Guys and Gals, 

With the pending arrival of spring, Big Brew 08 is just around the corner.   The location is the same and the equipment is familiar to last year’s participants.  We will toast Jimmy at high noon, make a whole bunch batch of bitter wort, and in the afternoon, send you on your way to ferment, clarify, bottle, and enjoy.  There is a key word here folks: afternoon. 

Jim and Jim have again volunteered the use of their amazingly huge breweries.  These will be setup in the morning and ready to rock and roll.  Water is again on the house.  The back yard is open for anyone wishing to bring additional equipment.   

Just like the rest of the brewing world, we need to plan ahead and ensure we have adequate raw materials for the proposed brews.  Hops are still available but we need to pay more and accept less.  Not a great deal but the best remedy for high prices is high prices. 

With this in mind, I need some brewing suggestions.  I think we would be best to refrain from a Hazed and Confused clone in favor of a more balanced Mild or Northern Brown.  Possibly Irish Red, Kolsch, or Wheat.   We can brew anything you think up but need to brew things that can be lautered in a reasonable length of time. 

So here is the deal.  In the next week, I need four or more beer suggestions and four or more nominations for brew masters.  Remember, you can nominate others as long as you bring them over!    Brew masters will pick assistants, helpers, and cleaners plus they get to pick their recipe. 

Recipe formulation (I have a few) is pretty simple.   Extract efficiency is about 80-85% so any BJCP judge can tell you what that means in terms of gallons, gravity, and grain.   You pick a recipe, beg, borrow or seal the ingredients, bring them over during big brew and haul your wort away! 

What could be more simple? 

Most folks might have trouble carrying home 40+ gallons of bitter wort so it makes sense to share your stuff.  We eventually want you to go away but we want you to be happy. 

Here is my suggestion.  We organize the --ap out of the event which is going to be fun.  First step we find the master brewers and the recipes.  After master brewers and recipes are chosen, we then move to the distribution.  Each batch produces about eight 5 gallon batches. 

So grab your beverage and find your chair.  Search your recipes and make your suggestions. 

So Nominate your self

Or nominate your friend

Just make sure they attend.

The last item is money.  It takes money for all the stuff we do.  Last year we charged about $1.00 per gallon of bitter wort.  We can’t keep the price this low but we will shoot for something reasonable.     

You can send short messages to my work address. 

These are my first suggestions subject to interpretation, modification, and early withdrawal.  I hope to hear from many of you in the near future. 

I only have access to the barn account so if there are other lists, please send out a copy. 

Sincerely,

Rick Oftel
W 952 887-8121

P.S.  Remember MHBA Road?  It’s almost time for the spring cleanup.