Kevin Meintsma

MHBA Cider Buy Logistics

November 3, 2023

A few quick updates regarding logistics.

Location:

Number 12 Cider

614 N 5th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55401-1236

12:00pm Start time

4:00pm Finish

Your containers need to be pre-labelled with your name. There is a VERY small paved area in front of the main entrance big enough to turn around. Part of it will be occupied by the cider trailer and the food truck, so…

We will do our best to have someone near the driveway entrance to take your offloaded containers. You should then proceed north to the other end of the building where a large parking area is located. It states that parking is not allowed, but in fact it is allowed for Number 12 guests during the weekends and evenings.

Return to the entry and find your containers.

MHBA Cider Buy 2023

October 30, 2023

Orders have been closed as we draw near to our annual Cider Buy.

This is a reminder that the event will take place this Saturday (11/4/23), starting at noon and running until roughly 4 pm at Number 12 Cider in Minneapolis.

Bring a plastic bucket, stainless keg or similar. ABSOLUTELY NO GLASS. If you bring glass, you will be turned away, and your cider will be given to someone else. It’s a good idea to put a little starsan in your bucket in advance, and if you plan to wait before adding yeast, you might want to bring 25ppm per 5G of Potassium Sulfite and some Pectic Enzyme.

Bring apples and we’ll grind and press for fresh cider.

See you all there!

CIDER BUY!

October 4, 2023

Yo!

The arrangements are made, the details are known, and we are now getting the payment system up and running.

For what you ask?

The Minnesota Homebrewer Association Cider Buy!

Paid members will get first crack at ordering, and after a couple of days we are inviting non-members and other clubs to join us for this event and purchase. Cider can be purchased from the club website here.

Event date: November 4th, from 12pm to 4pm (ish).
Location: Number 12 Cider near the baseball stadium.
Cost: $6 per gallon in 5 gallon increments (non-refundable).

Here is a link to the Facebook event page if you prefer to go there for information:

Facebook event

I made a request for a blend oriented toward cider making based on my specifications as a cider maker. At the moment they expect to accommodate my request, but it will be subject to availability at the time of pickup on Nov. 4th. More details on this topic when they are known.

One more fun detail… We are also inviting you to bring apples if you wish to make cider from scratch. We will have our high capacity apple grinder at the event along with 2 or 3 apple presses.

All Club Campout

July 30, 2023

When: Friday through Sunday, August 4th through the 6th.

Where: Cass Lake, MN – Camp Nushka (map and directions below)

Camp Details:

This is a primitive site so no electricity or running water.
- Water is a manual pump well.
- Bathroom facilities are outhouses/vault toilets.
There is a main parking area for campers and tent pads are scattered throughout the grounds
We are on Cass lake with lake/beach access. In the past, the beach has always been sandy and swimming has been great.
We are in a forest with many trees so there is shade but bringing portable shelters is still not a bad idea as congregation happens in open areas
There is a large open sided picnic shelter for meals and general shelter from sun and rain
We will be getting a load of firewood for the weekend that should cover us all (coming Friday)
A jockey box will be available if you’re bringing kegs. Of course, bottles, growlers and any other beer containers are encouraged.
- There are 6 taps so plenty of space.

Cost and Registration Information:

· Cost will be based on participation but expect around $25-30 per adult for the full weekend including campground, firewood, and Saturday dinner. Contact John Longballa to confirm your attendance [email protected]

Participation in the Saturday dinner is optional (but encouraged), you do need to communicate participation for planning purposes. Kids eat and stay for free. We do need them in the head count for food planning.

Directions:

2301 Cass Bluffs Loop Road

Pennington, MN 56663

https://goo.gl/maps/Rt48n2onBQQ2

GPS 47.440745, -94.497461

· From the East, West or South, take which ever route brings you to highway 2, west of Grand Rapids, East of Bemidji or Cass Lake

· On Hwy 2, about 5 miles east of the town of Cass Lake, look for SR10/39 turn North and go 4.2 miles

· Turn West on Cass Bluff Loop Road go 1.2 miles

· Look for the sign (on the left) that says Camp Nushka (if the road starts veering right, you’ve gone too far)

What to Expect:

If you’ve been to the campout, you know it’s primarily a time to kick back and enjoy good beer and fun beer drinkers.
Feel free to participate as you wish
Bring beer to share. Our club jockey box will be available so kegs are welcome and encouraged
The campfires are always accompanied by the passing around of great beers for all to sample. Start thinking now about what delectable delights you’ll bring in your cooler.
The host clubs cook dinner Saturday evening, but for all other meals you’ll want to make sure you bring food for yourself and/or family.
Of course, bring your own camping gear and chairs.
Well behaved dogs are welcome.
Well-behaved acoustic instruments are welcome.
Amplified music is generally unwelcome.

