In this edition:
- Blowoff from the Prez
- Secretary’s Report
- Birthdays
- 2012 Dues
- Next Meeting – February 19th
- Upcoming Competitions – SAAZ Spring Fling!
- REWARD!
- Beers Available in the Area
- Competition Winners
- SAAZ on Facebook
- Raffle
- Feedback
SAAZ Platinum Sponsor
Blow off from the Prez
Welcome to the February edition of the “Blow off from the Prez”.
The next few weeks are shaping up to be a busy time for home brewers. The SAAZ “Spring Fling with Smoked Wings” entry window opens Friday, Feb 17th. The Space Coast Craft Beer Festival and the BFBC are both on the 25th. Florida’s Brewers Guild “Beerfest 2012” is on March 3rd. Don’t forget the Spring Party March 10th (or should I say Birthday Party?). And that is just scratching the surface.
We will go over all of these at our February meeting (Feb 19th on the patio at World of Beer Viera – you didn’t forget, did you?) while we make cider. Until then, get your entries ready and your carpools laid out. This is going to be a wild time in the home brew / craft beer world and I for one don’t want to miss a thing.
Cheers,
Kip
Secretary’s Report
In case you have not heard, Alex Hansen has left the great state of Florida to return to the frigid north! Shelley Hudson has graciously volunteered to take over the Secretary position.
February Birthdays – Happy Birthday!
Paul Bessler
Eric Hatton
Kyle Scully
Jay McNeely
Jennifer Folsom
Matthew Backus
Sabrina Stroble
Kaitlynn Gokey
Greg Wiggins
Shelley Hudson
Don’t see your name (and your birthday is in February)? It could be that Shelley doesn’t have a completed membership form from you. Ask her for one at the next meeting so we can include you!
2012 Dues
It’s officially 2012 and all current members have surely paid their dues already! But on the off chance you haven’t been able to or have friends interested in joining you can do so for the low, low prices listed below!
Individual Membership = $15
Couple’s Membership = $25
Lifetime Membership = $150
Dues can be paid to the Treasurer (Anne Gregg) at any club meeting or online at our website via PayPal Click here to pay.
You don’t want to miss out on the benefits of membership!
Next Meeting – February 19th (Sunday)
This month’s meeting will be at World of Beer in Viera.
Suite 119 2290 Town Center Avenue
Melbourne, FL 32940
The meeting will be Sunday February 19th at 2:00pm! As always, bringing homebrew to share is strongly encouraged, but please respect our gracious host and leave commercial beers at home.
Upcoming Competitions
1st Annual SAAZ Spring Fling with Smoked Wings – April 1st 2012
This is an all new SAAZ club only competition! Bring your entries to the Spring Party on March 10th. Entries are $3, with a three bottle submission. There is a 4 entry max per brewer and the categories are limited to the following:
- 10 – American Ale
- 12 – Porter
- 13 – Stout
- 14 – India Pale Ale
- 64 = (20+21+23) Fruit/Spice/Herb/Vegetable/Specialty
Judging and awards will take place at Broken Barrel on April 1st 2012 in conjunction with our monthly meeting. Better get brewing!!
Urban Knaves of Grain, Dark Lager Competition – Feb 18th
Entries are due February 10, 2012 and judging will be held February 18, 2012. Entry fee is $7. Make checks payable to American Homebrewers Association.
Hosted by the Urban Knaves of Grain (UKG) club of Batavia, IL, this competition covers BJCP category 4. Dark Lager subcategories are:
- 4a Dark American Lager
- 4b Munich Dunkel
- 4c Schwartzbier
Entry Shipping:
AHA COC
c/o Doug Newberry
1215 Burnham Ln.
Batavia, IL 60510
For more information, contact Doug Newberry at doug.newberry@att.net.
Best Florida Beer Championships – 2012Competition Dates
Entry Period: January 15, 2012 to February 08, 2012
Early Judging:
February 11-12, 2012 – Location Coming Soon
February 18-19, 2012 – Location Coming Soon
Competition: February 25, 2012 – Yuengling Beer Garden
Awards Banquet: February 25, 2012 – Yuengling Beer Garden
Best of Show Presentation: March 4, 2012 at the Brewer’s Ball
Entry Rules
Open to all Florida residents and members of Florida homebrew clubs
3 bottles per entry
Entry fee – $6
2 entries per sub-category limit
Beer entries m ust be in 10-16oz brown or green bottles. Swing top bottles are acceptable for meads and ciders only.
