mba February 2003

mba@thebarn.com

37 participants
77 discussions

by Bruce.Butler＠colorspan.com

Rick, Nice job of communicating and bringing us up to date on the club. Being an hour plus west of the CSPS hall, I don't get to many meetings. Jeff Cotton, Where do we send our $15 membership fee? Bruce

22 years, 10 months

Valentine's Dinner Invitation

by townhallbrewer＠hotmail.com

Hey all, I would like to invite you to our 2nd annual Valentine's Dinner. Erik has been back in the kitchen creating the finest fare for the most romantic evening of the year. We will start you off with a salad bursting with fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Then choose from Spicy Rum and Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin or Caribbean Jerked Mahi-Mahi in a citrus salsa. The dessert that finishes up your evening sounds so outstanding I can't even handle typing what it is..... If you like chocolate, you will be very very happy. Also, we will feature live music for your enjoyment. We are taking reservations at 6,8,and 10 pm. Call and reserve your table soon (612.339.8696) and we will even set you up with a drink on the house. Just $27.95 each/$55 couple. (Pint club members get a $2.50 discount each) Hope all is well in your world Mike

22 years, 10 months

MHBA February Meeting

by Rick Oftel

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Greetings beer fans and MHBA members. Rick here with a few tidbits of = information that started at the February meeting. =20 First, a big thanks for stopping by and showing your support and, = er...for helping me finish off those pesky cornies. Something is always = brewing in the winter and empty and clean cornies are always in high = demand. =20 New Board members (and a few unofficial ones) are listed below :=20 Rick Oftel Prez Dave Cox Vice Prez Mark Snyder Secretary Jeff Cotton Treasurer Gloria Sheehan Newsletter Editor Mike Moranz Member at Largest Jim Herrick Member at large from far away Al Boyce Member at large and contest guru Steve Piaz Lambic Guy Mike Valentiner Wit guy or dim wit (your choice)=20 There is also a large and growing group of helpers, assistants, = organizers, friends, wives of helpers, and a few special others we need = to mention. =20 Scott Richards Web page guru (just doesn't know it yet) Mike Swalinkavich Gadget day event organizer Steve Fletty Contest assistant organizer and e-mail multiplier Christopher Hadden Mead guy Garry Sinnen HOT Mead guy Jonathan Crist Contest shipping coordinator=20 The meeting was great and I personally wish to thank you for attending = and especially to the new members that showed up for the first time. = The February meeting is typically a very slow meeting and I am very glad = you helped this change. We have a bunch of interesting things that are = being scheduled for the upcoming year and hope to make this a banner = year for the MHBA. The focus on this years events will be brewing = better beer and sharing information and tips with new members and maybe = some fun! =20 Let's take a few moments to consider the excellent ideas that YOU put = down on the list. =20 1.. Mead making session organized by Christopher Hadden=20 2.. Home brew mini-evaluation at the start of each meeting with = labeled bottles of homebrew to better identify contents=20 3.. Gadget day! (It must be gadget day, my friends have come to = stay...to the tune of a real old commercial)=20 4.. Brew-a-rama with larger kettle (sorry I know mine is so small) = so club members could take away bitter wort and ferment in various = containers with various yeast cultures. Future comparison would be very = interesting. Possibly we can convince Mike Valentiner to consider this? = 5.. Develop a who-does-what and who-has-what list so members could = contact welders, find glass bottles, plastic pails, etc. =20 6.. Invite a beer distributor to help evaluate samples; ours and = his - we'll try=20 7.. A Rahr Malting Tour - WOW=20 8.. Beer exchange more than one time per year - how about a keg = exchange? =20 9.. Unofficial meetings at brewpub tapping of new beers! =20 Honestly, I didn't expect such a great list and had a few of my own that = I was thinking about 1.. Bloomington lime treatment water plant tour.