There were a lot of good samples from members and guests this month. Don't take it personal if I left you off. We tasted a Wit, Rye ale, a mead, a doppelbock, stouts, porters and others. There was quite a bit. A guest, John, brought in a tasty spiced brew, but I didn’t get the name of it.
Thanks to Annie and Dwayne for the cheese & crackers, pretzels, and homegrown watermelon.
Ask A Brewer – Q: What caused our yeast to work so slow on our last batch? A: Here are a couple of several reasons the yeast might be slow to react; Age of yeast – make sure it is not close to or past the expiration date, Original Gravity – invest in a refractometer to measure the original gravity of the wort to make sure it is not too high.
Then – that led to another discussion about whether it’s worth the money to buy a refractometer. Some brewers said yes. They use their refractometers during the sparge, the boil, after boil, and there is even a conversion factor to use after it becomes alcohol. It uses a smaller sample than a hydrometer. A refractometer measures the density of your sugars and allows you to make simple adjustments while brewing, such as adding more DME or water, or ending the sparge before it gets too low of a reading to get a better balanced brew.
For Sale-
Bulk Wet hops: Jeff will be taking bulk orders for wet hops from the Star B Buffalo Ranch. Average $15 a lb (wet) min buy 1 lb.
Grapes juiced: Stan will be calling the Galleano Winery in Norco on Sept 1 to find out what type of crushed grapes will be available to purchase. Contact Tom to find out about whole grapes from Belle Marie winery.
Events-
Mother Earth Brew Co. http://www.motherearthbrewco.com/about.asp : Tab was selected to have his orange wit represent the club for the National Organic Brewing Challenge http://www.breworganic.com/Competition/index.html in Santa Cruz, Ca in Oct.
Mother Earth Brew Co.: will select a brewer of the month to brew their beer with Mother Earth Co. brewer. 50% of the sales will goes to Project Walk in Carlsbad to improve quality of life for those with spinal cord injuries.
Holiday Wine Cellar: 2010 2nd Annual HomeBrew contest. Need to have your brew in by Oct 2.. Contact HWC for more details. This years event will be judged by HWC and Ballast Point Brewery employees with the winner to be announced at the Oct 16th Ballast Point Brewery Anniversary party.
Oktoberfest campout: Sept 24, 25, & 26. A few campsites are still available but not for long. Contact Mike Buck for info.
Oktoberfest picnic: Multi-club event Oct. 23. Potluck and bring your own meat and keg.
Mexico Winery Tour (w/lunch): Oct 2 with Daytrippers go to http://www.daytripper.com/tourDetails.asp?tourID=3498 for details and pricing.
Check Event Calendar | Beer Events (www.beerevents.net) for other events.