Entry form on the BFBC website: www.bestfloridabeer.org/home
Visit the BFBC website for detailed entry rules
Drop-off/Shipping Locations
Beer and Winemaker’s Pantry
9200 66th Street
Pinellas Park, FL 33782-4409
Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5:30pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm
Mr. Dunderbaks
14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd
Tampa, FL 33613
Open Mon 4pm-11pm, Tues-Thurs 11:30am-12am, Fri-Sat 11:30am-1am, Sun Noon-7pm
(813)977-4104
MASH Coconut Cup – March 2-3 2012
The Coconut Cup homebrew competition began thirteen years ago as a challenge between the Miami Area Society of Homebrewers (MASH) and the Ft. Lauderdale Area Brewers (FLAB) homebrewing clubs. Participation has grown to include other Florida homebrewing clubs and we have invited homebrewers from all over to participate in our competition. 2012’s Coconut Cup will be the eleventh Coconut Cup sanctioned by the Beer Judge Competition Program / American Homebrewers Association.
Mac Monroe will be collecting entries at our February meeting.
For more information visit the following link: http://www.miami-homebrew.org/coconut.html
NASA ICC-6 (Inter Center Competition) – April (Specific date TBD)
Categories: Dark Lager (4) & American Ale (10)
This April will be the NASA ICC-6 competition. It is a small event hosted by an inter-NASA circle but anyone from SAAZ can submit an entry.
Our very own Dave Webb won (tied) for Best of Show last year with his Chocolate LPR mead.
More details will be made available as they are received.
Check out the homebrewers association website for a list of the 2012 club-only competitions on the schedule.
REWARD!
Attention all SAAZ members!
Our friends over at Sunseed Food Coop are looking to reward the SAAZ brewer of the year, (highest point total in the Florida circuit).
The member with the highest point total will win a $100 gift card to Sunseed Food Co-op at the end of the year. So start brewing and remember to submit your creations!
Beers Available in the Area
Coasters Pub (Indian Harbor Beach) – facebook
New on Tap:
- Brooklyn Monster Ale
- Czechvar Pils
- Weihenstephaner Vitus
- Koenig Ludwig Hefeweiss
- St. Bernardus Christmas Ale
Sunseed Food Co-op
- Cain’s from Liverpool
– Bitter
– Dark Mild
– Export lager
— all in 14.9 cans - MOA from New Zealand
– Breakfast; belgian with cherries and Nelson Sauvin hops
– Pale Ale - The Bruery
– Four Calling Birds - Collaboration with Dog Fish Head
—– Faster, Bigger, Better, Boulder - Lakefront Brewery
– Bridge burner - Rukus brewing
– Hoptimus Prime - Breckenridge Brewing
– Oatmeal Stout
– Regal Pils - Hitachino 3 day ale
- Cigar City/Bruery collaboration
Dos Costas Oeste graperuit wood, lemon wood, and cedar wood version - Anderson Valley
Oatmeal stout cans - Bells Hopslam
World of Beer (Viera) website
New Bottles This Week!
- Birrificio Burton Bianca, 5% (Italy)
- Hitachino Nest 3 days, 8% (Japan)
- Weyerbacher Tiny, 11.8% (Pennsylvania)
- Woodchuck Spring, 5% (Vermont)
SAAZ Platinum Sponsor
Competition Winners
Congratulations to our members that have recently received awards or recognition!
-
Dave Webb – Silver Medal
-
Sean Gregg – Honorable Mention
SAAZ on Facebook
Check us out on Facebook! We’re just getting things rolling there but Like our page and stay tuned for exciting things to come. Check it out here.
Raffle
Do you have some homebrew supplies that you don’t use anymore? Maybe you upgraded or maybe you prefer another product? Consider bringing your dusty supplies to the next meeting for the raffle. We have brewers of all experience levels, so I am sure we can put any brewing supplies to use!
Feedback
We need your help! We are very interesting in improving the club and we’d like to hear what you think. If you have comments or suggestions about the Newsletter, Website, Activities, or the Club in general, please send an email to editor@saaz.org.
All feedback is welcomed! For example you can:
- Share a topic for Beer Education
- Share your Review of a Beer
- Correct something in the newsletter or website
- Express a criticism about anything related to the club
- Offer a suggestion to improve the club
We want to hear from you! Email editor@saaz.org.