2007 Meeting Notes

JANUARY 2007 PRESIDENT’S NOTES
Written by Patrick & Pat Kennerly
Sunday, 21 January 2007

Narrative summary of SCBG monthly meeting held Saturday, January 20, 2007.

There may have been only 19 members at the opening meeting for 2007, but there was certainly no shortage of beer, food or good times.

Hearty thanks to Doug and Kelleigh for hosting this winter gathering.

She-Pat gave us a treasurer’s report and membership summary. At the start of the meeting there was $538.62 in the club checking account.

That figure had changed by the end of the meeting as several folks paid-up their 2007 dues. By the end of the meeting, we had 32 paid-up members, including our lifetimers, Kelly & Esther.

The Febrewary meeting is still set to be hosted by Bryan and Jenny S., probably on the 17th, however, watch your email for further details.

Kathy and John M. are currently out of the country, but we are assuming that they will still host the March meeting. The 17th (St. Paddy’s day) was recommended as the date for the March meeting, but we will need to confirm that with Kathy and John once they are back stateside.

A brief break followed and then Doug treated us to his presentation on the history and characteristics of the Bohemian Pilsner style. And I do mean “treat!” Doug gave us a lively, informative, artistic and professional Power Point presention that lasted over a half-hour and, I dare say, most of us would gladly sit through it again–it was that good. I’m afraid Doug has raised the bar on style presentations so much so that none of us may ever again come close. Thank you Doug; it was worth coming out in the cold and wind just for your excellent presentation.

Afterward, we tasted 3 Bohemian Pilsners from the Czech Republic and one “Czech Style” Pilsner from the U.S. None of us could quite understand why the Czech’s (and many other Europeans) bottle their beers in green glass. Some “skunkiness” was detected to one degree or another in all three of the Czech-brewed beers. Someone may correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the Czechvar was the favorite of the 3 European-brewed pilsners. The American-brewed “Czech-style” pilsner, from Lagunitas in California, was good but not really to style, being more akin to a German pilsner.

As the meeting was concluding, Keira and Dyson checked-in just to make sure we all knew that it was bedtime. Barley did an excellent job in her position as sargent-at-arms the entire evening. Once again, many thanks to Kelleigh and Doug for hosting. I’m sorry more members didn’t make it to this meeting–you missed a really good one!

Patrick Kennerly

President

Star City Brewers Guild

January 21, 2007

 

FEBREWARY 2007 PRESIDENT’S NOTES
Written by Patrick & Pat Kennerly
Sunday, 18 February 2007

A narrative summary of the SCBG monthly meeting for February held Saturday, Feb. 17 at 4 PM.The blustery chill of a winter afternoon did not deter a sizeable contingent of homebrewers from gathering at the home of Bryan and Jenny S. on Saturday afternoon, Febrewary 17th.

Many thanks to Bryan and Jenny for opening up their home to the club–your home is cozy and inviting and the fireplace made the setting ideal.

The meeting kicked off at 4 PM, but folks were still arriving after 6 PM; a head count at that time revealed a total of 24 members present.

She-Pat presented the treasury report and membership summary.  At the beginning of the meeting, the club account held $598.62 and there were 32 paid members.  By the end of the meeting, 4 additional couples had paid their dues and the membership count was up to 40.

John & Kathy M. confirmed that they will be hosting the March meeting and the Czech Pilsener competition.  The date for that event is Saturday, March 17th–yes, St. Patrick’s Day–beginning at 4:00 PM.  John & Kathy will send directions to their home via this club email forum a little closer to the event.

Your President made a plea for stewards for the Czech Pilsener competition.  Stuart, faithful steward that he is, volunteered to serve once again.  If other members would like to steward with Stuart, please make your intentions known to this forum or to your President privately.  Since this is a lager style and members may wish to bring their competition beer in a keg, Big Willee can be available for service.

Martin has volunteered to host the April meeting.  The date for that will be forthcoming, after Martin consults with wife Sandra.

Your President then broached the subject of Big Brew, the national homebrewers’ event that will be held on Saturday, May 5th this year.  Ross & Nancy hosted Big Brew last May.  An email has been sent to them inquiring about their plans for this May.  Should Ross & Nancy’s mountaintop retreat not be available, we’ll have to explore other possibilities.

This year’s Festival in the Park was also mentioned briefly.  Your President asked all members to ponder that event and help make a good group decision as to whether or not we wish to participate this May 26th.

John M. presented a mouth-watering description of his and Kathy’s participation in the Manchester, England Winter Beer Festival.  By the time John was finished, we were all ready to charter a flight and book rooms for the next Manchester festival.

Business being concluded, the meeting was adjourned and all retired to the kitchen, dining and living rooms of the S’s. home to enjoy excellent food, company and homebrew.

Thanks again, Jenny and Bryan, for a great job of hosting.  Until next month, keep those pilseners lagering!

Patrick Kennerly
President
Star City Brewers Guild
Sunday, Febrewary 18, 2007

 

MARCH 2007 MEETING–PRESIDENT”S NOTES
Written by Patrick & Pat Kennerly
Sunday, 18 March 2007

A narrative summary of the SCBG meeting held Saturday, March 17th (St. Patrick’s Day), 2007.

