Ann Arbor Brewers Guild » meetings

May, 2012 meeting

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:38:02 +0000

Please note: you must be at least 21 years old to attend AABG meetings.

The May meeting will be hosted by Steve Krebs, starting at 7:30PM on Friday, May 11.

Read more about the meeting online, including an interactive map to the location, or download the newsletter, which contains information about the meeting and features the style of the month, Scottish/Irish ales.

April, 2012 meeting

admin — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:24:03 +0000

Please note: you must be at least 21 years old to attend AABG meetings.

The April meeting will be hosted by Geoff Billiu and Annie Zipser, starting at 7:30PM on Friday, April 13.

Read more about the meeting online, including an interactive map to the location, or download the newsletter, which contains information about the meeting and features Stout, the style of the month.

This month’s technical discussion, which will start at 7, is being directed towards brewers who would like an introduction to all grain brewing. We’ll have a couple of setups including an igloo system with a gravity sparge and the club’s Pico system. We won’t have time for a demo, but will talk to the basic methods of all grain brewing.

Special parking note: We’re in the country, so parking anywhere
on the property is okay as long as there
isn’t any snow (yeah, it’s 70 outside, but
we know better!). I’d like to note that
people should park on the grass and not to
block the driveway. Lots of additional
parking is available in the backyard.
People can walk right in from the front
door or through the back doorwall on the
deck. The 7:00 technical presentation will
be set up in the basement. We’ll start the
7:30 meeting upstairs and spread out to
the basement and deck from there.

March, 2012 meeting

admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:57:34 +0000

Please note: you must be at least 21 years old to attend AABG meetings.

The March meeting will be hosted by Adventures in Homebrewing, starting at 7:30PM on Friday, March 9.

Read more about the meeting online, including an interactive map to the location, or download the newsletter, which contains information about the meeting and features Stout, the style of the month.

AiH is located on the south side of Jackson Rd, west of Zeeb. If you are coming from the east, turn at the first cross-through after you pass Lowes. Special information for this meeting:

If you want to purchase supplies, please arrive before 7PM, as the store closes at 7.
There are only about 15 or 20 parking spaces in the front of the building, so if the lot is full, you may be able to park at one of the neighboring retail establishments (if they are closed for the evening), or you can drive around back and park, or on the side of the building. For those who elect to park on the side of the building, please keep it to one row so as not to obstruct others from coming in and out.
The actual meeting will take place in the “middle” of the building. By “middle”, I mean that you will come in through the front door, walk to the back of the shop. Jason and his crew have created a separate room through those back doors. The bathroom will be available throughout the evening, which means members will have to walk through the store close to the entrance where the bathroom is. This means that everyone will have access to the retail supplies area. While I hope it goes without saying, please don’t ask to purchase anything after 7:00, and please help the club earn the trust of AinH so that they will invite us again.
While they will have tables available for food, they do not have any chairs in the back. Bring your own if you would like a seat.

February, 2012 meeting

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:59:56 +0000

Please note: you must be at least 21 years old to attend AABG meetings.

The February meeting will be hosted by Adventures in Homebrewing, starting at 7:30PM on Friday, February 10.

Read more about the meeting online, including an interactive map to the location, or download the newsletter, which contains information about the meeting and features Dark Lager, the style of the month.

AiH is located on the south side of Jackson Rd, west of Zeeb. If you are coming from the east, turn at the first cross-through after you pass Lowes. Special information for this meeting:

If you want to purchase supplies, please arrive before 7PM, as the store closes at 7.
There are only about 15 or 20 parking spaces in the front of the building, so if the lot is full, you may be able to park at one of the neighboring retail establishments (if they are closed for the evening), or you can drive around back and park, or on the side of the building. For those who elect to park on the side of the building, please keep it to one row so as not to obstruct others from coming in and out.
The actual meeting will take place in the “middle” of the building. By “middle”, I mean that you will come in through the front door, walk to the back of the shop. Jason and his crew have created a separate room through those back doors. The bathroom will be available throughout the evening, which means members will have to walk through the store close to the entrance where the bathroom is. This means that everyone will have access to the retail supplies area. While I hope it goes without saying, please don’t ask to purchase anything after 7:00, and please help the club earn the trust of AinH so that they will invite us again.
While they will have tables available for food, they do not have any chairs in the back. Bring your own if you would like a seat.

