers of the "Oktoberfest";
MT, meself, for stating the challenge you all rose to meet, and for brewing the "Belgian Saison Ale";
Roy Toma, photographer, for shooting the party, and our Homebrewers Ball Guests, for their enthusiasm and civilized appreciation of fine arts;
And finally, Ken Peterson, Chief of Investigations, CO Div. of Liquor Enforcement for showing us the way to bring homebrew to you;

Homebrewers Ball

The homebrewers Ball was a huge success! Thanks to all that helped and everyone that came and enjoyed the evening. Hopefully MT can post some stats for us, and some pictures as well.

Where did the Summer Go?

I'm not sure about the rest of you, but this summer has just been blasting by. Between all of the work I have going on, festivals, enjoying the outdoors, etc., I cant believe that it is the middle of August already! I havent had a chance (or the temperature control) to get any brewing done, but plan to remedy that here in the near future. I have a new toy coming that should be fun to play with. I'll let y'all know when it's ready.

Other events that are upcoming:

• Club meeting on Sat. Aug 18 at the home of Les and Nancy Selzer in Glenwood
• AHA Club Only Competitions - schedule here
• Blues and Brews Festival in Telluride - Sept 14, 15, 16. Info here.
• Great American beer Festival!!!! October 11, 12, 13. Remember the Saturday afternoon session is for AHA/ABA mambers ONLY - so if you are not a member, sign up now!
  

Montrose County Fair Homebrew Competition

There's still time to get brews entered to the Montrose county fair homebrew competition. If you want to enter, e-mail "andrea" who is organizing the competition. I believe Ken is one of the judges, so if you got beer to him by this weekend he could just take them with him. You have to let Andrea know they are being sent with him though. The contest is on Monday night 7/23. It is an AHA sanctioned competition, and conforms to BJCP style guidelines. More details are available at www.blackcanyonbrewers.com

Jeremy

Hamming it up with the Ambassador of Beer at the NHC

Among the many wonderful, strange, exotic, and classic beers that were available at the National Homebrew Conference, we had our moment of fame with the ambassador of beer - Charlie Papazian. From left to right are Wes MacCachran, Tom Schickling, Jeremy West, Charlie Papazian, Michael Thompson, and Jeff Dahl.

Although both Wes and Michael received blue ribbons for their beers during the first round of the National Homebrew Competition - thus getting the privilege to have their beers evaluated at the final round at the NHC - neither of their beers were selected as the top three in their respective categories during the finals. Congratulations to both of them for representing the HAMS so proudly! Wes submitted his Where There's Smoke, There's Porter brew, and Michael presented his European Amber Lager.

Check "Upcoming Events"

<--- Over here to the Left we can post dates and times of who is brewing what where and when (and how!) Post a comment here if you would like to join in, if you need directions, etc.

Remember - "Just brew Something, Dammit!" :-)

Nice article in RMN about Dry Dock

Very nice article yesterday in the Rocky Mountain News about Kevin DeLange and the Dry Dock Brewery in Aurora. If you havent been there - you need to go check out their beers, and the worlds largest homebrew system.

Article in RMN