Rich Byrnes

Rich opened the meetings with greetings, introductions and all that other club stuff and business got underway. The coasters have been handed off to Sandy, so anyone wanting aleeve of official Fermental coasters with our logo on it should see Sandy Bruce; they are still $5 while supplies last.

Johanne Wilson showed off our new prize ribbons next. She ordered 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons (red, white & blue) with our logo and club name on them to be awarded each month for our competitions, they are quite nice and will look sharp in your brewery if you start entering and winning the monthly competitions.

Al Czajkowski and Tony Treusch who graciously volunteered at the meeting to help out will perform the upcoming brew demo with the Dearborn Jaycees. (Thanks to Brian Shepard as well who volunteered and will be an alternate)

Jim Rice worked out a deal with Merchants Dearborn for the tasting at Schoolcraft College last month and had some tickets to sell that night, I did hear that it was quite a phenomenal tasting!

I reported on a very successful meeting with the Rivertown Beerfest Planning commission. I presented a list of complaints and compliments from all the volunteers that responded to my inquiry a while ago. All items were carefully addressed and taken seriously I can assure you. Some of the major points were: Identifying all coordinators with proper ID, bottle openers at each table (duh!), having the proper size shirts available to us, and the biggie, what happens at the end of the event! This was a tough one, each year we have been promised a beer tasting party on site and it has never worked due to many different reasons. This year, Merchants will take several mixed cases of beer offsite to their Dearborn store, and I will pick it up sometime afterwards for a picnic /thank you party for the volunteers. They will also leave some beers out for anyone who stays and helps break down tables and clean up! One nice thing this year is I asked that we be given some recognition as sponsors of this event and the whole room agreed that that was a great idea, so our logo will be included on the back of each volunteers shirt and we will be given a write-up in the official brochure!

I commented briefly on the tax issue that was noted in last months newsletter (copies of that letter are in the library) and one of our retailers actually was grateful to have the issues clearly stated (specifically pertaining to yeast).

I brought in the digital scale mentioned in last months newsletter and several people seemed very interested in weighing things to the nearest tenth of an ounce like, beer bottles, candles, pens, menus etc.... Seriously, it is a beautiful scale and the club may very well purchase one when we get a Pico system. Steve Rowley ended the meeting by discussing the C.A.R.S. (Cigar Aficionado and Renaissance Smokers) club happenings. The owner of Dearborn Tobacco is open and willing to host a meeting in his store and we are welcome to bring our own beer in (I'm sure he would appreciate a sample or two as well as some business thrown his way as well) and has also mentioned a possible cigar/beer dinner/ tasting at a local restaurant, perhaps Kiernans (apparently several beer distributors have already expressed interest). Again, if anyone is interested in the C.A.R.S. club please contact Steve Rowley (srowley1) at 24-85553 for more info.

The next meeting will be held Wednesday, March 26th, at our favorite local, hangout; Chelsea's. Chelsea's is located on Vanborn between Telegraph and Southfield (midway, on the North side). Their address is 22120 Vanborn and their number is 313-278-0888

Johanne Wilson

If you believe a good brew deserves a good label, then this contest is for you. Designing and making labels for homebrews can be just as fun and challenging a task as designing a new brew, and some of our members are really good at it.

We will judge entries in two categories: "Classic" and "Eclectic". Points will be awarded for artistic expression and originality. Entries should be actual size, and can be entered with or without the bottle. Entries are due at our April meeting.

Johanne Wilson

Congratulations to our January and February winners. We had a great time tasting the brews (as usual). Please don't be shy about entering your brews - this is a great opportunity to get some positive feedback from other members. If you have entered a brew (January's or February's competition) and have not received your beer score sheet, please see me at the meeting, I'll have them on hand.

Also, if you are interested in judging the brews, contact Gabrielle Palmer.

Hail to the Ale Winners

1st Place: Chris Frey's Pale Ale (Very drinkable ale, close to style)
2nd Place: Don Riling's Pale ale.
3rd Place: Doug Wood/Mark Hansen Pale Ale

Luscious Lager

1st Place: Jim Rice's Bohemian Pilsner (This was close to style with a nice clean taste)
2nd Place: Jim Rice's Dortmunder Lager
3rd Place: Jim Rice's American Premium Lager

(Yes, there were other entries but apparently lagers are Jim's specialty!)

