October 2024

Fermented foods have a rich history that spans thousands of years and cultures around the globe. The practice of fermentation likely began as a means of preserving food before the advent of modern refrigeration. Early humans discovered that certain foods could be transformed through natural processes involving bacteria, yeast, and other microorganisms, resulting in enhanced flavors, improved nutritional value, and extended shelf life. Some of the oldest known fermented foods include fermented milk products like yogurt from Central Asia, and fermented vegetables such as kimchi from Korea and sauerkraut from Europe. These foods not only provided necessary sustenance but also played significant roles in cultural and religious rituals. Over time, scientific understanding of fermentation has evolved, revealing its health benefits and leading to a resurgence of fermented foods in modern diets.

Monthly Meeting

• Date: October 19th

• Time: 11 am – 12 pm

• Location: Old 121 Brewhouse

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

October’s meeting will be focused on food fermentations. There’s a lot more to fermentation than just making alcohol. Come learn about the process of making certain fermented foods, and maybe even try a few.

Quarterly Happy Hour

• Date: November 7th

• Time: 6pm - 8pm

• Location: Over Yonder Brewing Company

• Address: 18455 W Colfax Avenue, Ste 103. Golden, CO 80401

Mark your calendar and join us at Over Yonder, in November for our quarterly happy hour. Come catch up with fellow club members for a couple hours and have a beer or two. 

Belgian Quarterly Challenge

Our December Quarterly Challenge will be based on Belgian Fermentations. Check out all the details on our website.

Great American Beer Festival

Tickets for this year's Great American Beer Festival (Oct 10th-12th) are now available. If you want to attend we will plan a club meetup for the Saturday afternoon session.

Education Corner

Recipe Design Tips

Designing recipes is such a great component of brewing. It engages research and a creative process. If you’re new to the process or struggling with designing a recipe, I’m hoping these tips can help you.

• Know the style you are designing by reading the BJCP style guidelines and taking notes on the key characteristics needed.

• Decide what sources you’re going to use and stick to 2-3. For example, a commercial clone recipe example and a Brew Your Own style article (with an example recipe) are great sources.

• Keep the grist as simple as you can. Newer brewers are famous for adding too many ingredients. Ask yourself, what is this ingredient really adding? It’s rare that an extremely small percentage, like 1%, of an ingredient will add value (some exceptions do exist).

• Use grains from the country you are designing a recipe for.

• Keep a perspective that, although important, designing recipes may not be the critical part of brewing. In other words, don’t over stress. Great brewers start with a recipe and know that they will have to adjust the recipe after a first brew.