MHBA February Meeting

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