Jim Rice

6.6 lbs. Munton & Fison Continental Pilsner Kit
2 lbs. Laaglander light extract
8 oz. corn sugar
0.25 oz. Tettnanger (3.1% alpha acid)- boil time 15 minutes
0.25 ozsTettnanger (3.1% alpha acid)- boil time 5 minutes
Yeast: Wyeast #2124 Bohemian lager (no starter), and Wyeast #2206 Bavarian lager (no starter)

Added malt extracts to 1 1/2 gallons of boiling water. Boiled 30 minutes. Added hops at 15 minutes and 5 minutes. Added to 5 gallon-refrigerated carboy with 3 gallons water. Fermented at 34 deg.

Initial gravity 1.066, Ending gravity 1.017
Primed with 3/4-cup corn sugar.

Makes 5 gallons

Rich Byrnes

The FORD club is proud to announce Doug Geiss will be handling the advertising for the newsletter as the clubs Business Manager. Pat Babcock has been relocated to Edison, New Jersey until late fall and Doug has volunteered to step in and take over. We are still developing our advertising policies but don't be too surprised to see ads in upcoming newsletters.

Boston Beer Company Buys Historic Cincinnati Brewery

Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewery will be Renamed The Samuel Adams Brewery.

BOSTON, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- As of midnight, February 28, 1997, Boston Beer Company owns a historic Cincinnati brewery.

The former Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewery has been re-named the Samuel Adams Brewery. It is one of the few historic small-batch breweries still in operation. With its 145-barrel four-vessel brewhouse and its 390,000-barrel capacity, the brewery is perfectly suited for the brewing of the traditional, craft-brewed Samuel Adams beers.

"All of us at Boston Beer are proud to have had a role in helping to save this historic small-batch

brewery," said Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Boston Beer Company. "Since the 1950s, we've seen too many of these classic breweries disappear.

"When my father was a brewmaster's apprentice at Hudepohl-Schoenling Brewery back in the 1940s, there were over a thousand small breweries in America. In just thirty years, over 95% of the smaller breweries closed or were bought by the big national breweries," said Koch.

Boston Beer Company will brew their own beers at their Cincinnati brewery, including Samuel Adams Boston Lager, Cream Stout, Scotch Ale, Summer Ale, the Longshot beers, and Hardcore Crisp Hard Cider. Hudepohl-Schoenling Company will continue to brew the Hudepohl beers under a brewing agreement with Boston Beer Company

"We are honored that Hudepohl-Schoenling President Ken Lichtendahl has given us the opportunity to bring this century-old brewery into a new century, and we welcome over 100 members of the Hudepohl family into the Boston Beer Company family," Koch said.

Boston Beer Company will continue to be headquartered in Boston where it operates its Boston brewery. The Boston brewery produces draft beer for the Boston market and is the site of new product development and testing. Hudepohl-Schoenling will retain offices adjacent to the Samuel Adams Brewery and will continue as a separate independent company brewing its beers under contract.

Boston Beer Company now brews 15 year-round and seasonal beers under the Samuel Adams banner. Started in 1984 by Jim Koch with his great-great grandfather's recipe for an amber lager, Boston Beer Company is now America's leading craft brewer. The Boston Beer Company trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SAM.

Rich Byrnes

We have added 7 new books to the library this month (7? Yes 7!) They include; Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniel's, New World Guide to Beer by Michael Jackson, Brew Wares by Karl Lutzen and Mark Stevens (A guide to building gadgets and tools), Microbrews (a guide to North American Beers), Beer by Greg Smith (A history of beer from Mesopotamia to Microbrews), Dave Millers Homebrewing Guide (Similar to Papazians but with much more detail and less humor), and the Homebrewers Recipe Guide, a 175 recipe collection written by 3 homebrewers from New York (An excellent recipe collection I might add).

PRNewswire-- Big Buck Brewery & Steakhouse announced today that their second location would open Monday, March 17, 1997 at 2500 28th Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The new brewery and restaurant will seat 250 people, will employ approximately 175 people and features award-winning, hand-crafted, freshly brewed beers created by Brewmaster, Scott Graham.

