December 2024

This past year has been really fun! It’s hard to believe it’s almost over. Lakewood Fermentation Club placed first in the Front Range Circuit this year. A huge feat for such a small club. Thank you all, we couldn’t have achieved this without you! Cheers and Happy Holidays!!!

Monthly Meeting

• Date: December 21st

• Early Start Time: 10 am – 12 pm

• Location: Old 121 Brewhouse

• Address: 1057 S Wadsworth Blvd, Lakewood, CO 80226

This meeting will be packed with quarterly challenge tasting and results AND our annual White Elephant Ingredient Gift Exchange AND announcing the leadership team for next year.

We’ll taste the quarterly challenge entries and hear from each participant about their beer. A reminder for folks to bring in 2-3 additional samples. After tasting we’ll announce the winner.

Additionally, we’ll have our annual White Elephant Ingredient Gift Exchange. This is for our March quarterly (4th Annual White Elephant Gift Exchange). For those new to this:

• Bring a unique brewing ingredient that is wrapped. Our challenges are designed to get brewers out of their comfort zone. Keep this in mind when purchasing your White Elephant Ingredient. Past examples, Ginger, Rye malt, a new dry yeast, honey, etc.

• We’ll draw numbers and have a White Elephant Exchange. The ingredient you end up with is your ingredient you brew with for our March quarterly challenge.

• If you would rather not participate in this, no worries, just enjoy the fun of this part of our meeting and the gift stealing and laughs.

• If you’re unable to make the meeting and would like to brew for the March quarterly, email lakewoodfermentationclub@gmail.com and an ingredient will be assigned to you.

Belgian Quarterly Challenge

Our December Quarterly Challenge will be based on Belgian Fermentations. Reminder to fill out an entry form, details on our website. Entries are due at Old 121 by 6pm December 15th

Up Coming Competitions

• Sweetheart’s Revenge

  • Registration opens 12/16/2024, register here

  • Entries are due 1/13/2015

• Biere de Rock

  • Registration opens 12/21/2024, register here

  • Entries are due 1/11/2025

Education Corner

Noble Hops

In short, the term noble is used by brokers to sell hops and by brewers to sell beer. It is not a term that has been scientifically ascribed. Yet, today these 4 varieties are heavily used and considered the hops to use in the styles from their respective countries. They produce classic flavor profiles. They include:

• Saaz - Was named after the Czech town of Zatec (Saaz in German) and is associated with the classic Czech pilsner flavor profile. This is a low alpha hop, used for both bittering and aroma. They have pleasant earthy, herbal, and floral notes.  

• Spalt - Grown in Spalt, Bavaria. Many German styles are brewed with this hop that has a mild and pleasant character. It has a flower, fruity, and spicy aroma. It is often used as a late hop addition.

• Tettnanger - Were cultivated in the beer gardens of the Tettnanger region. These hops are known to be versatile and offer traditional aromas that blend seamlessly with other hop varieties. They have spice, earth, and a hint of floral and are commonly used in German ales, lagers, and wheat beers. 

• Hallertau Mittelfruh - Contain a robust spiciness and a complex blend of earthy and citrus. They are often just called Hallertau, this hop is from one of Germany’s largest growing regions.