16
Homebrew Competitions / Re: Fourth Annual Midwinter Home Brew Competition
« on: December 29, 2012, 11:29:39 pm »
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17
Homebrew Competitions / Fourth Annual Midwinter Home Brew Competition
« on: December 06, 2012, 03:52:22 pm »
The Beer Barons of Milwaukee are very pleased to announce the fourth annual Midwinter Home Brew Competition will be taking place on February 15th and 16th, 2013. This competition is held in conjunction with the 16th annual Midwinter Brew Fest at the Milwaukee Ale House, and is a circuit qualifying event for both the Master Championship of Amateur Brewers (MCAB) and the Midwest Home Brewer of the Year. The competition will be limited to 800 entries.
Participant, judging, and steward registration for the competition will be coordinated through the web site at http://midwinterhbc.beerbarons.org. Entries will be accepted December 29th through February 2nd at 11 different locations in WI, IL, & MN. Shipped entries should be sent to Northern Brewer in West Allis, WI. Please refer to the web site for drop off location cut off dates and addresses.
1st, 2nd, & 3rd place awards will be issued for each category. Each award will consist of a medal and a gift certificate to Northern Brewer (Gold - $25, Silver - $15, Bronze - $10). Beer Best of Show, Beer Best of Show Runner-Up, and Mead / Cider Best of Show will receive engraved barrel head awards. Also, one of the winning Brown Ale entries (BJCP categories 10C, 11B, or 11C) will be chosen to be ramped up by the Milwaukee Brewing Company for serving at the Milwaukee Ale House.
Awards will be announced and presented to participants at Revere’s Wells Street Tavern on February 16th at 8:00 PM central time. Results will be posted to the competition website shortly after the conclusion of the awards ceremony.
Additional details can be found on the competition web site, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ pages. Information regarding judging and stewarding opportunities will be posted shortly. Please pass this information on to your fellow home brewing friends and direct any inquiries to the Contact page on the registration page at http://midwinterhbc.beerbarons.org/index.php?section=contact
Thanks and best of luck to all that enter! - MWHBC Organizing Committee
18
Homebrew Clubs / Re: Technical Talk Ideas
« on: October 13, 2012, 12:28:30 pm »
We've done what we call parallel brews.
Basically take good notes during these experiments, discuss/compare/contrast the results, and dig deeper into the findings. Can be as super technical or high level as you want.
- Pick a style and brew it extract, partial mash, and all grain.
- Pick the same exact recipe and give it to three or four different brewers.
- Pick the same exact all grain recipe and mash it three different ways.
- Make 15 gallons of the same base beer and use three different yeasts or age with 3 different wood types. See Zymurgy September/October 2012 issue.
Basically take good notes during these experiments, discuss/compare/contrast the results, and dig deeper into the findings. Can be as super technical or high level as you want.
19
General Homebrew Discussion / Re: BJCP On-Line Exam - did you finish?
« on: September 27, 2012, 12:37:26 pm »A bit off topic from the original post but this could be useful to those that are looking to take the Beer Judging Exam and are having a hard time finding a location in their area.I took it at lunch while at work, on a whim, with no reference materials....and just barely squeeked by. I thought I was done, and then had a few unanswered questions *that I thought I had answered*...my intent was to fail to get an understanding of what they were asking, but I passed by the hair on my chinny chin chin (as they say).
The wording of such entrance exams are designed to throw you off....after all, it is beer nerds testing you to see if you are worthy of being in the club.
The real challenge is finding a testing slot within a 12 month window. I have one in March 2013 *I think, and I tested just after the opening of the new on-line exam in April 2012. There are at least 5 exams scheduled in my area in the next 12 months, and to my knowledge, I got the last slot. I even checked my old home town (fly to test) and the 3 or 4 scheduled in the next year were also booked.
That is the biggest problem with the BJCP exam process. I want to study,take, and pass the online test. But..why if there are no testing slots in the major metro area I live in (Los Angeles)? I can travel either 3-4 hours south or 5-6 hours north and "maybe" find an open slot. Seems like a major headache...just so somebody can wave a wand over my head and say "you are a beer judge". Yet everytime there is a comp..they are hurting for judges and will take just about anyone.
I totally agree with what you are saying about the lack of slots in LA. I plan on taking the online test soon, but just to see where I stand on knowledge. I've pretty much given up on the thought of taking the next level of exams due to lack of availability. If something pops up for me, great... but otherwise, I can live without it. I'm hoping that the online exam is only a small part of the testing overhaul, and that they will iron out the rest eventually.