Big Buck Brewery & Steakhouse originated in the Alpine Village community of Gaylord, Michigan in 1995. The menu features Excel Sterling Silver Certified Choice Beef, as well as chicken, chops, pastas and a selection of other fine foods. The decor is reminiscent of a hunting lodge with an open grill, high ceilings, wood accents, and the fully visible brewery. An interesting feature of the decor is the Hundred Year wooden chairs, handcrafted by the Amish and guaranteed to last a hundred years.

After the phenomenal success of the original unit, Michigan Brewery, Inc., operators of Big Buck, took the company public. This newest location marks the first step in a plan to take the concept national with a third unit in Auburn Hills, Michigan currently under construction and expected to open in the summer of 1997.

"We're really excited about opening this new site in such a major metropolitan area," commented Chief Operating Officer, Gary Hewett. "We offer not only a good restaurant but a truly unique entertainment experience and we hope the community will enjoy what we have to offer," added Hewett.

Big Buck Brewery's hours of operation will be Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m., and Sundays from noon until 10:00 p.m.

Spencer Thomas<spencer@engin.umichedu>

The Ann Arbor Brewers Guild is holding its First Annual Brewathon where we all can share, compare, and learn new ideas and techniques of home brewing. This is a rare opportunity for all of to enjoy our hobby and brew some beer -- Together! We will have multiple brewing systems creating different styles of beer running simultaneously. Do you have a portable outdoor system and want to use it? Great! This is the opportunity we have all been waiting for!

WHERE:

Camp High/Scope, a 400 acre conference center located just outside Clinton, MI (about 30 mi west of Ann Arbor, near the Irish Hills at Rt. 12 and Rt. 52).

WHEN:

April 18-20, 1997

COST:

Full weekend, includes Fri and Sat night lodging, all weekend activities, and meals, $52.00. Saturday activities and meals, without lodging, $30.00. Friday night meeting only, no charge.

To make reservations and get more information, contact BY MARCH 22: Carrick Legrismith, 15127 Sheridan Rd., Clinton, MI 49236, 517-456-6284, hiscope@c4systm.com

Chris Frey

Your intrepid editor was in Jamaica a few weeks ago on vacation. During this trip I planned to enjoy a few Red Stripe beers and whatever other domestic libations I could discover (basically Guinness Export and Dragon Stout were the only two others I could find).

One marvelous afternoon Kathy and I were enjoying several of the aforementioned beverages at Rick's Cafe, a very American sort of place in Negril while we watched a few people dive from 40+ foot cliffs. I casually mentioned to Kathy that I believed that I could do that. She immediately shot down that idea and ordered us another round of drinks.

Our resort was just a short walk down the road from Rick's and we went back there to enjoy the only organized activity of the resort, sunset watching from their own private cliffs. While sipping yet another Red Stripe I announced that I was going to do it and ran to our cabana and changed into a bathing suit. I don't think Kathy knew what I was up to.

Moments later I did a beautiful swan dive from a bridge about 20+ feet into the cove. People applauded and I was pumped! I then went over to the cliff and attempted another swan dive. Unfortunately, I didn't time this dive like the first one and I broke my humorous into several parts.

Was it really the Red Stripe beer that gave me the courage? A bit, but basically I learned a lesson we all need to keep in mind. If you are drinking and you feel the courage to do something you normally would not do without the beer, stop and reconsider.

The Scotsman, (Edinburgh, Scotland paper) 25 Feb 1997 (C)

Two Welsh chemists are set to be celebrated in bars throughout Britain after exposing an age old myth - beer, it seems does not make you fat. They have boiled down the chemical constituents of the average pint and discovered that beer could almost be classed as a health food. It is full of vitamins and protein, improves blood circulation and is completely free of fat.

Anyone crossing the threshold of their local hostelry might challenge that last assertion given the number of plump stomachs jostling for space at the bar.

But the scientists can explain this phenomenon. Pot bellies are not caused by the beer itself but "probably result from the effects of alcohol as an appetite stimulant", The beer belly, they insist, does not exist - it is just the product of over-eating.