William Shakespeare put these words into the mouth of his tragic hero,
King Lear:
“Blow winds and crack your cheeks!”The winds did blow on a chilly St. Patrick’s Day and, though cheeks
may not have cracked, plenty of cheeks took on a suitably ruddy
complexion spanked by the gusts that blew through John and Kathy M’s.
screened-in deck.Not to be daunted, however, the Star City Brewers Guild filled their
March gathering and first quarterly competition with good food,
excellent fellowship, and a treasure pot loaded with fine brew.

A very special thank you to John and Kathy M. for opening up their
beautiful home to 24 members and several guests.  John and Kathy made
everyone feel at home and provided for our every need during the
competition.

She-Pat reported that the treasury stood at $677.45.  An additional
paid membership during the meeting brought the treasury up to $692.45
and the paid membership count to 42.

Will & Jen L. have (once again) volunteered to host a meeting when
previous location plans did not work out.  After some discussion,
Saturday, April 14th was chosen as the next club meeting date.  The
April meeting would be the appropriate time to have a presentation on
the next competition style  —  American Pale Ale  — as well as taste
commercial examples of APA.  If anyone feels inspired to give the club
a brief presentation, just volunteer by club mail.  Will & Jen will
let the group know what time to converge on their home and, I’m sure,
will post directions for those who don’t remember our meeting at their
home in December.

Will presented an idea to the group that holds a great deal of
promise, especially for those who haven’t been able to come to
meetings for lack of childcare.  Will suggested that the group might
hire a young person (aka, babysitter) to provide childcare at the
meeting site.  The cost of pooling resources to hire one sitter for
several members’ kids should certainly be less than the cost for
several members to pay for childcare separately.  She-Pat suggested
that the club might even vote to pay for the sitter with treasury
funds.  It was agreed that an email conversation regarding these ideas
be commenced in order to gauge club interest.

Ross & Nancy have graciously offered to host Big Brew for the second
time on Saturday, May 5th.  That event is, more or less, an all-day
affair, but Noon is the target arrival time on Brush Mountain in
Blacksburg.  Ross and Nancy will provide directions closer to the
event.  Your president suggested that members who plan to brew on that
Saturday make Ross & Nancy and the rest of the Guild aware of your
intentions by way of club mail.  This year’s Big Brew recipes are
already posted on the American Homebrewers Association pages at
beertown.org.

Your president shared with the group a contact made to him by someone
from Tanglewood Mall about setting up a booth at their June Leisure
Living Expo.  When the paperwork arrived in the mail a shocking and
astronomical fee was expected of all participants.  So much for that!

Joe W. then gave us a detailed description of the World Beer Festival,
scheduled for Saturday, April 28 in Raleigh, NC.  Over 150 breweries
will be providing tastings during two 4-hour sessions.  Several club
members have already purchased tickets for the 12 Noon to 4 PM
session.  The Guild looks to make a good showing at this beer-
bountiful event.

Next, Bryan P. led a discussion regarding the Home Brewers’ Digest
(HBD), including a description of what HBD is and what it provides to
the homebrewing community.  The HBD is in desperate need of a new
server and is soliciting large scale sponsors to fund a new server and
defray other expenses.  By email earlier in the week, Doug M. had
suggested the idea of the Guild making a one-time donation to HBD to
help in their cause.  Discussion was positive about helping HBD, but
when Bryan P. made a motion to contribute $100 to HBD from treasury
funds, several members suggested it might be good to contact the folks
at HBD to get a better idea of how a one-time donation might benefit
them.  Bryan’s motion was tabled to allow further investigation into
an SCBG donation  —  Bryan P. will spearhead that effort.

After a brief break, Judie M. and her team of stewards (Stuart, Bryan
P. and Paul M.) coordinated the judging of a dozen members’ renditions
of the Bohemian Pilsener style.  Three first-round tables and one
final round table judiciously evaluated the lagers to arrive at these
results:  3rd Place: Martin C.;  2nd Place: Will L.; 1st Place: Bryan
S.  Congratulations to all three and many thanks to our terrific head
steward, Judie, and her very capable crew, as well as to all who
judged, with a special nod to Cliff, our guest judge.

Again, thanks to John and Kathy for hosting and to all who brought
beer and food.  Until we meet again in April, keep those emails comin’
and brew on!

Patrick Kennerly
President
Star City Brewers Guild

 

PRESIDENT’S NOTES APRIL 2007 MEETING
Written by Patrick & Pat Kennerly
Sunday, 15 April 2007

A narrative summary of SCBG Meeting held Saturday, April 14, 2007

Perhaps mother nature is playing an April Fools prank on us with this
crazy weather.  However, the weather did not hinder our April meeting,
which was held at the home of Will and Jen L.  Will and Jen have twice
come to the rescue when meeting plans at other locations did not work
out.  We are very grateful to Will and Jen for their gracious and
timely hospitality.
Will, Jen and others arranged for childcare during the meeting.  The
kids were downstairs content with movies, pizza and teenage
supervison.  This idea worked out very well and holds great promise
for future meetings.  It may enable members with youngsters to attend
meetings they might not otherwise be able to attend because of childcare
issues.The meeting was attended by 21 members and 2 guests, one of which had
joined the club by meetings’ end.  Welcome, Matt, to the Star City
Brewers Guild!  Matt brought some of his homebrew to share at the
meeting–it was quite good.She-Pat informed us that there was $581.91 in the club treasury, after
reimbursements for American Pale Ales purchased for the tasting and
after reimbursing Bryan S. for his club-only competition entry costs.
That figure is also prior to Matt’s dues payment.  There were 43 paid
members at the start of the meeting; 44 at the end of the meeting.