I would suggest working with a homebrew club or local professional brewer to get a Beer Judging Exam scheduled. The testing admin has to be approved by the exam director, not necessarily a National or Master judge. You'll also need two qualified Proctors to come to your area on the day of the exam. You can find a list of qualified Proctors here on the BJCP web site - http://www.bjcp.org/apps/reports/proctors.php
This is how we got BJCP judges in Milwaukee going years ago. Someone local was approved by the exam director and we kindly asked two Chicago area judges to come up and Proctor. Bought them a beer and a lunch as a thank you. Today we have over 40 judges in South Eastern WI.
20
Homebrew Competitions / Brew Competition Online Entry & Management Updated Released
« on: September 27, 2012, 07:38:46 am »
For all you competition coordinators and organizers out there, a new version of BCOE&M has been released with some really nice add on features and changes:
I personally coordinate two competitions (Midwinter and German Fest Stein Challenge) and webmaster another two (The Schooner and Belle City Winter Warmer) using this package and it saves us a ton of time over paper form submissions, managing a competition, and communicating to everyone involved.
http://www.brewcompetition.com/
- Added the ability to cap the number of entries.
- Added custom winning category functionality.
- Added registration windows for judges and stewards (now separate from regular entrants). Comps can now register judges and stewards before and after the entry window.
- Added a new public page: Volunteer Information. Communicate directly to the Volunteers in addition to the Entrants.
- Accept payments via Google Wallet (in addition to PayPal).
- Added another bottle label option that includes special ingredients (if any) on the label itself. Useful for Category 23, for example, and custom categories.
- 16 other fixes.
I personally coordinate two competitions (Midwinter and German Fest Stein Challenge) and webmaster another two (The Schooner and Belle City Winter Warmer) using this package and it saves us a ton of time over paper form submissions, managing a competition, and communicating to everyone involved.
http://www.brewcompetition.com/
21
Homebrew Clubs / Re: Any help on protection the Club from liability?
« on: September 06, 2012, 12:20:12 am »
Bylaws actually serve two purposes. One is a framework for the club to operate within. Things like how much can be spent before a membership vote is required, membership fee collection, etc.
The second is that bylaws are usually a requirement for the incorporation process. The government likes to see that there is a a formal organization structure (Prez, Vice Prez, etc). They also like to see some kind of rules around financial management and your club has to have some kind of non-discrimination clause.
You can find the Baron's bylaws, org structure, and non-discrimination statement here:
http://beerbarons.org/about/constitution.html
Some things you should know regarding the Barons. We have a membership of about 200 members, our monthly meetings have an average attendance of about 100, we run a 600 attendee beer festival annually, manage a second beer festival for a major local craft beer distributor, run bus trips to 2 major beer festivals in the area annually, have an annual club picnic with large amounts of homebrew, run 2 homebrew competitions, and host several educational workshops (brewing, judging, etc) that are open to the public throughout the year. Not trying to brag, just disclosing this in case people think our bylaws are overkill.
My suggestion would be to grab someone else's bylaws, trim them down to meet your needs, approve them, and then start the incorporation process. Bylaws change over time based on need so they are truly never done and can always be revised.
Regarding protection, without incorporation if anything happens individuals are the only ones that someone could sue. The idea behind incorporating is that if something happens the liability can shift to the organizational entity and away from the individuals. The organizational entity can also qualify for insurance which could cover the cost of legal fees should anything happen.
Hope this helps.
The second is that bylaws are usually a requirement for the incorporation process. The government likes to see that there is a a formal organization structure (Prez, Vice Prez, etc). They also like to see some kind of rules around financial management and your club has to have some kind of non-discrimination clause.
You can find the Baron's bylaws, org structure, and non-discrimination statement here:
http://beerbarons.org/about/constitution.html
Some things you should know regarding the Barons. We have a membership of about 200 members, our monthly meetings have an average attendance of about 100, we run a 600 attendee beer festival annually, manage a second beer festival for a major local craft beer distributor, run bus trips to 2 major beer festivals in the area annually, have an annual club picnic with large amounts of homebrew, run 2 homebrew competitions, and host several educational workshops (brewing, judging, etc) that are open to the public throughout the year. Not trying to brag, just disclosing this in case people think our bylaws are overkill.
My suggestion would be to grab someone else's bylaws, trim them down to meet your needs, approve them, and then start the incorporation process. Bylaws change over time based on need so they are truly never done and can always be revised.