Professor David Williams and Dr. Jeremy Philpott of the department of chemistry at the University of Wales have attempted to restore the healthy image of beer in an article in Chemistry in Britain. "It is past time to dispel some of the myths about beer. When used as part of a balanced diet, beer is beneficial to human health", they say.

They list a series of beneficial components in beer, describing it as a complete food. It provides carbohydrates, which are a major source of energy, it includes a small quantity of dietary fiber and is low in salt. It also contains compounds called iso-a-acids, which are antibacterial properties and have recently been linked to preventing osteoporosis in the elderly.

Gabrielle Palmer

For those interested in taking the Beer Judge Certification Exam, it will be given on July 17th at the National Homebrew Conference in Cleveland and on October 11th in Brighton, MI. Mark your calendars! Cheers! Gabi

The Society of Northeastern Ohio Brewers is proud to present Beer No Sweat and your club is invited.

What is Beer No Sweat? It is a pub crawl/Homebrew Party put on every year in April by the Society Of Northeastern Ohio Brewers. We travel to three or 4 of the Cleveland area brewpubs, to sample the beer, take tours, crawl all over the brew equipment, and of course talk about homebrew.

We then retreat to a hotel ballroom for a homebrew party were we all have plenty of homebrew, and of course talk about homebrew some more. Also at the hotel we have a huge homebrew raffle. Last year prizes included metal beer signs, glassware, T-shirts, jet burners, and one lucky soul got to take home a Sabco converted beer keg kettle. Plenty of fun and prizes for all.

This year we are planing on going to Great Lakes Brewing Company, Crooked River Brewing Company, Diamondback Brewing Company, and maybe one or two others.

This year Beer No Sweat will take place on April 26th at the Lakeside Holiday Inn in Cleveland. We currently have 50 rooms reserved at a rate of $75 a night, with up to 4 people a room. The deadline for the $75. Reservations are the 5th of April, so make your reservations now. The number for reservations is 216-241-5100. Make your reservations under the name of The Society of Northeastern Ohio Brewers.

We will have two busses providing transportation to and from the brewpubs. Its $15 a seat if you want a seat. Deadline for reserved bus seats is April 5th. If you have any questions E-mail me at the above address, call me at 216-899-6721, or see our web page at www.en.com/users/mashtun. John Majestic, Secretary of the SNOBs.

Morrissey's Pub in County Tipperary is Up For Grabs in the 1997 Guinness 'Win Your Own Pub in Ireland Contest. Guinness' Famous Contest Forges Into Fourth Year

STAMFORD, Conn., March 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The chance to quit your job, move to a new land and embrace a new lifestyle awaits U.S. residents, 21 and older, who enter the Guinness 1997 "Win Your Own Pub in Ireland" contest. A pen, a little creativity and a fondness for Guinness is all that's needed to vie for ownership of Morrissey's Pub in Cahir (pronounced Care), County Tipperary, Ireland in the fourth annual Guinness pub contest.

Would-be publicans are asked to capture what goes through their mind as they anticipate the first sip of a perfect pint by completing the phrase, "As the cool, creamy head of a pint of Guinness settles..." in 50 words or less.

Since 1994, the inaugural year of the contest, Guinness has received more than 120,000 entries, and has handed the keys to Connie Doolan's Pub in Cobh, the Kilgoban in Bantry, and the Seanachaoi in Killaloe to three Americans, all of whom have accepted the challenge of becoming pub proprietors in

Ireland.

Where legal entry forms are available at on- and off-premise location where Guinness and Harp are sold. Consumers can enter the contest by submitting their essay on the entry form, or an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper, and mailing it to Guinness Contest, Guinness Import Company, Bowling Green Station, P.O. Box 7l, New York, NY 10275-0632. In late February, consumers can call the Guinness "Win Your Own Pub in Ireland" hotline (1-888-4AGUINNESS) for additional information on the contest. All entries must be received by March 31, 1997.

Guinness will choose one finalist from each of ten regions in the country. In May, each finalist and a guest will fly to Ireland to tour Dublin then travel to Cahir to determine who will embrace a new career as an Irish publican. The contest culminates on May 6, 1997 when the new proprietor of Morrissey's Pub will be chosen after a series of pub games including a dart competition, a pint pouring contest and an oral essay recitation.