With no other members expressing interest, the Pats agreed to host the
June meeting, which will be the 2nd quarterly competition, the style
being American Pale Ale (BJCP #10A).  The date for that meeting and
competition will be Saturday, June 9th, beginning at 4:00 PM.  Details
will be forthcoming.

There followed a discussion about the May meeting, which, of course,
is Big Brew, Saturday, May 5th.  Ross and Nancy will host this major
homebrewing event for the second year in a row.  Ross and Nancy live
on Brush Mountain, just beyond Blacksburg and just off route 460.
Ross will send out directions soon.

As this is a national (actually, an international) homebrewing event,
the timetable is somewhat determined by the American Homebrewers
Association.  There is nationwide toast to National Homebrew Day at
1:00 PM EDT (12 Noon CDT).  We usually try to snap a few group photos
during the toast.

If you are planning to brew (3 or 4 at the meeting indicated that they
might) at Ross & Nancy’s, either one of the recipes offered by the AHA
or something else, please email Ross and the club so we’ll have an
idea of who will need set-up space and chiller water.  Last year,
brewers arrived so early that Ross was still in his ‘jammies, so it
might be nice to give Ross an idea of your anticipated brew time.

Kathy M. has graciously agreed to coordinate the food for this event.
Ross and I have designated Kathy the Food Czar and have given her
absolute power (over things edible).  Kathy will communicate to the
group via club mail regarding this aspect of the day-long gathering.
Everyone is encouraged to bring beer!  Your own brew in kegs or
bottles or other beer.  Last year we ran dry before the event was
over  —  embarrassing, to say the least, for a brew club!  Big Willee
will be attending, and he can support 6 kegs at a time.

Ross also mentioned that they have ample sleeping space if anyone
should choose to spend the night.  Once again, it would be helpful if
you could make such plans known to Ross and Nancy in advance.  Other
news and information regarding this special meeting will be
communicated by this club mail.

Several members have made plans to attend the World Beer Festival in
Raleigh, NC, in two weeks (April 28th).  Bring cameras!

After a brief break, your Vice President, Bryan S. gave the club an
informative presentation on the American Pale Ale style.  That was
followed by everyone sampling about 13 commercial APAs.  After a wide
range of interpretations of the style were sampled, most agreed that
the Nectar Pale Ale was the best example.  This beer was purchased at
the “Kroger Teeter” at the corner of Brambleton and Colonial (the one
with a “Starbucks” in it).  It was a bit pricey ($9+ a six-pack), but
it was very good.

Be sure to plan for Big Brew on May 5th and watch your email for
updates and information.

Brew on!

Patrick Kennerly
President
Star City Brewers Guild
April 15, 2007

 

MAY 2007 MEETING: PRESIDENT’S NOTES
Written by Patrick & Pat Kennerly
Sunday, 06 May 2007

Narrative summary of SCBG May monthly meeting and 2007 Big Brew event.

Once again, the first Saturday in May proved to be less than ideal
weather-wise for the annual Big Brew event.  Nonetheless, 21 SCBG
members met near the summit of Brush Mountain for a day of brewing,
eating, fellowship and homebrew sharing.  Oh yeah, and for the May
monthly meeting.
The official business meeting got underway about 2:30 PM. Many thanks
were expressed to Ross and Nancy who, for the second year in a row,
took on the monumental task of hosting the Big Brew meeting.  Your
president would also like to express special thanks to Kathy M. for
coordinating the day’s cuisine and to Stuart B. for hauling Big Willee
and the club tables to and from the meeting site in his van.She-Pat reported that the treasury currently contains $509.64 and paid
membership stands at 46.The June meeting and second quarterly competition will be held at the
Pats on Saturday, June 9th, beginning at 3:00 PM.  The style for this
competition is American Pale Ale, BJCP style guide #10A.  Judie M.
graciously volunteered once again to serve as Chief Steward for the
APA competition.  Directions to the Pats’ home in the Grandin Court
section of Roanoke City will be sent out closer to June 9th.

Doug, who was brewing on the opposite side of the house from the
meeting, sent down a proxy stating that he and Kelleigh would host a
pool party at their Botetourt home for the July meeting (7/14/07).
Carol W. tentatively offered her and Ed’s home for the August meeting
(8/2/07) while John & Kathy M. volunteered to host the September
competition meeting (9/22/07).  Jeff and Cindy offered to host the
October meeting again this year, complete with haunted doorman.

So much had been discussed regarding the previous weekend’s World Beer
Festival in Raleigh during the pre-meeting socializing, your president
decided there wasn’t much else to bring up.

Paul M. then led a lively discussion regarding the “Second Wind” event
scheduled for September15th at Woodmen of the World on Peters Creek
Road.  Paul answered concerns about the $150.00 booth fee with the
news that the fee would be waived for the SCBG.  Points made during
the discussion included the fact that our involvement would include
demonstrating the hobby of home brewing, possibly by brewing three
extract batches beginning at staggered times so that the demonstration
would last throughout the event (10 AM to 6 PM).  Another point made
was that someone would need to coordinate the production of “sampling”
beer to be brewed in advance and brought to the event for public
consumption.  Paul also told us that Wendi Schultz assured him that
the ABC licensing and regulations matters would be taken care of by
her office.  Paul agreed to coordinate the SCBG’s involvement with
this event.