=20 2.. Rock Bottom=20 3.. Hops=20 4.. St. Peter Campout - Schells and country Karaoke=20 5.. Summit Mid-summer meeting=20 6.. Hocktoberfest - CSPS=20 7.. Barley Johns Sunset Afternoon Meeting (John promised to save = some burbon barrel)=20 8.. Beer Camp Survival Challenge (ask a survivor) So the reality of 2003 is there are more things to do than we have = dates. We also have the opportunity to help Jim L organize a State Fair = contest, participate in a really big show in St. Paul, and the list just = goes on and on. Did I mention technical topic discussions at the start = of each meeting? Before you know it, I may also be a member at large! =20 Moving from fun to a little business is necessary. We are a club and = have a small bank account. About $600 in balance and the following = uses. =20 Newsletter printing $140 per quarter Homebrew hotline $13 per month CSPS Hall rental $50 per 4 hours (a real bargain) Campout meal $40 every few years Club Glasses $450-500 (after we have some reserve) The board met before the meeting and one of the discussion items was = money. With a slowly declining balance over the last few years, our = approach was to limited spending and events and prizes. Our current = state of affairs looks like we are just being cheap. If you think about = it, we charge 83 cents per member per meeting. Even if you only make it = six times per year, the meetings cost $1.66. If you bring two guest and = your wife, the cost drops to 41 cents. Would you join only if you = attended the Christmas Extravaganza and would you return? One beer = downstairs at the GLockenspeil costs about $4.00. You know where this = is going - don't you? =20 Future annual club dues will rise to $15.00 or $1.25 per meeting = effective April 1. If your dues are current by April 1 (and if Jeff = provides me with a copy of the database that I can figure out how to = use) you will receive some really slick membership cards with two = purposes! First it identifies you as a member of the MHBA. The card = will be issued one time per year and is valid for one year. Second you = add a plastic holder and it doubles as a name badge! Heck, you could = probably gain access to major concert event but the purpose is to use it = to greet new members and help them call you by name. We may be able to = run some temporary cards but are trying to: limit the administrative = burden and keep out dues as current as possible. =20 Is there something I don't see here? Glad you asked and yes there is. = A few homebrew shop owners in a western area were wondering if some = individuals, requesting the discount, are actually "card carrying = members." Since there is no ID and few of us carry around the last = issue of the Boiler, and since our dues are falling a bit behind, well, = we wonder too. Remember the choice to provide discounts is at the = discretion of the individual shop owner. Not all items are = automatically discounted. Enough money stuff though. =20 Next meeting tentatively set for Rock Bottom in early February. Would = you prefer a week-end or a week day (Monday or Tuesday) afternoon like = between 6-10? I will announce the exact time via e-mail and also = provide a shot at the homebrew hotline. =20 So there you have it. Keep in touch. Write articles. Think about = opening up your brewery for a brew-a-rama. Think about leading a = technical topic discussion and let us know so we can get you into the = schedule. =20 To get you started, next meeting technical topic (starting early) will = be: kegging, carbonating, keg cleaning, and cornie maintenance. =20 Hope you are keeping warm. Next brew is a Weihenstephen Wheat bier. = Horribly out of season - planned on brewing a Kolsch but smacked the = wrong pack. Actually missed having it last summer. Guess I may be a = little early. That'll teach me to smack without the glasses! =20 Rick O -- Binary/unsupported file stripped by Ecartis -- -- Type: image/gif -- File: Emoticon37.gif

