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November 2024 Club Meeting

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Not a club member? Not a problem!
Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, November 12th
We return to Falling Knife (thanks, Tommy!) on the SECOND Tuesday, November 12th at 7 PM so everyone can fulfill their civic duty on the first Tuesday. We will have something new, Homebrew Celebrity Roast. Have a beer you want us to dig into critically as a group? Contact Dave as he is planning on a couple of beers for a deep dive. Bring your credit cards, drink Tommy’s beers and tip well.

Location: Falling Knife Brewing (thanks, Tommy!)
783 Harding St NE #100, Minneapolis, MN 55413

Coming up
Coming up are the Nordeast Brewers Alliance Sour Times Homebrew Competition and Deja Bru – Nordeast is now accepting entries (and judges/stewards) and Deja Bru will be accepting entries soon.

Membership Dues
You can now pay your 2025 dues! Back also this year, if you volunteered at a bottle sort, judged, stewarded, etc. at a comp, there’s a code in the link for a $5 discount on next year’s dues: https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2025/

If you’re actually feeling guilty about not paying your 2024 dues, we’ll gladly take your money: https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2024/

Featured

The Results are In … 2024 National Homebrew Association Final Round

Mead:
Category 40  -Berry Mead: Steve Fletty, Gold:
Category 41  – Fruit and Spice Mead: Steve Fletty, Bronze;
Category 42  – Stone Fruit Mead: Steve Fletty, Gold:
Category 45  – Historical Mead: Steve Fletty, Silver;

Results:
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/national-homebrew-competition/2024-winners/

October 2024 Club Meeting

Decorative image of "Drunky the Viking."

Not a club member? Not a problem!
Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, October 1st
October is the next Brew the Style challenge, California Common, 19B. Aric is hosting at his place so bring your homebrew and a chair as we help him break in his new garage and backyard (club members – see the email message in the club listserv).

Coming up are Hoppy Halloween (competition is full, but needs judges and stewards) and the Nordeast Brewers Alliance Sour Times Homebrew Competition and Deja Bru will both be accepting entries soon.

The 2024 membership cards are in, and as such, a monthly reminder about 2024 club dues :https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2024/

September 2024 Club Meeting

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Not a club member? Not a problem!
Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, September 3rd
We’re getting surly for the September meeting on Tuesday, September 3 at 7 PM – literally – at Surly Brewing in Minneapolis.

Meet at the host counter between 6:45 and 7. Matt Denny will be talking with us about what he does for sensory analysis and QA at Surly. Should be a good one! Then we have some tables reserved in the taproom after the tour. Maybe even a free beer, but I’m not making any promises. We’ll have to leave the homebrew at home again for this one.

October is the next Brew the Style challenge, California Common, 19B, so get that brew on your calendar and head to Beermeister if you need yeast. Aric confirmed with the guy there that he’ll order up a couple extra packs of the Cal Common strain. And speaking of Aric, he’s offered to host, so bring your homebrew and a chair as we help him break in his new garage and backyard. More details coming in September.

Also coming up are Hoppy Halloween and the Nordeast Brewers Alliance Sour Times Homebrew Competition.

Brew for Good registration is up open for the September 10th event and our goal is a half-dozen SPHBC offerings. We can serve bottles as well as kegged to expand our repertoire. Additionally, there will be an “Alpha King” contest featuring Columbus Cryo hops from Yakima Chief Hops. Register here.

The 2024 membership cards are in, and as such, a monthly reminder about 2024 club dues :https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2024/

For this meeting, bring your smiles and good humor and credit cards … but a reminder to leave the homebrew and meads and ciders at home

Location:
Surly Brewing:
520 Malcom Ave. S.E., Minneapolis

We’ll assemble before 7 at the counter. Thanks, Matt and Surly!

The Results are in … 2024 Minnesota State Fair Homebrew Competition

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Summit Brewing, St. Paul, Minnesota August 16th-17th

Beers:
Chris Kutac, Silver, AmericanStrong Ales – Big Time Barleywine
Dave Bance, Bronze, Kolsch – Tall Koln One
Nick Stevens, Bronze, Amber and Dark European – Cahoon’s Hollow
Ron Fitch, Silver, Imperial Stout – Volstead Remedy
Aric Daul, Gold, British Ale – Dark Horse
Adam Medick, Bronze, British Ale – Best Best Bitter
James Cotner, Bronze, Monastic Ale – Tripel
Aric Daul, Silver, Historic Ale – 1914 Courage Stout

Complete results: https://www.mnstatefair.brewcomp.com/
(results open in new window)

August 2024 Club Meeting

Not a club member? Not a problem!
Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, August 6th
Dave’s gonna talk about oxygen. This time, wort darkening reactions in the mash. This is closing a loop from a discussion at the July meeting. 

The Minnesota State Fair competion is online! SPHBC typically has a big turnout both submitting entries and help with judging. As of Thursday the 1st, they’re nearly at capacity (348 entries of 400 paid entries allowed). Get involved on either side of some of the State Fair competition and other local comps, submitting entries as well as stewarding or judging (see Dave’s Club Communique sent to the club email list for local competitions and more information). Also coming up are Hoppy Halloween and the Nordeast Brewers Alliance Sour Times Homebrew Competition.