While we were talking about brewing beer for the “Second Wind” event,
someone suggested that it might be fun to have everyone brew to the
same extract/all-grain recipe only each brewer would use a different,
single hop variety.  It was suggested that we could bring the
resulting beers to the October meeting.  All agreed that this would be
fun to do.

Following the conclusion of the business meeting, hamburgers, hotdogs,
smoked sausages and a couple of marinated tuna steaks hit Ross &
Nancy’s gas grill with a flare and the serious eating got underway.

As has become tradition, a Derby drawing preceded the televised
activities from Churchill Downs.  After an exciting race, # 7, Street
Sense, stood in the winner’s circle, as did our Stuart.

For Big Brew accounting purposes, the SCBG brewed 4 batches of beer
totaling 25 gallons.  See you in June!

Patrick Kennerly
President
May 6, 2007

 

JUNE 2007 Meeting President’s Notes
Written by Patrick & Pat Kennerly
Sunday, 10 June 2007

Narrative summary of June Meeting & Second Quarterly Style Competition.The late spring weather provided for a splendid outdoor SCBG meeting Saturday, June 9th.  The backyard of the Pats’ home in Grandin Court offered a comfortable setting with lots of grass, trees and plant life.  Special thanks to she-Pat who worked arduously, both indoors and out, in preparation for the meeting.  Her sacrifical thumb offering must have been pleasing to the beer gods.  A steady breeze and ample shade made the 87-degree temperature seem quite comfortable.

At the top of the meeting, we welcomed two newcomers: Alec and Karen.  They moved to Roanoke from Florida about a year ago and Alec, who is a seasoned homebrewer, has been settling into brewing in his new environs.  Before coming to the meeting, they secured a used refrigerator for Alec’s fermentations and loaded it onto their pickup truck.  It was the first time in SCBG history that a homebrewer came to a meeting carrying his own refrigerator.

She-Pat reported that the treasury stands at $529.64, with one Big Brew expense check still outstanding.  Currently, there are 47 paid members.  We hope Alec and Karen soon will make that 49.

A discussion of future meeting dates and locations yielded these results:

July at Doug & Kelleigh’s in Botetourt County (with pool & castle) on Saturday, July 7th, gathering at 1:00 pm.

August at Ed & Carol’s in Blacksburg, Saturday, August 11th, gathering at 2:00 pm.

September (IPA competition) at John & Kathy’s in Roanoke City, Saturday, September 22nd, gathering at 3:00 pm.

Bryan S. volunteered his and Jen’s home for the October meeting and I, your President, forgot that Jeff & Cindy had already offered to host October.  So, Jeff & Cindy graciously offered to host the November meeting instead.

Paul M. then presented a detailed description of the “Second Wind” event being sponsored by Roanoke County and shared with the group his vision of our contribution to that event.  Summarizing, the Guild will brew up to three extract batches of homebrew so that the brewing demonstration will cover the day-long event.  Star City Brewers will also provide attendees with samples of homebrew and information on the homebrewing hobby, with the help of Chris & Fran and Blue Ridge Hydroponics & Homebrew Supply.  Brewers are asked to brew for this event beers that would be suitable “introductory” beers so as not to “scare away” those whose tastes were formed on the likes of Bud Light, Miller Lite, etc.  The “Second Wind” event is scheduled for September 15th at Woodmen of the World on Peters Creek Road.  Paul M.  wil coordinate SCBG participation, primarily through club email.

Following a short break (to partake of some wonderful edibles), the second quarterly club competition got underway, with good and faithful Chief Steward, Judie M. at the helm.  Two tables judged a total of 9 American Pale Ales submitted by members.  A second-round table selected the trophy winners: 3rd Place went to Doug; 2nd Place went to your President; and 1st Place went to Bryan S.  That makes two 1st Place finishes for Bryan S. so far this year; three in a row, counting the December 2006 Scottish 80 competition.  Scores from all entries will be posted on the club website.  Congratulations to the winners AND thank you to all who brewed an APA for the competition.

A huge “Thank You!” to Judie M. and her very capable crew of stewards!

Your President would also like to thank everyone who brought such a wonderful and varied assortment of foods and homebrew to the June meeting.  This group really knows how to score a culinary victory.

Another special thanks to Doug for bringing his “Randalizer” with its two ounces of Cascades and Amarillo whole hops through which were served several of the beers brought to the meeting in kegs.  Nice work, Mr. M!

Until time to splish and splash at Kelleigh & Doug’s in July, keep a lookout for club emails!

Patrick Kennerly
President
Star City Brewers Guild
June 10, 2007

 

July 2007 Meeting President’s Notes
Written by Patrick & Pat Kennerly
Sunday, 08 July 2007

A brief narrative summary of the SCBG meeting held Saturday, 07-07-07.I don’t have a clue as to the whereabouts of most of the rest of the members, but a lively group of 14 gathered at Doug and Kelleigh’s Botetourt farm for a summer afternoon of food, fellowship, and fine brew.

