Category: Editor’s report and club news

The next club meeting is just round the corner on 5 September 2024 and we will be back at the Polish White Eagle Club again.

Kurtz is back in the education hot seat and will have something special for us, plus FishFrenzy has the six pack swap already running (Sign up on FB or on the forum) and the raffle will have a range of amazing prizes up for grabs.

Don’t forget to bring your latest and greatest brews to share.

See you there!

Upcoming Events

Oktoberfest 2024 is set for 28th September, starting 4PM at the Zierholz Brewery in Fyshwick

Come along for a great afternoon of festive celebrations with music, great beer, awesome food company!

Members price is $50 and Non Members are $75, which will get you… your first three schooners from Zierholz (with discounted rates after that) and an Oktoberfest banquet of Bratwurst, Weisswurst, Double Smoked Kransky, Roast Pork, sides and dessert. Vegan options are available on request.

You’ll get to sample members beers (noting this is the week after ACT ABC and we will probably have many awesome beers on tap),  you can enter your german beer in the Oktoberfest competition or go into running for a best dressed (M & F) prize!

Limited Numbers – Register you are coming on Forum. Non-members wishing to attend need to have a member add them or send a PM/email to president@canberrabrewers.com.au

The ACT Amateur Brewing Competition

The ACTABC is on 20-22 September at Zierholz Brewery in Fyshwick.

If you haven’t done so already, jump onto the competition website (here) and register your brews (beer, cider and mead) and your judging or stewarding availability over the weekend. You still have time to brew a sneaky ale or two before entry drop off closure on 15 September.

We will need all the help we can get so even if you don’t have previous experience, still register or reach out to discuss judging and stewarding options. The first judging session is on the Friday night followed by morning and afternoon session on Saturday, and wrapping up with a Sunday morning session.

Please don’t leave registration to the last minute as this will make it much harder to organise a great competition. Food (and beverages) will be provided. The best three brews from each category get the opportunity to represent ACT at the Nationals. If you have any questions, please contact Ed or Nic.

Carton Swap 2024

Last year was big and it’s happening again at the December 2024 meeting. You can find out more details and sign up on the forum here.

The next club meeting is just round the corner on 4 July 2024 at the Polish White Eagle Club.

• Education: Special guest Steve Kirby will be talking braggots this month and is planning to take us through a little blending. To help Steve is seeking a little assistance from the club members who could donate a few litres (about 3L) of a lager, pale and a one of either a porter, stout or RIS. If you’re interested you can reply to Steve’s FB post here.
• Raffle: There will be great prizes again this month… to be announced!
• Six Pack Swap: is on again and it’s a great way to try new styles, practice judging and receive feedback on your brews. Sign up on FB or on the forum.
• The Kegerator Raffle is over… congrats Chuck… but there’s still NOOKIE!

Club Membership Fees

For the first time in about 10 years the Committee have decided to increase membership fees. Canberra Brewers membership will now be $60 per year, but the same fantastic deals from our sponsors continue, including:

• Bent Spoke Draughter’s membership
• Mathematics
• Brew your own at home
• Belco Brew Supplies and many more

For members that are keen to pay for multiple years we now have a 2 year payment option. You may now renew your membership for this financial year period. Membership renewal is through the canberra brewers website here.

Winter Competition

Results are now up on the competition website. Just log in and you will be able to view the scanned feedback provided by the judges.

We had 41 entries judged on the day. Thanks to Zierholz at Fyshwick for generous use of their facilities for the event. Thanks to all the judges and stewards, with special mention of Michael, Bec and John, all new to stewarding but providing a great service under the steady guidance of Richard E. And a big thank you to David Gilks for his duties as Head Judge – reviewing the pour sheets, checking the details provided by brewers and providing guidance on the day to judging tables. 

We had some stand out results, which bode well for ACT representation in the National Championships. Congratulations to David Bennet, for his Brett Beer, bringing in the top score of 43. And to Andrew Mevius, Patrick Baggoley, Steve Hogarth, Corey Fischer, Andrew Lewis and Anthony Ween for the top ten scoring entries – ranging from Andrew’s Belgian Tripel to Steve’s American Lager to Anthony Ween’s Munich Helles. And a congratulations to Nerida Robinson for her placed entries in the cider category – Nerida is a very welcome new entrant to our competitions.