Mike Preston

In it's eighth week since their opening, the Detroit Brewing Factory(DBF) is committed to make the B.O.P. thing work in Michigan. The DBF is located at 18065 E. 8 Mile Rd. kitty-corner from the IHOP. This is across from Hudson's at Eastland Mall between Kelly Rd. and I-94, on old 8 Mile Rd. Their hours are: Tues.- Fri 11-9, Sat. 10-6, and Sun. 12-5.

They have 6 total kettles, 5 single batch (13 gal. net), and 1 double batch (25 gal. net). They are boasting 72 recipes within three pricing levels. Levels are based on the amount of ingredients used. Lighter ales would cost $95, high gravity styles would be $115, and your average type ales will be somewhere in between.

DBF is quoting approx. 72, 22oz. bottles per single batch. They have bottles available for purchase, but you can bring your own CLEAN bottles to fill.

Let's see.....For about $20.50 each, me and 5 friends are able to make a nice flavorful high gravity ale, and get 12, 22oz. bottles each... WHAT A DEAL! Anyone wanna buy a Pico?

Neal Petty

The American Legion in Sandusky Ohio is sponsoring the First Annual Sandusky Bay, Brew-Fest on Saturday, April 12, 1997. The cost is $10 at the door and proceeds benefit the American Legion Scholarship Fund. The Festival runs from noon to 9:00pm in the American Legion Downstairs Banquet Facility, 3615S. Hayes Ave., Sandusky, Ohio.

Over 18 Breweries from the Northern Ohio Craft Brewers Association will be distributing their wares: Bavarian Brewing Co., Crooked River, Firehouse Brewery, Garret's Mill Brewing, Black Swamp, Diamondback, Frontwaters, Great Lakes, DLB Vinyards, Liberty Street Brewing, Mad Crab Brewery, Rock Bottom, Wooden Pony, Lift Bridge, Maumee Bay, Wallaby's Grille, The Brewhouse Pub, .....and more.

There will be live music all day and the kitchen will be open during the entire event. For information contact: Ed Anderson W(419)626-5005 H(419)627-0971. Sounds like a great time, this should be off-season for hotels, Cheers!

Ted Geftos

Boy, the two really go together well in Summit County, Colorado. There for a snowboarding vacation, I managed to hit 4 brewpubs in 5 days. Not as hard as it sounds, though... they're all in a 10 mile radius. So maybe some of you are heading out there soon - here's my impressions of the 4 that I visited.

Dillon Dam Brewery, Dillon CO

Located just off of I-70 on the way to Keystone and Arapaho Basin resorts. It is named for the dam that forms Lake Dillon. They had just opened the week I visited and had just started serving their own beer the day I showed up! The beer they brewed (they had several guest taps as well) was a porter ($10/pitcher). It was a descent effort, more along the robust side although lacking any appreciable hop flavor. Black Patent dominated the chocolate malt. The brewery is to the side of the bar area, no glass, just a half-wall. It would be great to be there on brew day to waft some wort in the boil!

The food was reasonably priced and came in an eclectic array. I had the Greek Quesadillas, which had feta, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and GARLIC (big time!). They were great. They also had fresh bread with sweetened butter that was to die for. Dam the cholesterol, full snarf ahead!

Great Northern Brewing Company - Keystone, COLO

We had the privilege of being there within 2 hours of the grand opening! This pub is at the Village portion of Keystone, by the gondola parking. The building was absolutely beautiful -

definitely a more up-scale place. The bar and dining areas blend well, though you always know which part you're in. The brewery was beautiful - copper clad vessels - and was glassed off. There was a cool stone fireplace in the middle of the dining room - great atmosphere apres boarding!

They had 5 beers: Wheat, Amber Ale, Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale, and Porter. The best were the wheat which had mostly a banana ester aroma but with some clove phenol present, and the Amber, which was moderately hopped and slightly fruity. The pale was bland, and the porter tasted young and tart to me. The brewery did use Briess 2 row in great quantities, as seen in the basement.

The food here was awesome, although on the pricey side. Not bad for being at the base of the mountain though. I had fussily pasta with a cheese I forget and sun-dried pears. Very interesting and yummy. My companions had Lamb Meatloaf, Venison Stew, and Broiled Salmon, all of which were excellent and colorfully presented.

