[mba] Successful MHBA Learn to Home Brew!

First, I want to thank everyone who took the time to join us for the MHBA Learn to Home Brew meeting on Saturday. Despite the cooler weather, we had an excellent group! 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 surprises me 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 Brett Glenna, Dave Royer, and John Longballa (who originally started working with Barley John's to make this happen). And big thanks to Chris Smith for working with Northern Brewer and to Mike Cote for working with Midwest Supplies to provide all those fantastic prizes! Also thanks to Paul Illa and Tim Johnson, Al Grams, John Vircks, and Courtney and Alex Ives for taking the time to do the brewing demos. And don't forget to thank Jonathan Beckel and his crew for all the hard work they did to make a smooth cider buy happen! Now for a very cool thank you. Sandy Younger of J.C. Younger Company (www.jcyounger.com) who is a Brewery Cooling Specialist heard about our event and stopped by. His company makes the cooling/chiller systems used by many of the local breweries such as Barley John's, Surly, Lucid, Bent Paddle, and others. We were talking about how he recognizes that almost all craft brewers start out as home brewers. His company very generously donated $250 towards our event! This money was used to pay for egg bake orders, so if when you went to pay your tab and wondered why your breakfast was comped---Sandy is the reason! All he asks is that you keep his company in mind when you start your future brewery. :-) So thanks again and I look forward to seeing everyone at the next MHBA meeting which is our Holiday Event on December 19th at CSPS Hall. -Gera Exire LaTour