Category: Social Report

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CANBERRA CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL

HOMEBREW DAY at WESTSIDE

Saturday, May 2, 2014

Canberra home brewers are set to share their knowledge of how to turn malt into beer when they bring the International Homebrew Day to the capital’s newest social hub, Westside at Acton Park.

Ever wonder what goes into your favourite ale or lager, or how you can make your own world-class beer? The Canberra Brewers and Westside are joining forces and inviting everyone to come down to Lake Burley Griffin and watch how it’s done. Around the world, Big Brew participants are being encouraged to brew one of three specific styles: An American pale ale, a German kolsch and a barleywine.

At the Canberra event, eight different brewers will use range of brewing setups, from inexpensive beginner’s gear, right through to a computer-controlled, ‘all grain’ system. This is one of hundreds of events taking place around the world to celebrate the craft of brewing beer at home.

Anyone interested in getting into home brewing, or taking their hobby to the next level is being encouraged to come along on the day to meet and get some advice from national award-winning home brewers.

CANBERRA BREWERS MARCH MEETING PREVIEW

Here’s a bit of a preview to what’s happening at next Thursday’s meeting (March 5) at the Harmonie German Club in Narrabundah. We’re going to kick the meeting off at 7.30pm sharp with a demo on counter-pressure bottle filling (details below).

National Multicultural Festival report

President Joel Baines will update members on the takings from this major fundraising event, and outline what it means for this year’s budget.

Memberships are due now.

It’s super easy to pay via Paypal, cash at the meeting or direct debit but you must fill out a form. Everything you need is just a click away.

Club competition 1 for 2015
Entries are now open. Judging to take place at Lawfo’s house on Sunday, March 29. Enter your beers BEFORE MARCH 21. You can also sign up to judge or steward on the forum it’s a great way for new brewers to learn about competitions.

The club library’s online catalogue is up and running!
If you haven’t yet received an invitation to join the library at https://canberrabrewers.librarika.com/ email patrick.baggoley@gmail.com asap. All Library book requests MUST be made via this system before Wednesday, March 4.

This month’s raffle
We have a sack of grain from Belco Brew Supplies, Little Creatures merchandise, Fullers bar mats, a stainless-steel mash paddle, Russian River beers, caps from anhc, stainless steel keg disconnects and an oxygenation kit.

Counter-pressure bottle filling demonstration
Starting at 7.30pm ON THE DOT in the bierkeller. We will show several methods of filling bottles from kegs in the lead up to Comp 1. The results will be tucked away for two months to see how the beers hold up.

Brewer’s Showcase
Canberra Brewers stalwart Craig “Stagger” Webber will bring in a keg of his Stone and Wood clone, and discuss the recipe and brewing methods.

BJCP
Interested in taking on the Beer Judge Certification Program? We’re calling for expressions of interest, keep an eye on the forum for details or email the education officer patrick.baggoley@gmail.com

Save the date!
International Homebrew Day is on Saturday, May 2, from 10am, assistant social secretary PhatTony will discuss where plans are at.

And don’t forget the education survey

We’ve had 51 responses to the club education survey and given we’ve sent out 130 invites to our club library, we know there are more of you out there. Get on there and have your say so we know what sort of activities to deliver at meetings and beyond.

See you all next week!

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By Kevin Hingston, Social Secretary

The Grain
The Grain

On Saturday August 3, the Canberra Brewers club got started bright and early for what was likely our last Wig and Pen brew day with brewmaster Richard Watkins.

Bacon, eggs, coffees, stouts and schwarzbiers were the order of the morning as brewers gathered round Richard to find out more about the collaboration recipe.

In the weeks leading up to the day, the club forum was alive with potential recipe ideas, including: a gose or gruit, a rye IPA, a smoked oat pilsner, koji (sake) fermentation, and even skipping the barley altogether and aiming for a gluten free beer.

Richard informed us that he didn’t really like any of the suggestions…so he decided to do all of them…at once.

The adjunct heavy ‘Barely Barley’ beer would include rice inoculated with Wig and Pen House bacteria, oats, smoked wheat, and sorghum.

It would be hopped like an IPA and fermented with Sake yeast. With a recipe like this, a few members approached the brewery with a little trepidation, but there was a lot to be done and a lot to learn.

The morning was broken up by a jerky talk and tasting from Kevin Hingston and a sausage and salami demonstration from Tom Dixon. Meanwhile, club tough man Paul ‘Moz’ Haesler made his astounding debut as doorman and bouncer as a few passers by peeped in the front door wondering why so many people were drinking so much beer so early in the day.

Following a delicious lunch, the raffles were a rowdy affair (even without town crier Chris Duffy to call the numbers). Lucky members walked away with books, a food dehydrator, goodies from mashematics, and piles of Tom’s tasty sausages.

The bar tab was still getting a work out when Richard took us downstairs to taste his delicious final beer brewed at the Wig: The Last Drop.

The strong, hoppy brew is sure to be a hit. With the special beer in hand, we got the low down on future plans for both the Wig and Pen and Richard’s new venture, The BentSpoke Brewing Company.

We then returned upstairs to make one last crack at the bar tab and toast a great day out with mates. Once again, thanks go to the team at Wig and Pen and of course to Richard for his past and ongoing support to the club.

More photos can be found on Flickr

Addressing the crowd
Addressing the crowd

By Kevin Hingston, Social Secretary

On Saturday May 4, the Canberra Brewers Club and the Wig and Pen will be hosting the International Homebrew Day “Big Brew”.

This year, seven of Canberra’s finest homebrewers will face off, each taking a different take on a Belgian ale recipe.

There will be a wide range of brewing setups, from inexpensive beginner’s extract brewing gear, right through to a computer controlled, touch screen ‘all grain’ system.

If you’ve thought about getting into homebrewing, or taking your brew to the next level, come get some advice from nationally recognised award winning homebrewers and Wig and Pen head brewer, Richard Watkins.

So come along, have a beer, meet some awardwinning homebrewers and learn more about making great craft beer at home. If you can’t make it, don’t forget that the Canberra Brewers Club meets at the Harmonie German Club on the first Thursday of every month.

When: Saturday May 4, from 9am. (the bar itself will open later in the day)
Where: Wig and Pen, Alinga St, Canberra City