Brew for Good registration is up open for the September 10th event and our goal is a half-dozen SPHBC offerings. We can serve bottles as well as kegged to expand our repertoire. Additionally, there will be an “Alpha King” contest featuring Columbus Cryo hops from Yakima Chief Hops. Register here.

The 2024 membership cards are in, and as such, a monthly reminder about 2024 club dues :https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2024/

As usual, bring your latest and greatest homebrew, mead, cider, cyser and whatnot for sampling and feedback – bring your notebooks. Leave your ego at home.

Location:
Falling Knife Brewing:
783 Harding St NE #100, Minneapolis, MN 55413

We’ll assemble before 7 in the taproom; feel free to support Falling Knife by grabbing a beer beforehand. Same things apply as the previous month as far as not doing anything to get us kicked out. It’s hard to find places to meet (thanks, Tom!).

The Results are in … 2024 AHA National Homebrew Competition -Fletty (first) Round

Meads:
(Indianapolis First Round)
Steve Fletty, First Place, Category 35  – Semi-Sweet Mead
Steve Fletty, First Place, Category 37  – Cyser
Steve Fletty, First Place, Category 38  – Pyment
Steve Fletty, First Place, Category 39  – Melomel
Steve Fletty, First Place, Category 40  – Berry Mead
Steve Fletty, First Place, Category 41  – Fruit and Spice Mead
Steve Fletty, First Place, Category 42  – Stone Fruit Mead
Steve Fletty, First Place, Category 43  – Spice, Herb or Vegetable Mead
Steve Fletty, First Place, Category 45  – Historical Mead
Steve Fletty, First Place, Category 46  – Experimental Mead

Results:
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/national-homebrew-competition/winners/

July 2024 Club Meeting

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Not a club member? Not a problem!
Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, July 16th
Two Steves, Two AHA Meadmakers of the Year*
Steve Fletty and Steve Piatz will be talking about backsweetening and stabilizing meads.  Bring your meads, bring your questions.
(*SPHBC has five AHA Meadmakers of the Year winning seven times going to 2005, btw).

The Minnesota State Fair competion is online! SPHBC typically has a big turnout both submitting entries and help with judging. As of Friday the 12th, they’re over halfway (240 entries) to the cap of 400 paid entries. Get involved on either side of some of the State Fair competition and other local comps, submitting entries as well as stewarding or judging (see Dave’s Club Communique sent to the club email list for local competitions and more information).

Brew for Good registration is up open for the September 10th event and our goal is a half-dozen SPHBC offerings. We can serve bottles as well as kegged to expand our repertoire. Additionally, there will be an “Alpha King” contest featuring Columbus Cryo hops from Yakima Chief Hops. Register here.

The 2024 membership cards are in, and as such, a monthly reminder about 2024 club dues :https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2024/

As usual, bring your latest and greatest homebrew, mead, cider, cyser and whatnot for sampling and feedback – bring your notebooks. Leave your ego at home.

Location:
Falling Knife Brewing:
783 Harding St NE #100, Minneapolis, MN 55413

We’ll assemble before 7 in the taproom; feel free to support Falling Knife by grabbing a beer beforehand. When we have the group together, we’ll head to the back of the brewery, by the packaging area (Thanks, Tom!)

June 2024 Club Meeting

SPHBC logo Drinky the Viking.

Not a club member? Not a problem!
Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, June 11th, 7 – 9 p.m.
This month, a Best Bitter Brew the Style Battle Royale. Bring your best Best Bitter (11B)! Also, let Dave know through the club email list if you made one so we have an idea of how many we’ll be judging. 

Following up from the May meeting, Dave be quizzing people to see who actually broke down their brewing gear and cleaned the gross parts that they never look at. 

The 2024 membership cards are in, and as such, a monthly reminder about 2024 club dues :https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2024/

As usual, bring your latest and greatest homebrew, mead, cider, cyser and whatnot for sampling and feedback – bring your notebooks. Leave your ego at home.

Location:
The very kind folks at Bent Brewstillery (https://tinyurl.com/bentBrewstillery) have invited us to have this month’s meeting at their place! Bring cash or your credit card for some of Kris’ great beers and Bartley’s great spirits and remember to tip well.

May 2024 Club Meeting

Image of Drinky the Viking.

Not a club member? Not a problem!
Just stop on by. This meeting. Another meeting. Whenever it works for you. Meetings are informal and tend to last about two hours or so.

This meeting: Tuesday, May 7th, 7 – 9 p.m.
This month’s topic: Steve has a schedule conflict, so Dave Bance will be talking about cleaning and sanitation in the parts of the brewery kit and fermentation/ kegging equipment that people don’t clean often enough, or even don’t think to clean.

The 2024 membership cards are in, and as such, a monthly reminder about 2024 club dues. This gets you guilt-free SPHBC benefits and merriment, and any other deals which might be scrounged up. Click here to get yourself back in the club’s good graces:https://sphbc.org/product/membership-for-2024/

As usual, bring your latest and greatest homebrew, mead, cider, cyser and whatnot for sampling and feedback – bring your notebooks. Leave your ego at home.

Location:
Northern Brewer World Headquarters – 2221 MN-36, Roseville, MN (https://tinyurl.com/NBheadquarters)