Special Events:

Over the years some traditions have developed:

Master of Malt: This fun competition between clubs has been held at the campout since 1992. Each club can enter up to four brews: one for ALES, one for LAGERS, one for BELGIANS, and one for MEAD/CIDERS. There will be awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in all categories and best of all, you will be competing for the coveted title of Master of Malt! The win is recorded forever in history for your club AND you get to spend a full year with the prestigious Master of Malt trophy. It is kind of like the Stanley Cup, but it’s a KEG!
- If you have one of the 4 plaques please bring or send with someone and let us know it is coming.
Bloody Mary Mornings (okay, maybe early afternoon for later risers): Some of us like to start the day with a good Bloody Mary (remember the old saying, “you can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning.”) This is a low key event and no pressure to participate. If you would like to begin your day this way, bring mix and vodka to begin, but also bring one Bloody Mary Builder to share with the group (pickles, beef sticks, cheese, celery, the list is endless). Let’s see how creative we can get.
Sour Hour: A tart happy hour. Sometime in the lull between the Master of Malt competition and dinner we will get together and break out some sour beers. It is a very casual thing and no pressure to participate. Bring and share if you like sours. Experience has taught us to limit it to 1 maybe 2 per person though.
Saturday Dinner: Saturday’s dinner will be hosted by the Prairie Homebrewing Companions. Compa Dick’s Campground Culinary Kitchen will be preparing something tasty.

Great Taste of the Midwest – TICKETS!

April 21, 2023

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Final (final) HOLIDAY Party notice

January 13, 2023

R U Redy?

No? Neither am I, but I will be when we meet tomorrow!

MHBA HOLIDAY PARTY!

This is our annual event, and it’s not to be missed without an EXCELLENT excuse.

Saturday, January 14 – 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Forgotten Star Brewing Co.
38 Northern Stacks Dr,
Fridley, MN 55421

The party is in the private room at the NORTH end of the building. You may enter through the brewery main entrance or directly into the private room from the north entry door.

Setup will start around 5:00 pm with teardown at 9:30 pm
Socializing will be from 5:30 – 7:00 pm
Buffet-style food service will begin at 7:00 pm

Raffles with gift cards occurring throughout the night

What to bring
Food: Come with a potluck dish to share (bonus points for being prepared with a beer, cider, or mead). Make sure to bring serving utensils and an extension cord if needed.

A “People’s Choice” award will be given for the best potluck dish with beer, cider, or mead as an ingredient with voting going on throughout the night.

Plates, napkins, and silverware will be provided.

Beer/Cider/Mead/Wine to share: Bring any beer, mead, or cider that you wish to share. Bottles, growlers, and kegs are welcome. Don’t forget a small tasting glass—some plastic glasses will be available in case of emergency. The club will provide our jockeybox for use.

What? Remember to bring a tasting glass. Really. You should bring a tasting glass.

Even better if you put your name on it for the inevitable “I lost my tasting glass”.

Family and Friends: This is a family-friendly event, so bring your significant other, kids, and/or any friends/family that have ever expressed an interest in homebrewing or beer. As this is one of the most attended gatherings of the year, it’s a great opportunity to get out and meet your fellow homebrewers. If you have not made it to a meeting or would like to join the club, the Holiday potluck is a perfect chance to try some great homebrew and delicious food, and exchange homebrew with others.

We’ll see you tomorrow!

Kevin Meintsma – MHBA Secretary

Brew For Good is back!

August 3, 2022

It’s been a couple of years due to Covid restrictions, but IT’S BACK!

Brew For Good is a Beer/Mead/Cider sampling festival.

It will be on September 18th, from noon to 4pm at Forgotten Star Brewery in Fridley.

It raises funds through free will offering to support a local non-profit partner:
East Side Neighborhood Services.

For more information, please check out https://linktr.ee/brewforgood

The way this festival works:

MHBA and Primary Fermenters each get a “booth” (table) in the event space at the brewery We bring OUR beer/mead/cider to serve to members of the public in attendance at the festival. It’s a great way to raise money for a good cause and to showcase your talent and your beer/mead/cider to friends/family/public. Many people in both clubs have done this in the past, and it’s a BLAST!

Let the club leadership know you are participating so we get a solid idea of our capacity, and then get busy, finish your beverages, and sign up with your “brew” information here: https://goodcompanybrewing.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ea219b2d804e2dd729f6d4417&id=bcd0e6cc2b&e=9889974183

Please let us know on Facebook, or via email (use the form on the website: https://mnbrewers.com/about-us/contact-us/) to let us know what you are bringing!

All Club Campout – Last Chance!

July 30, 2022

ALL-CLUB CAMPOUT is just under 3 weeks away!

August 4^th – 7^th

At camp Nushka on Cass lake, between Bemidji and Lake Winibigoshish

This is it! The All Club Campout starts Thursday, and goes through Sunday. This is one of the great events of the summer and we hope to see you there.

In case you didn’t catch that, it’s at camp Nushka. This is a change of location due to tornadoes that damaged the original campground chosen for our weekend campout.

Come for one night, two nights, or three! Open to any homebrewer and their family. Loosely-structured weekend of sharing beer around the fire. We have rented the two pavilions and the entire 26-acre campground, located in a remote area right on the shore of Cass Lake.

Saturday’s festivities include a fun club vs. club homebrew competition and a Sour Hour (bring your homebrew and open up your cellar – these are the people that you want to share with!), complete with trumpet fanfare. The MHBA will provide the Saturday evening feast.

Tents and small campers welcome. Well-behaved dogs and acoustic instruments also welcome (no radios or amplified music, please). You must let John Longballa know you’re attending. The cost depends a bit on the meal, but should be around $30/adult; kids are free.

Water is available onsite, with pit toilets that Jim Longvaala has volunteered to clean.

This outing is not to be missed!

You must let John know you are attending via email: jlongballa “AT” netzero.net

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=camp+nushka+cass+lake&ia=web&iaxm=maps

All Club CAMPOUT is getting close!

July 16, 2022