Regarding protection, without incorporation if anything happens individuals are the only ones that someone could sue. The idea behind incorporating is that if something happens the liability can shift to the organizational entity and away from the individuals. The organizational entity can also qualify for insurance which could cover the cost of legal fees should anything happen.
Hope this helps.
22
Club Leadership & Organization / Re: Advice on organizing competitions?
« on: August 26, 2012, 10:36:48 pm »
We host two competitions. My suggestion would be to start with getting 4 good people to fill the competition coordinator, judge director, head steward, and cellar master positions. Also set an entry limit that is in line with the number of judges you have. That will help to keep the competition from getting swamped. Finally if you haven't been to a competition, it's always helpful to see how others do it.
One last thing. If you need an entry management system I'd recommend BCOE&M - http://www.brewcompetition.com/
Best of luck!
One last thing. If you need an entry management system I'd recommend BCOE&M - http://www.brewcompetition.com/
Best of luck!
23
General Homebrew Discussion / Re: BJCP Tasting Exam Grading
« on: July 04, 2012, 10:19:52 am »I've been hearing it is faster. Assuming that is so the return should be faster. If I tell you 6 months you won't be disappointed when it takes less
I second this.
24
Wood/Casks / Cask Bung / Shive Removal
« on: June 30, 2012, 07:51:04 am »
Anyone find a good method yet for extracting bungs or shives from empty casks? I asked a few people at NHC and no one has found a really good removal method. I found the following on UK Brewing Supplies but was wondering if anyone else had a different suggestion.
http://asmej.mxudz.servertrust.com/product_p/11090.htm
http://asmej.mxudz.servertrust.com/product_p/11090.htm
25
Equipment and Software / Re: BeerSmith Cloud
« on: June 28, 2012, 10:41:04 pm »
The BeerSmith option is nice but if you host your own web site through GoDaddy or some other provider you might want to give BrewBlogger a look. It's free and you can post as many recipes as you'd like.
http://brewblogger.net/
It can be configured for a single brewer or for an entire club. Here are examples of each:
Single Brewer - http://bbbrew.com/
Club Mode - http://brewblog.beerbarons.org/
It too follows the BeerXML standard so you can both upload and download recipes.
http://brewblogger.net/
It can be configured for a single brewer or for an entire club. Here are examples of each:
Single Brewer - http://bbbrew.com/
Club Mode - http://brewblog.beerbarons.org/
It too follows the BeerXML standard so you can both upload and download recipes.
26
Homebrew Competitions / Re: Exploring the "one entry per subcategory per brewer" limit
« on: June 28, 2012, 10:21:28 pm »
Hi Steve,
This is how we word it for our competition.
http://midwinterhbc.beerbarons.org/index.php?section=rules
We take this approach to resist the category flooding that Drew mentioned but still allow those to enter multiples in the speciality categories.
Our club also runs an all German style competition and we take pretty much the same approach with that one as well.
http://germanfesthbc.beerbarons.org/index.php?section=rules
This is how we word it for our competition.
http://midwinterhbc.beerbarons.org/index.php?section=rules
We take this approach to resist the category flooding that Drew mentioned but still allow those to enter multiples in the speciality categories.
Our club also runs an all German style competition and we take pretty much the same approach with that one as well.
http://germanfesthbc.beerbarons.org/index.php?section=rules
27
Club Leadership & Organization / Re: Dues & such
« on: June 28, 2012, 10:18:01 pm »
This is how the Barons do it - http://beerbarons.org/payments.html
We charge yearly dues to cover operating expenses and have a meeting fee (between $5 & $10 per meeting) to cover the cost for a meeting (hall, beer, etc). If a member wishes they can prepay for everything at the beginning of the year or they can just purchase a membership and pay for meetings as they go. Family Memberships are offered at a discount. Memberships are prorated as the year goes on and we also offer a trial three month membership free of charge.
We also give out membership cards and have a discount program set up with local Homebrew shops and brew pubs.
Our annual membership is around 200 and we average just over 100 attendees per a meeting.
We charge yearly dues to cover operating expenses and have a meeting fee (between $5 & $10 per meeting) to cover the cost for a meeting (hall, beer, etc). If a member wishes they can prepay for everything at the beginning of the year or they can just purchase a membership and pay for meetings as they go. Family Memberships are offered at a discount. Memberships are prorated as the year goes on and we also offer a trial three month membership free of charge.
We also give out membership cards and have a discount program set up with local Homebrew shops and brew pubs.
Our annual membership is around 200 and we average just over 100 attendees per a meeting.
28
Homebrew Clubs / Re: Alternative voting systems to FPTP?
