Old News
January through March 2004
March 30, 2004
Richard "gak" Stueven just sent word that he is about to accept a job as brewer at a new microbrewery called William Kuether Brewing in Clear Lake, WI. While the Rackers will certainly miss having him nearby, we wish him nothing but the best in this latest brewing adventure. Hey gak! Stay employed this time :)
March 26, 2004
After some delay, our March newsletter (PDF) has been posted for your perusal. Mike also sent along an announcement about the Fifth Annual Homebrew Bash, sponsored by the ALEs. It will be held on June 12, starting at noon, at Ken Akstulewicz's place in Neenah. There will be a pig roast, live bands, camping, and general merriment. For more information, email the ALEs. I'm sure we will also have more information at a future meeting.
I got industrious today and converted a number of pages to the new layout. I also did some minor reorganizing behind the scenes. If anything seems weird (well, weirder than usual), please let me know.
February 29, 2004
Happy Leap Day! Just a reminder, the club brew is Tuesday at President Bob's place again. This time, Fred Matzke will be doing an all-grain batch in a simple bucket-in-bucket mash tun instead of Bob's space-age system. El Duce also sent along this kudo from the Manitowoc Brewfest:
Everyone had great things to say about every aspect of the brewfest. The beers were great and the facility was large and very clean. It was so much fun serving the club's beers that it was hard to find time to taste many of the others, but we managed. Serving beers brewed by club members and hearing people say how good the beers were was easy to take. I had fun watching people's reactions after they walked away. Their smiles and nods of approval remained genuine. One guy insisted that he had never had a better beer! A special thanks to Linda for driving us and most of the equipment. And thank you to all who helped.
Glad to hear that somebody's beer tastes good. My stout is, umm, a bit odd.
February 25, 2004
Yes folks, there are even more updates to the email directory. If you are a new member, check the directory to make sure I added your email address correctly.
gak sends along word that the new Thomas Hardy's Ale (obligatory Python reference: "OK, I'll have a quick look at your Thomas Hardy.") should be reaching stores soon. It's bottle conditioned, not pasteurized!
Lallemand (makers of Danstar yeasts) are offering a full scholarship to the 2004 World Brewing Academy Concise Course in Brewing Technology (Nov. 1-12) in Chicago. You must an AHA member to apply. For more information, see the official scholarship page on the AHA's site.
Finally, Dave Taylor sends along an easy way to get an analysis of your city's water. Go to the DNR's drinking water page. Then follow his instructions: Select "Contaminants in drinking water" in the lefthand menu, then type in System Name=Two Rivers (or whichever city), choose System Type=Municipal, County=Manitowoc (etc.), choose appropriate date range starting with 01/01/1999, and DNR Sample Group=Inorganics. He sent along analyses of several local cities that I hope to get posted.
February 3, 2004
Not to scare anybody, but I brewed beer today. Yeah, pretty spooky, I know. It's an oatmeal stout (OK, it's oatmeal stout wort, the yeast are in the process of beerifying it--I hope). The recipe is on my homepage, if you care.
Parsdint Bob sends along word that Menards is having a big sale on a Morrone turkey frying kit, including a very nice 170,000 BTU burner for $19.99. If you're in the market for a burner, check this one out.
Don't forget about the meeting at Titletown on Saturday!
January 31, 2004
President Bob sends word that Fred Matzke has agreed to do our March club brew. The brew will be held at Bob's house. Fred will be using a simple bucket-in-bucket mash tun. Newbie all-grainers or those thinking about trying all-grain brewing might be interested in seeing a brew done on simpler equipment. I'm told that Kettle Kam will be in action to view the brew from the comfort of the bar area. Rumor has it that Bob might have some beer to share. Don't let that stop you from bringing some of your own.
Now we only have one club brew opening left for 2004. If you are interested in brewing for us in November (and you have the prophetic capabilities to make such a prediction), email me.
January 28, 2004
The ALEs sent a bit of information about their upcoming competition. It will be held on June 5. Entries are due by June 3. Beers must have wheat as at least 40% of their grist. Styles included are: 3B (American Wheat), 17A (Bavarian Weizen), 17B (Bavarian Dunkelweizen), 17C (Berliner Weisse), 17D (Weizenbock), 19B (Witbier), 20 (Lambics), 24 (Specialty). More details will follow on their website. This competition is a part of the Fox Valley Cup for Keggers. I'll have to enter my lambic.
Wausau's Bull Falls Brewers have a pretty sweet website, which I have added to our list of other homebrew clubs.
Troy Landwehr from Kerrigan Brothers Winery announces an early St. Pat's party at Monarch Gardens in Appleton on February 29 at 3:00 P.M. with music by Pat McCurdy.
The Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield, WI is having an Up North Beer Weekend on March 5-6. For more information, check out their website.
Finally, I made what can only be described as a massive updated to the email directory based on information our illustrious secretary, Mike Conard, sent me. Please double-check to make sure that a) your email address is included and that b) your address is correct. Send any corrections to Mike and me. Thanks!
January 5, 2004
I hope everyone had some pleasant holidays. Don't forget that tomorrow night is our Club Brew at Bob Franklin's place. He sent an email to everyone with directions. If you did not receive it, email him. I also posted the official rules and entry form for the tenth annual Titletown Open. Please note that the date has been moved up to April 24. Get brewing!