Kelleigh and Doug always provide a warm and gracious welcome to the club and 07-07-07 was no exception. She-Pat reported a current treasury balance of $500.45. Reimbursements to club members who purchased IPAs for the day’s commercial tasting still need to come out of that figure.

Your President reviewed meeting locations for August through November. The next meeting is scheduled for August 11 at Carol & Ed W’s. in Blacksburg, beginning at 2:00 PM. Check the club’s website calendar for other meeting dates and locations.

An announcement of the 2008 American Homebrewers’ National Conference was up next; that will be June 19-21, 2008 in Cincinnati, Ohio. This is about an 8-hour drive from Roanoke, so it is feasible to have an SCBG presence at that AHA 30th Anniversary gathering.

No “Second Wind” update was presented due to Paul’s absence.

Your President then gave a brief presentation on the American IPA style and we proceeded to taste a wide variety of commercial examples. Red Hook’s Longhammer IPA fared surprisingly well.

Moylan’s IPA from Marin County, CA was the hands down favorite, with its distinct spicy hop notes and full malty backbone. Doug provided that 22 oz. bomber and those present were grateful for his offering.

Once again, many thanks to Doug and Kelleigh for hosting and to all who provided the delicious food and brought the wonderful array of malt beverages. Those of you who could not make this one, missed a treat. Hopefully, we’ll see you next month in Blacksburg.

 

Patrick Kennerly

President

Sunday, July 8, 2007

 

August 2007 Meeting President’s Notes
Written by Patrick & Pat Kennerly
Sunday, 12 August 2007

Narrative summary of SCBG monthly meeting held Saturday, Aug. 11, 2007 in Blacksburg.The lazy, hazy days of summer netted a small representation for the August monthly meeting of the Star City Brewers Guild.  Small in numbers  —  not small in spirit or enthusiasm.

A total of 18 members gathered at the lovely home of Ed and Carol W., high on a hill overlooking the Montgomery County country side.  Two of those present represent some of our “distance members.”  Kelly and Esther, who now live in coastal North Carolina, stopped in on their way to the 20th anniversary Mashout event.  Kelly shared with us a corney keg full of his famous “Beachin’ IPA;” the one that was brewed by the brewpub near their home and will be entered in the Pro/Am competition at the Great American Beer Festival this Fall.  It was delicious!

The treasurer’s report noted a club checking account balance of $500.45.  Their are 48 paid members to date, with two other members stating their intention to join.

Upcoming Meetings were discussed:

September 22nd at John & Kathy M’s. (American IPA Competition) 4:00 PM.  V.P. Bryan S. will chair this meeting as Patrick will be otherwise engaged (see below).

October 13th at Bryan & Jen S’s. 3:00 PM (Tasting & Style Presentation Sweet Stout).

November 17th at Jeff & Cindy’s 4:00 PM.

Paul M. updated us on plans for our participation in Roanoke County’s “Second Wind” event.  The event will run from 10 to 6 at the Woodmen of the World site on Peters Creek Road on Saturday, September 15th.  To date, three club members have agreed to brew an extract batch at the event: Jeff, John M. and Will.  Paul is on standby as a backup in case one of the three can’t brew.  Those who have stated their intentions to bring homebrew for tasting: Will, Bryan S., Paul, Jeff and possibly Doug.

Paul informed us that there are a couple of issues that have not been resolved:  the extent to which Fran & Chris will be allowed to represent their shop; and, the matter of an appropriate ABC license to allow for the beer tasting.  The latter is the responsibility of the organizers of the event.

Next, we discussed upcoming events.  Mashout is sold out and has been for a couple of weeks.  Bramwell, West Virginia Oktoberfest and the Durham, N.C. World Beer Festival both occur the same Saturday:  October 6th.  Durham will be huge, like the one in Raleigh.  Bramwell is small and laid back and includes a homebrew competition.  The Pats have reservations for Bramwell and will be glad to tote club members’ competition entries.  Just email to alert.  Bryan S. has reservations in both places.  Either he chooses one or he is a Belgian Dubbel and never told us.

The Pats displayed a poster of the musical they are involved in this September.  It is a fund-raiser for Interfaith Hospitality Network (sheltering homeless families), RAM House (Roanoke Area Ministries providing food, clothing and medicine to the poor) and ACTS II Ministries (helping inner-city youth).  The musical, CHILDREN OF EDEN, by Stephen Schwartz (PIPPIN, GODSPELL, WICKED) will be performed at William Fleming High School’s Dickinson Auditorium, Sept. 21-23 and 28-30.  Email the Pats for ticket info.  Club member Ron C’s. daughter, Emily, is the show’s stage manager.

Very special thanks to our wonderful hosts for this meeting, Carol and Ed W.  Ed & Carol brewed before the meeting got started, so folks got to see Ed’s impressive B-3 brewing sculpture in operation as well as his twin, temperature controlled, stainless conicals.  Ever the competition organizer/MC, Ed posed some challenging beer/brewing questions to the group, offering doorprizes to the first to voice the correct answers.  The prizes were significant and included a March magnetic pump and a draught tower assembly.  Many thanks again to Ed & Carol for hosting and for sharing with all of us some excellent beer and mead.  Thanks, also, to Isaac (their oldest son) for sharing his enormously entertaining collection of mice and classic cars!
Patrick Kennerly
SCBG President
Sunday, Aug. 12, 2007

 

SEPTEMBER 2007 MEETING & COMPETITION
Written by Patrick & Pat Kennerly
Monday, 24 September 2007

VICE PRESIDENT, BRYAN S., PRESENTS A NARRATIVE SUMMARY OF THE SEPTEMBER MEETING AND 3RD QUARTERLY STYLE COMPETITION.