22 years, 10 months

1st Round NHC

by Sparrow, Jeffrey C. [IT/1825]

It may seem like a long way off but BJCP judges, people who steward and other interested parties should put aside the weekend of April 25-27. These are the dates of the Great Lakes region of the AHA National Homebrew Competition, once again to be held at the Rock Bottom in Chicago. I expect a significant number of entries this year. As many of you know, the AHA National Homebrewers Conference comes to Chicago this June. Without fail, the hosting site of the conference gets a major upswing in the number of competition entries. If you are a BJCP or otherwise qualified beer judge, please make every effort to judge in April and pass this on to other judges not on this forum. More details to follow as they become available. jeff sparrow jeff(a)chibeer.org NHC site coordinator

22 years, 10 months

Duvel Moortgat buys Brewery Ommegang!

by todd

Here is the official press release... Duvel Moortgat Acquires 100% Stake in Brewery Ommegang; Assumes Distribution Responsibilities for Duvel Along the Eastern Seaboard. In a joint release - Michel Moortgat, Director General of Duvel Moortgat, Don Feinberg and Wendy Littlefield, Co-Founders of Brewery Ommegang and Proprietors of Vanberg & DeWulf announce that they have concluded negotiations that result in a complete transfer of Ommegang stock to Duvel Moortgat and the distribution rights for Duvel held by Vanberg & DeWulf in the eastern seaboard to the Belgian brewer. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. "This is the perfect outcome of the more than twenty year relationship between our families." acknowledged Don Feinberg, who began importing Duvel to the United States in 1982 and established Ommegang in 1997. "We are very proud of the role we have played in introducing Americans to the extraordinary world of Belgian beers, beginning with Duvel, the first Belgian beer that I fell in love with as a graduate student in Brussels. We are excited that this commitment of Duvel Moortgat's resources will enable both Duvel and Ommegang to reach their full potential in the United States." Wendy Littlefield added "Duvel Moortgat will be operating in two of the most dynamic sectors of the US beer market today - namely specialty Belgian imports, and domestic, bottle-conditioned artisan ales. This is a winning combination. With Duvel and Ommegang together, they can build understanding and appreciation for these remarkably complex and rewarding beers." Michel Moortgat explains "We view the United States as a priority market. Duvel is already one of the top two specialty imports from Belgium in this country and it enjoys an exceptional reputation for quality. We have been involved with Ommegang since its inception, and we possess the resources and the willingness to invest and develop the marketplace for both Duvel and Ommegang. We are excited to be building on the strong foundation that was created by Don and Wendy's work." Added Laurent Demuynck, Ommegang's new President and head of Duvel Moortgat USA, "There is no question that the market for Belgian beers in general, and top-fermented specialty ales made in Belgium and the United States is ripe for development. As the market leader in this sector in Belgium, with twenty years experience in exporting, and as investors in Ommegang from the start we feel uniquely well suited to the task." Duvel Moortgat is the fifth largest brewery in Belgium selling over 2,752,000 cases annually. It is the absolute market leader in Belgian brewing in terms of profitability, and Duvel is the nation's best-selling specialty beer. Jan Leonard Moortgat established the brewery in 1871. The fourth generation of Moortgats is now at the helm. The company's importers into the United States are Vanberg & DeWulf (to be replaced by Duvel Moortgat USA) for the eastern seaboard, and Belukus Marketing Inc., based in Austin, Texas, for the rest of the country. The consolidation of assets in the United States follows similar moves in other export markets in recent years, including The Netherlands and France. Additionally in June 1999 Duvel Moortgat acquired a 50% stake in Brewery Bernard in the Czech Republic. Duvel Moortgat is listed on the Euronext-Brussels stock exchange (symbol: DUV) The Ommegang brewery, operating out of Cooperstown, New York, is selling its Ommegang, Hennepin and Rare Vos brands nationally. Don and Wendy will consult for Ommegang during the transition, and will continue to operate their import company Vanberg & DeWulf, representing artisan ales made by independent family-run breweries in Belgium and France

22 years, 10 months

Re: SPAM on this list

by Rick Larson

Roger writes: > I've harped on this issue before, but we really are getting a lot of > SPAM on this list now. I know that there has been a lot of effort to add > SpamAssasin, but from the results in my mailbox, I must say that has I use spamassassin too and don't recall seeing anything cr*p from the list. In fact, I rarely see spam in my mailbox. If you use unix/procmail I can show you how I have spamassassin configured. Also, I know of a spam scrubber for POP3 mail if that is your bag. rick

22 years, 10 months

CSPSaturday Afternoon, February 1, 2003

by Rick Oftel

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Greetings MHBA Club members and future members. Rick here with an = exciting announcement that may influence your early afternoon plans - = BEER. Who says you can't buy votes? =20 Before we get involved with the beer, remember today defines the next = year of club business; financial, locations, opportunities, and = participation levels. If you would the club to think about something, = this is your day to speak up. OK, now the beer At the CSPS Hall, starting around 1:00 four tap beers will arrive from = the Garden View Brewing Brewing Company. OK, It is actually from my = basement brewery but it is a fun name and it matches the view of Dawns' = rose garden. =20 What are they? There are red ones, violet ones, roses with unique = names... No, not the roses - the varieties of beer? =20 1.. Steam Beer=20 2.. Pale Ale (controlled hop level)=20 3.. Pale Ale - (IBU contender)=20 4.. Big Red. =20 The first three are typical beverages produced to style guidelines (for = the most part) and represent containers that are almost ready for = recycling. Big Red, on the other hand, is a beer produced more along = commercial style guidelines of an Irish Red Ale. It was produced with = moderate (for my brewery) original gravity of 1.055, very low hop levels = in flavor and aroma, and a very nice balanced red color, malt, lace. = The fun thing about this beer was pitching it on the stout dregs and = seeing it achieve high krausen in about 30 minutes! The beer was winter = fermented in a cold water bath and it was a challenge keeping the = fermenting temperature below 70=B0f. The challenge didn't last long = however - it finished in about 2 days! =20 So there you have it. At least 10 reasons to show up and enjoy the = meeting. Remember, this is the beginning of the new club year and as = Vice President, I am breaking out some of our classic original club = glasses. New members with paid memberships - would you like to claim = your glass? =20 Please attend this afternoon or you will never know what you're missing. = =20 Regards and fun stuff Rick Oftel VP MHBA -- Binary/unsupported file stripped by Ecartis -- -- Type: image/gif -- File: Emoticon37.gif

22 years, 10 months

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mba February 2003