Upcoming Events

July – Club bike ride

The date and details for the next Club Bike Ride, but is anticipated to be some time after the July meeting. More information will be posted soon.

Oktoberfest

The committee have started planning for Oktoberfest 2024, keep your eyes peeled for more informaiton on dates and bookings.

September – 2024 ACT Amateur Brewing Championships

ACTABC’s will be held in late September, ahead of the National Championships to be held in Brisbane on October 26. Further details of our ACT Championships will be posted before too long – but with 20 styles open for judging we need your beers, ciders and meads and your volunteering on the weekend of judging.

December – Carton Swap 2024

Last year was big and it’s happening again at the December 2024 meeting. You can find out more details and sign up on the forum here.

The June meeting will be at the Polish White Eagle Club in Turner on Thursday, 6 June with an education session on hops, and our raffle will be giving away lots of hops and hoppy beers. There’s also the six pack swap and our first swap meet.

Plus we’re raffle off the kegerator at this meeting! So come along and don’t forget to bring your beer to share!

The education session will involve a conversation about Hops. Details direct from the good doctor: “The Naked Hop…Steely Dan strips hops bare and we speak of things odd and esoteric with methods old and new of adding that spice…scrap the old actually”.

Canberra Brewers’ Cypher Brewing Co launch

Join us at Cypher Brewing Co on Saturday June 8 for the launch of Pat’s Melting Point Red IPA!

After winning the best of show at the recent Cypher club competition, Pat had the privilege of working with Cypher’s head brewer Matt Thiele to scale up and brew his beer on the premises – 1500L of it!

Pat worked with Matt and his assistant brewer, Aidan, helping haul in 484kg of grain and 7kg of hops. Final gravity is still pending, but we’re looking at a rich, malty, piney/resinous red IPA at about 7%. The beer was fermented with yeast taken from the batch of Cypher draft that the club helped brew a few weeks back, so thanks to the club for helping with the yeast starter!

Let us know (on facebook) if you can make it and we’ll book a couple of tables.

The next club meeting is just round the corner on 2 May 2024 at the Polish White Eagle Club.

This meeting will be a “Special General Meeting” to deliver the Finance report for the previous financial year.

• Education: Keeping on the theme of “More than IPA” this May we talk about sours. And who better to lead the talk than Adrian Ison (Adi). Adi will talk about things sour in general yeast ranching and hopefully share some of his award winning skill set.
• Raffle: We will have a range of interesting and exciting prizes on offer.
• Six Pack Swap: is on again and it’s a great way to try new styles, practice judging and receive feedback on your brews. Sign up on FB or on the forum.
• Kegerator Raffle: There’s still plenty more opportunities to earn tickets in the kegerator raffle, by attending the meeting, bringing along your beers and putting your beer into the six pack swap… easy!

Upcoming Events

4 May 2024 – Cypher Brew Day

Chuck has lined up a great experience as we have our first brew day with Matt and co. at Cypher Brewing. The day kicks off at 8:30 with a brewery tour and we will be following the Cypher crew as they brew one of their beers.

Cost is $35 for members ($50 for non members) which includes a breakfast muffin, lunch, four guided tastings and a pint of either Lager, Shooeys or Bitter.

Sign up on the forum https://tinyurl.com/CypherBrewDay2024 or on the FB Members page https://fb.me/e/1WCuPwehs

19 May 2024 – Club bike ride: Giro d’Caipital

The next Club Bike Ride will be starting and finishing at Capital Brewing. More details to come.

15 June 2024 – Club Competition

The next competition is coming up soon, so don’t forget to register your entries and sign up to judge or steward here https://canberrabrewers.brewingcompetitions.com/

The emphasis of this competition is to provide and receive informed, technical feedback. This will help you iron out any issues in your brews and prepare your brews for the ACT competition in September and assist you to qualify for the national championships (AABC).

Nic and Ed have scheduled a full day of judging (morning and afternoon flights) at the wonderful Zierholz venue in Fyshwick) and food and rewards will be provided to volunteers.

There are 12 categories from the 2022 AABC Styles will be judged including:

• Pale Lager
• Amber and Dark Lager
• Amber Ale
• Stout
• Wheat and Rye Beer
• Belgian Ale
• Strong Ale and Lager
• Sour and Wild Ale
• Fruit and Spice Beer
• Speciality Beer
• Mead
• Cider and Perry

As usual, email compsec@canberrabrewers.com.au if you have issues or questions about registration.