Special thanks to John & Kathy who hosted the September club competition/meeting at their beautiful home.  Approximately 25 members were present, along with two visitors, Ginger and Carl, who brought along Carl’s Red Ale which was quite tasty.  Welcome!
We discussed the treasury, which I believed to be around $500 +/- .  After which, future club meeting places/times were talked about, with the October meeting being held at the home of Bryan & Jen S. on October 13th, at or before 4:00.  The November meeting will be held at the Cindy & Jeff’s residence in Crystal Spring on Nov. 17th beginning at 4:00.  Also, Will volunteered their home for the December meeting again this year.  The date and time TBA.  We will also have babysitting service again this year for that meeting!
Yours truly, the V.P., reminded the brewers that November is the month when we nominate new officers for the new year and vote on new styles for our club competitions for 2008.  It was suggested that we start emailing our preferences for styles for next year so that we may tally the ones with the most votes and then bring those styles to the club for voting.  Also, Will suggested that we email out the styles that have been brewed in the last several years so that folks may know what has recently been brewed.  I am not sure, but I believe the Pat’s have been keeping tabs on this for the last couple of years?  Emails should follow.
Next on the agenda, we discussed last weekend’s SCBG presence at Second Wind.  In Paul Mahoney’s absence, Stuart filled us in on most of the particulars.  3 batches of extract beer were brewed and we had a steady flow of folks in the tent tasting beers and being educated on homebrewing.  All in all, it was felt that this was a most positive experience.  Paul M. may fill us in on how the organizers felt about it, upon his return from the Nation’s capitol.
Upcoming events were discussed next.  Bramwell is on October 6th and several club members will be in attendance.  Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day is coming up on November 3rd and Chris/Fran have volunteered BRHP&HB again this year as our site.  Jeff F. queried as to whether we can serve samples of our beer at this event.  Typical ABC rules/regulations would apply.  Jeff said he would be willing to check up on that matter.  More to come on that…  Also, on Oct. 5th, Wine Gourmet will be hosting an Octoberfest celebration, so go on out and show your support(and drink free beer!).
Patrick made a motion via email that the club purchase a new regulator for Big Willee.  It was unanamously approved and either Patrick or I will check into purchasing for the club with club funds.  Also, Patrick motioned that the club purchase a 20# CO2 tank for Big Willee.  I said that I would check my cellar, as I believe I have one available for free.
Other news– The Merkwan’s reported on “Children of Eden”, a muscial that our beloved Pat’s are involved in.  They went opening night and said that it was absolutely fabulous!!  Good for the entire family!  So, go on out and show your support for our Prez and his lovely wife, and be highly entertained at the same time.
We then took a break while Marsha and Kathy set up for our American IPA club contest.  We had, I believe, 10 beers to judge at two tables.  After much contemplation, 3rd place went to Martin, 2nd place to yours truly, the V.P., and 1st place to our Prez, Patrick.  All in all, I must personally say that this entire group of beers was of the highest quality!  Keep up the good work Brewers!  We then finished off the evening sampling numerous commercial and homebrewed beers and eating all of the scrumptuous food provided.  A good time was had by all!
Respectfully submitted,
Bryan Summerson
Vice President
Star City Brewers Guild

 

OCTOBER 2007 President’s Notes
Written by Patrick & Pat Kennerly
Saturday, 13 October 2007

