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A huge thank you goes out to Matt and Howard and the entire Bauhaus Brew Labs family for hosting us last week. We had a great turn out, with lots of newer and seasoned club members all stopping out to try some of Bauhaus’ beers and to learn about their process. We were able to sneak our tour in during their brew day while their IPA was boiling away.
Photo by Dave Royer
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One final reminder that there is a social event tonight at Bauhaus Brew Labs tonight, November 13. We’ll start gathering around 6:00 and have a tour of the facility at 6:45. Please bring your homebrew questions and ideas to chat with everyone about. For this event, we will leave the homebrew itself at home.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to join us for the MHBA Learn to Home Brew meeting on Saturday at Barley John’s Brewpub. Despite the cooler weather, we had an excellent group and a fantastic time!
Photo by Dave Royer
HUGE thanks to Barley John’s and their fantastic staff who allowed us to hang out on their patio again this year. Not only do they open early for us, but they also make sure we can get a hearty breakfast (egg bake is a special menu item for our event) and plenty of beer.
Even after all these years, it is surprising how much effort goes into making this event a success. It is not just one person, but rather a team working together. So thanks need to go to Gera Exire LaTour, Brett Glenna, Dave Royer, and John Longballa (who originally started working with Barley John’s to make this happen). (more…)
Read MoreMinnesota Home Brewers Association’s Brewers of Fame Program
The purpose of this program is five-fold:
A) to encourage members to brew more often
B) to encourage members to brew myriad styles
C) to encourage members to bring more homebrew to meetings
D) to encourage widespread sharing of homebrew at meetings
E) to encourage focused group discussions of homebrew at meetings
At each meeting (as opposed to social events), there will be a period of focused homebrew dissemination and conversation following the toast and announcements. Each club member who has brought the minimum amount of homebrew will present it to the attending club officer(s). The minimum amount of each specific beer to qualify for the Brewer Hall of Fame program is a six-pack of twelve-ounce bottles, a full two-liter bottle, or equivalent amount in a keg, growler, or other storage system. The brewer may describe the recipe and/or process while the homebrew is being distributed. A club officer or the brewer may read the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) style guidelines for the style being shared. Homebrew may ALWAYS be just simply shared, i.e., shared casually, and not through the Brewers of Fame process.
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It’s been a while since we had a social meeting so next Thursday, November 13th we will be heading over to Bauhaus Brew Labs to talk about what we have been brewing lately and for a private tour. Swing out around 6:00 or so to grab a beverage from the tap room. Join us around 6:45 for the tour! Look for the MHBA logo on one of the tables to find us.
Come join us this Saturday, November 8 from 10:00am until 2:00pm at Barley John’s Brewpub in New Brighton for the annual Learn To Brew Day celebration! We’ll have brewing demonstrations, prizes, homebrew, prizes, awesome food and beer from Barley John’s, prizes and lots of fun people! Bring your friends and family and come out and join us!
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This is a “getting started” guide to making hard cider for home brewers by the Minnesota Home Brewers Association. The goal of this guide is to walk you through the steps for making great hard cider and to help you learn about the decisions needed at each point in the process.
When making cider, there are many opinions as to what makes great cider, but there are three things that nearly everyone agrees are critical to keep in mind. The first is to start with good juice. The second is to use good yeast. The third is to have patience. If you start with these three items, you will have a better chance of success.
Photo by Dennis Wilkinson, Creative Commons
Terminology
Must : A term from winemaking referring to unfermented, sweet juice akin, to “wort” in brewing.
Getting started quickly
Are you looking to just get started and make some great cider? There are lots of options to consider but if you want a simple place to start, try this.
What you will need
- 5 gallons of preservative-free cider
- Campden tablet – If the cider has not been pasteurized
- Yeast Nutrient
- Yeast Energizer
- 2 Lbs brown sugar
- White Labs English Cider Yeast WLP775
- Potassium Sorbate or an extra Campden tablet
We are coming down to the wire for voting in the 2014 “It’s kind of a big deal” awards from The Growler. The Minnesota Home Brewers Association took home Best Homebrew Club for the past two years and we need your help to win the title again.
Please go vote…and ask your friends to vote for us too! 
There was an error in last week’s announcement about Midwest Supplies Learn To Brew event. It’s actually happening THIS Saturday, November 1st and not November 8th! Hit up both events on the upcoming 2 Saturdays for more chances at fun prizes!
Read MoreIt’s time we had a social event!
The team behind Bauhaus Brew Labs in Minneapolis have graciously offered the MHBA a behind-the-scenes tour of their brewery and a sneak peak at some fun upcoming projects. This is an informal social event and we’ll plan on starting to gather around 6:00pm at the taproom. At 6:45 we will have a tour so plan on getting to the taproom and grabbing a beer before then. Please bring your homebrew questions and ideas but for this event, we will leave the homebrew itself at home.
If you are not familiar with Bauhaus, they are one of the newer breweries in the Twin Cities, having opened in the summer of 2014. They specialize in beers based on classic German styles but not being too concerned about staying 100% accurate to style.
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