January 2024
Happy New Year! As we enter into 2024, we ask all members to please fill out our 2024 Membership Sign Up. In it, you will also find a link for paying 2024 membership dues. Dues are not required to be a member or attend meetings, but do help the club fund meetings and special events for the entire year.
In the membership sign up, we ask if you are an AHA member. If you are, please also include your member number which can be found on your account overview. Your AHA Membership data will be sent to AHA for the annual club insurance renewal process. Being a member helps the club get cheaper insurance and keep dues lower. If you are not an AHA member, consider signing up. With a membership you get access to Zymurgy magazine, trusted homebrew recipes including NHC medal winning recipes, and more…
Monthly Meeting
Date: January 20th
Time: 11 am – 12 pm
Location: Old 121 Brewhouse
Address: 1057 S Wadsworth Blvd, Lakewood, CO 80226
This month we will be tasting the Best Bitter that the club brewed up over at Bobby’s house on 12/30/23. The beer has been split into 5 mini kegs, one of which was kept plain and the other four of which were dry hopped with different varieties (Fuggle, EKG, Target, Cascade). What character does each hop provide? Will we be able to tell them apart?
Note - the January meeting is a paid event. It is free for dues paid members, or $5 if you haven’t paid dues yet.
Quarterly Happy Hour
Date: February 6th
Time: 6pm - 8 pm
Location: Great Frontier Brewing Company
Address: 2010 S Oak St, Lakewood, CO 80227
Education Corner
Fancier, more modern, and more expensive equipment doesn’t necessarily make better beer. Many beginning to moderate brewers fall into the trap that better equipment makes better beer. I did it myself. I still have a hop rocket, plate chiller, and killer propane burner that I haven’t used in a few years. As I was starting off, I thought these upgrades would help make me a better brewer. Making better beer isn’t about our equipment - it is about dialing in our processes with the equipment we have. The ability to be repeatable on whatever equipment you happen to have is the mark of a good brewer!
Experience has shown that investments in cold side processes pay larger and more rapid dividends than fancy brew day equipment! If you have some money to spend, consider fermentation temp control before a “better” brew system!