Narrative summary of the SCBG meeting held Saturday, October 13, 2007.A gorgeous Fall afternoon on the recently completed, spacious back deck of the Vice President’s and Mrs. VP’s home was the setting for the October meeting of the Star City Brewers Guild.  15 members gathered for the occasion which was complemented by some excellent food offerings and a wide variety of homebrew.  Many thanks to Jen and Bryan for hosting and allowing us to “play” on their home renovations.
Our lovely Treasurer reported that the club checking account contained $445.45, after a $55.00 reimbursement was made to your President for the application fee he paid to the Virginia ABC Board to obtain a Special Events License for the November 3rd, “Teach a Friend to Homebrew” day.
Our next meeting will be at the South Roanoke home of Jeff and Cindy F. on November 17th starting at 4:00 PM.  Directions will be forthcoming.  Will and Jen L. could not be present for the October meeting, but will still host the big December meeting;  they are still deciding upon a date.
A lively conversation followed regarding the club competition styles to be selected in November for the 2008 brewing year.  VP Bryan S. provided a tally sheet of the styles offered thus far by email.  We should have no trouble providing the membership with a ballot of 6 or 8 styles at the November meeting.  Your President also reminded the group that November is the month we need to make nominations for 2008 club officers.
After a good discussion surrounding the purchase of a regulator and CO2 tank exclusively for Big Willee, it was decided the we should try to purchase a multi-gauge regulator so that the CO2 on each of BW’s six taps may be controlled independently.  Chuck G. volunteered to search for that item as well as a good price on a 20 lb. CO2 tank for BW.
“Teach a Friend to Homebrew” day was then discussed in considerable detail.  Fran & Chris will, once again, host the event in the parking lot of their shop, Blue Ridge Hydroponics and Home Brew Company, which is in Lamplighter Mall at the north end of Williamson Road near Happy’s Flea Market.  The event will be from 11 AM to 4 PM on Saturday, November 3rd.  Fran & Chris will supply any brewing ingredients necessary for the brewing of two batches of homebrew:  one all-grain and one extract.  Bryan S. will be the all-grain brewer and is planning to transport his B-3 system to the site to brew a dark beer–possibly a sweet stout.  Jeff F. will be the extract brewer and will brew an ale of lighter color.  Fran & Chris will work with the sub shop located in Lamplighter Mall to provide the primary food contribution.  Members will sign up to bring accompanying dishes and some non-alcoholic beverages.  Your President has already applied for an ABC license for the day so that we may offer samples of our homebrew to adult attendees.  Several conversations with a Special Agent from the ABC Board have occurred and everything looks positive.  Of course, we will need members to bring homebrew to the event to share with our guests if the ABC license application is approved.  Watch your email for details in the coming weeks.
Following a short break, John M. gave us a very well-prepared and enlightening presentation on the history and characteristics of the Sweet Stout (aka Milk Stout or Cream Stout) style–BJCP #13B.  As John informed us, this style is not terribly popular, at least around Roanoke, so commercial examples were not easily obtained.  Two of the commercial examples listed in the BJCP style guide were available (Mackeson’s XXX Stout and Left Hand Milk Stout) and we sampled them.  I believe most agreed that Mackeson’s XXX was the best example of the style that we tasted.  John also provided us with some examples of the American Stout style to compare and contrast with the two sweet stouts.  An Imperial Stout also made it to the tasting before the day was done.  Thank you, John, for a job well done.
The next two months will be among the most active of the year for the Guild, not to mention the added madness of the Thanksgiving & Christmas holiday seasons, so I ask all members to look out for Guild mass emails, respond as quickly as possible and provide your brewing expertise, physical presence and assistance wherever and whenever possible.  Brew on!
Patrick Kennerly
President
Star City Brewers Guild
Sat. Oct. 13, 2007 10:00 PM

 

NOVEMBER 2007 MEETING PRESIDENT’S NOTES
Written by Patrick & Pat Kennerly
Saturday, 17 November 2007

Narrative summary of SCBG meeting held Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007.

 

Jeff and Cindy F. opened their comfortable and cozy home Saturday,
November 17th to a lively group of homebrewers and their guests.
Thank you Jeff and Cindy for providing us with such a hospitable
environment and for being a great host couple!
This pre-holiday weekend saw a good number of members in attendance
and a wonderful collection of guests who brought a wide variety of
scrumptious foods and a generous sampling of craft and home-brewed
beer.  16 members attended the meeting along with 6 guests, two of
which became members during the course of the meeting.She-Pat reported that there was $393.80 in the club treasury, after
reimbursing Chuck G. for improvements to Big Willee and expenses for
Teach a Friend to Homebrew.  That figure was recorded before our two
newest members paid their dues for 2008; we give a big welcome to
Kathy and Jeff L., our newest members, who came to us via Teach a
Friend to Homebrew day.The December meeting, our last meeting for 2007, will be held at the
home of Will and Jen L., the same place as last December’s meeting.
Childcare will be avaialble at Will and Jen’s; details on that will be
forthcoming in emails.  The meeting is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM
on Saturday, December 15th.  Directions to the meeting will be
forthcoming from Will.  The December meeting will include the final
competition of the year; Sweet Stout is the style.  We will also see
the 2007 Brewer of the Year (BOTY) announced and elect a new President
for the 2008 brewing year.

We did not get a volunteer for the January, 2008, meeting.  If you are
inclined to host this meeting, please write to Patrick at your
earliest convenience.

Next, John M. presented a plan for a club road trip in early December
(Saturday, December 1st to be exact).  John has been in contact with
Mark Thompson at Starr Hill Brewery in Crozet, Va. (near
Charlottesville) and with Taylor Smack, master brewer and co-owner of
Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, Va.  Both brewers will make themselves
available to the club for tours and tastings.  The plan is to start at
Starr Hill Brewery in Crozet at Noon and head to Blue Mountain Brewery
after.  We should be home in Roanoke by 6 or 7 PM.  Watch your email
for more information on the details of this trip, including ride
sharing and gathering points.  While John gave his presentation, the
club enjoyed tasting Blue Mountain Classic Lager, one of Taylor
Smack’s flagship beers.

There followed a brief discussion on the styles that had been
nominated for 2008 competition beers.  After the discussion, paper
ballots were distributed and members voted for 4 out of 9 possible
styles.  The winners and the quarters to which they were matched are
as follows: Dunkelweisen in March, ESB (Extra Special Bitter) in June,
Specialty Beer in September and Robust Porter in December.

She-Pat motioned that a small committee be named to establish the
parameters for the Specialty Beer.  The motion was seconded and, after
discussion, it was decided that Doug, Jeff F. and Bryan P. would serve
as that committee.  They are charged with the task of establishing the
ingredients and parameters (both all-grain and extract) with which
each participating brewer will create his or her specialty beer.  They
have until March to present the club with their results.  The
Specialty Beers will be judged in September.