« on: June 25, 2012, 09:33:21 pm »
We have seven total board positions for our club, two of them are titled Member at Large. Their primary responsibilities include helping out with meeting duties the day of and miscellaneous things that come up from time to time. The position is viewed as an entry step for newer members on the board. Because there are two positions available every year we end up with five or so people running for them. We do two things for those that don't get elected:
1. Don't announce the vote count. All anyone needs to know is who will occupy the seat, by how much someone won doesn't matter.
2. After the results are announced offer other opportunities to those that didn't get elected. They showed the willingness to help and there are probably plenty of other non-elected opportunities available that can make someone feel like a contributor.
1. Don't announce the vote count. All anyone needs to know is who will occupy the seat, by how much someone won doesn't matter.
2. After the results are announced offer other opportunities to those that didn't get elected. They showed the willingness to help and there are probably plenty of other non-elected opportunities available that can make someone feel like a contributor.
29
Homebrew Competitions / Re: Announcing the 2nd Annual German Fest Stein Challenge
« on: June 24, 2012, 03:14:11 pm »
Registration is now open!
30
Homebrew Competitions / Announcing the 2nd Annual German Fest Stein Challenge
« on: June 07, 2012, 10:16:23 pm »
Hello Fellow Homebrewers!
The Beer Barons of Milwaukee and German Fest are very pleased to announce that the 2nd Annual German Fest Stein Challenge will be taking place on July 27th and 28th, 2012. This BJCP registered, German bier style only competition, is held in conjunction with the 31st annual German Fest which will be taking place on the Summerfest Grounds in Milwaukee July 26th through the 29th. Entries will be limited to 300 this year. Proceeds from the competition will go towards the newly established Midwest Brewer Scholarship Fund.
Registration opens on June 23rd and will be coordinated through the competition web site at http://germanfesthbc.beerbarons.org. Entries will be accepted June 23rd through July 14th at homebrew supply stores in Milwaukee, Madison, and Northern Illinois. Entries may be shipped to Northern Brewer in West Allis WI. Please see the competition web site for participating shops and locations.
Judging will take place on July 28th and the Best of Show will take place at German Fest on the Summerfest grounds on July 29th. An awards ceremony will follow the Best of Show judging at German Fest. First, Second, and Third place medals will be awarded to the category winners. Steins will be awarded to the First, Second, and Third place Best of Show winners. Finally, one entry from the best of show round will be chosen by the Milwaukee Brewing Company to be ramped up and served at the Milwaukee Ale House!
Accepted categories and additional details can be found on the competition web site. Periodic updates will be posted to the competition Facebook page. Information regarding judging and stewarding opportunities will be sent out shortly. Please pass this information on to your fellow homebrewing friends and direct any inquiries to the Contact page on the registration site at http://germanfesthbc.beerbarons.org/index.php?section=contact.
Best of luck to all that enter!
German Fest Stein Challenge Organizing Committee
The Beer Barons of Milwaukee and German Fest are very pleased to announce that the 2nd Annual German Fest Stein Challenge will be taking place on July 27th and 28th, 2012. This BJCP registered, German bier style only competition, is held in conjunction with the 31st annual German Fest which will be taking place on the Summerfest Grounds in Milwaukee July 26th through the 29th. Entries will be limited to 300 this year. Proceeds from the competition will go towards the newly established Midwest Brewer Scholarship Fund.
Registration opens on June 23rd and will be coordinated through the competition web site at http://germanfesthbc.beerbarons.org. Entries will be accepted June 23rd through July 14th at homebrew supply stores in Milwaukee, Madison, and Northern Illinois. Entries may be shipped to Northern Brewer in West Allis WI. Please see the competition web site for participating shops and locations.
Judging will take place on July 28th and the Best of Show will take place at German Fest on the Summerfest grounds on July 29th. An awards ceremony will follow the Best of Show judging at German Fest. First, Second, and Third place medals will be awarded to the category winners. Steins will be awarded to the First, Second, and Third place Best of Show winners. Finally, one entry from the best of show round will be chosen by the Milwaukee Brewing Company to be ramped up and served at the Milwaukee Ale House!
Accepted categories and additional details can be found on the competition web site. Periodic updates will be posted to the competition Facebook page. Information regarding judging and stewarding opportunities will be sent out shortly. Please pass this information on to your fellow homebrewing friends and direct any inquiries to the Contact page on the registration site at http://germanfesthbc.beerbarons.org/index.php?section=contact.
Best of luck to all that enter!
German Fest Stein Challenge Organizing Committee