Breckenridge Brewing Company - Breckenridge CO

This brewpub was hopping (with people and brew additive)! Located on Main Street towards the end of town, it was a welcome relief from the clothes and specialty stores that make up the rest of the town. The brew works are right behind the bar, the mash tun being used during my visit.

They had a several styles of beer including Wheat, Amber Ale, Imperial Ale, IPA, and Oatmeal Stout. My favorites were the IPA (very hoppy and bitter) and the Stout which was fairly hefty, with the roasted barley coming through loud and clear. They said they sell more of the Amber (Avalanche) than any other of their beers, but I found it kind of plain (you know, the bland-for-the-masses thing). The Imperial Ale was very light, and is intended for re-hydration after skiing. Not a bad effort in that light.

The food was good and reasonable. I had artichoke dip, which was excellent, and Shepherd's Pie, which was ok. Overall, this pub was more rowdy and smoky, but it was still a good experience.

Back Country Brewing Company - Frisco, CO

This is also a very new brewpub located on state highway 9 just off of I-70. The brewery is right behind the bar, and the vessels would make you jealous, they're so purty. The atmosphere seemed much more casual and relaxed.

I only had one beer there, but it was the best of the whole trip -the IPA. It REALLY was as good as a home-brew! Mega hops aroma and flavor. I would even say they dry-hopped. MOST EXCELLENT!

So, if any of you head West this spring make sure and support hose local craft brewers. At 9000 feet above sea level, they are at least a step above most breweries...

Rich Byrnes

Rich's tech tip for the month: To clean the large diameter blowoff hoses you should rinse them as soon as you switch over to an airlock. Now, you will still have a large amount of dried sticky crud inside your hose, I like to fill my kitchen sink with a hot water and strong bleach solution (my sink is porcelain not stainless steel!) and soak my hoses in this for about an hour. This not only cleans and disinfects the hose but cleans your sink as well (show your spouse how much help you can be in the kitchen!) And for the final step I use a baby bottle brush (softer bristles) with a string tied to it to pull through the hose to make sure all crud is off, but the bleach soak does wonders to actually loosen the crud.

Johanne Wilson

Sub categories:

a) Classic Irish Style Dry Stout: Initial malt and caramel flavor profile, with a distinctive dry-roasted bitterness in the finish. Low/no hop aroma and flavor, though high bitterness. Light/medium body. Minimal fruity esters. Good head retention.

b) Foreign style stout: Initial malt sweetness and caramel flavor with distinctive dry-roasted bitterness in the finish. Low/no hop aroma and flavor. Medium/full body. Minimal fruity esters. Good head retention.

c) Sweet stout/Cream stout: Less roasted bitter flavor and more full bodied than dry stouts. Malt sweetness, chocolate and caramel flavor dominate, with enough hops to balance the sweetness without contributing flavor or aroma.

d) Oatmeal Stout: The oatmeal contributes a full flavor and smooth profile. Roasted malt character of caramel and chocolate evident. Moderate bitterness. Hop flavor and aroma optional. Medium/full bodied beer.

e) Imperial Stout: Dark Copper to very black. typically have alcohol contents exceeding 8%. Rich malty flavor and aroma balanced with assertive hopping and fruity/ester characteristics Bitterness can be moderate to high. Hop aroma can be from subtle to overwhelmingly floral.

Johanne and the judging staff have asked that you submit a mini entry form with your contest entries as follows:

Please include the following information with your entries:

1) Your Name
2) The name of your Brew
3) The subcategory
4) Brew method: (extract only / extract and grain/ all grain)
5) Amount and type of malts used
6) Amount and type of hops used.
7) Specialty ingredients used

The next meeting will be held Wednesday, March 26th, at our favorite local, hangout; Chelsea's. Chelsea's is located on Vanborn between Telegraph and Southfield (midway, on the North side). Their address is 22120 Vanborn and their number is 313-278-0888

April's meeting will be at Red Oaks Restaurant in Canton off of I-275 and Ford Rd?

I have lined up a guest speaker for May's meeting, Susan Graden from Premier Malts in Grosse Pointe.