Next, the floor was opened to nominations for SCBG President for the
year 2008.  Two members were nominated, Bryan S. and John M.  Provided
no one else is nominated by group email between now and December 15th,
we will choose that day between Bryan S. and John M.  The one with the
majority of votes will be our new President while the other will be
the Vice President.

That concluded the business for this meeting.  Jeff and Cindy’s place
continued to buzz with brewing conversation and beer banter as all
present sampled Doug’s selection of beers from his world-wide travels
as well as a generous supply of other brews, watched the Hokies
clobber Miami and feasted on a Cornucopia of edibles.

The next two weeks should be busy with email activity, so check your
mail daily!  Meanwhile,

Brew on!

Patrick Kennerly
President
Star City Brewers Guild
Nov. 17, 2007

 

DECEMBER 2007 MEETING President’s Notes
Written by Patrick & Pat Kennerly
Saturday, 22 December 2007

Retiring President, Patrick Kennerly’s, narrative summary of the final SCBG meeting and quarterly competition for the 2007 brewing year.Although the official start of winter is still a few days away, Mother Nature and the weather service conspired to present such an ominous winter storm outlook for the day that many SCBG members who had planned to attend the year’s final club gathering opted out.

Nevertheless, a sizeable crowd of nearly 30 hardy souls made their way to Will and Jen L’s beautiful and spacious home for a terrific meeting and competition. A huge debt of gratitude is owed to Will and Jen who hosted this large and busy gathering for the second December in a row. You two are true troopers!

Quite a few newcomers joined us for this meeting and, by the evening’s end, had become members. Welcome aboard Jim and Joan B., Brian M. (Brian with an “i”), and Ginger and Pat who have joined us for several previous meetings. Brian and Ginger both brought some of their homebrew to share and their produce was quite good. It was good to have some members back who we haven’t seen in awhile: Lawrence, Matt and Martin–we will miss Martin, he has taken a job in Greensboro.  Guess we’ll have to get John M. to organize a trip to Natty Greene’s and Foothills so we can toss back a few with Martin next year.

She-Pat, retiring treasurer, gave us a financial report: the club checking account stood at $413.83 before 2008 dues were collected at this meeting.

January’s meeting will be at the home of Paul and Judie M. Date and time will be announced by email. Chris and Pam M. will host the Febrewary meeting, time and date also to be announced.

John M. then shared with the group an interesting re-cap of the club road trip to Starr Hill brewery in Crozet and Blue Mountain brewery in Afton. As one who had planned to go and then couldn’t, I was hop- green with envy listening to John’s travelogue. I hope he’ll plan other Guild road trips for us in the future.

During the “from the floor” segment, John M. presented your retiring President & first beer wench with a retirement gift: a charmingly cute little wooden biermeister–handcrafted by Kathe Wohlfahrt in Germany.  It now occupies a prominent place on our Christmas tree.  She-Pat and I express much gratitude!

Following a short break to organize, seven “sweet stouts” were evaluated by two tables of judges who then passed along several entries to the second-round judges. Third place trophy went to our two brother brewers, Eric P. and Chris M.; second place went to Bryan S. and first place to your retiring President.

Tallying up the year’s BOTY scores proved more than a little challenging as the company that provides the platform for our club’s web-site server had been making changes during the day and no one was able to access the BOTY page on the web site. Fortunately, our very own web meister, Chuck G., was on hand for the meeting (as were his lovely wife and precious daughter). Chuck worked through computer and telephone and was able to complete the compilation shortly after the meeting ended–all should have received an email telling you that Bryan S. is the 2007 Brewer of the Year. Bryan S. was also BOTY last year AND is our newly elected President. John M. is our new VeePee and Bryan has asked Will L. to serve as club Treasurer, which position Will has accepted.

Once again, Judie M. did an outstanding job as Chief Steward for the competition; many thanks to Judie and her crew of excellent stewards.

As always, Guild members rounded out the meeting with a sumptuous and varied array of incredible edibles. Thanks to everyone who brought food and who shared the fruits of their brewing labors.

Under my presidency during the past three years, the Guild has seen lots of ups and downs. In 2005, we reached a pinnacle with our support and labor for Microfestivus; an achievement that proved to be the end of our part in that event. We embarrased our host at AmRhein’s beach bash–not intentionally, but just by being so damn good at what we do–so that chapter in our club history is now closed. Festival in the Park’s original organizers loved us; their successors didn’t know what to do with us.

Still, the membership has blazed new trails in the effort to promote quality beer and the craft of homebrewing. “Teach a Friend to Homebrew” has grown tremendously in only two years. An entirely new opportunity was opened with our participation in the County’s “Second Wind” event. Wine Gourmet’s location move from Botetourt County to Roanoke City has the potential for a number of Guild opportunties and the owners want to work with us.

Personally, I have thoroughly enjoyed my three years as your president; I wouldn’t trade them for anything. If I could leave just one lasting impression on you, the members, it would be this: that you realize, down deep, that you are an awesome, incredibly diverse and mightily talented assembly of creative characters. Your humor, your intelligence, your warm and generous spirits are what really draws people to the Guild. Your brewing and your beer are icing on the cake–the whirlpool that collects all that other stuff toward the center. Here comes 2008! Happy Brew Year!

Patrick Kennerly, President

Star City Brewers Guild

Dec. 15, 2007

ptonkinson

Home Brewer

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