January, 2012 meeting

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:28:38 +0000

Please note: you must be at least 21 years old to attend AABG meetings.

The January meeting will be hosted by Adventures in Homebrewing, starting at 7:30PM on Friday, January 13

Read more about the meeting online, including an interactive map to the location, or download the newsletter, which contains information about the meeting and features American Dark Lager, the style of the month.

News flash! Roger Burns will be doing a presentation from 7-7:30, before the main meeting, about the “Brew in a Bag” system that he uses for all-grain brewing on limited equipment.

AiH is located on the south side of Jackson Rd, west of Zeeb. If you are coming from the east, turn at the first cross-through after you pass Lowes. Special information for this meeting:

If you want to purchase supplies, please arrive before 7PM, as the store closes at 7.
There are only about 15 or 20 parking spaces in the front of the building, so if the lot is full, you may be able to park at one of the neighboring retail establishments (if they are closed for the evening), or you can drive around back and park, or on the side of the building. For those who elect to park on the side of the building, please keep it to one row so as not to obstruct others from coming in and out.
The actual meeting will take place in the “middle” of the building. By “middle”, I mean that you will come in through the front door, walk to the back of the shop. Jason and his crew have created a seperate room through those back doors. The bathroom will be available throughout the evening, which means members will have to walk through the store close to the entrance where the bathroom is. This means that everyone will have access to the retail supplies area. While I hope it goes without saying, please don’t ask to purchase anything after 7:00, and please help the club earn the trust of AinH so that they will invite us again.
While they will have tables available for food, they do not have any chairs in the back. Bring your own if you would like a seat.

December, 2011 meeting

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:35:43 +0000

Please note: you must be at least 21 years old to attend AABG meetings.

The December meeting will be hosted by Rolf Wucherer, starting at 7:30PM on Friday, December 9.

The December meeting traditionally features “holiday” beers, whether spiced or strong or both, along with holiday-themed refreshments. Please enjoy the company, food, and libations responsibly.

November, 2011 meeting

admin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 02:11:15 +0000

Please note: you must be at least 21 years old to attend AABG meetings.

The November meeting will be hosted by Chris Frey, starting at 7:30PM on Friday, November 11.

Read more about the meeting online, including an interactive map to the location, or download the newsletter, which contains information about the meeting and features Porter and Stout, the styles of the month.

Crispy sends:
For the benefit of the numerous newer members to the Ann Arbor Brewers Guild, I wanted to share some details about the November meeting.

Over the years I have attempted to make this meeting sort of an unofficial “launch” of the holiday season. Members are encouraged to share a side dish that is kicked up a notch. While chips and salsa, hummus and pita, pretzels and mustard, etc. are all fine, I suggest that this is a meeting for members to bring that killer appetizer, the one that everyone asks for your recipe afterwards. Or that holiday side dish that you bring to the family. Perhaps an intense cheese with artisan bread. You get the picture. The net result is that if everyone brings something special, you can probably skip or scrimp on dinner beforehand.

Following tradition, both Brian Petrovich and I will each cook a turkey to be served as appetizers during the meeting. I will inject mine with Belhaven Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, and cook with lots of leeks from the garden. Haven’t decided if I am going to stuff the turkey with them, or roast them separately in some Belgian Triple. I encourage members to think “early holiday” and hope to see some creative side dishes or appetizers for everyone to share.

Because we share a driveway with our neighbors, parking is on either South Ann Arbor Street, or Crestwood, which is the side street at the light right in front of our house. To keep the local constables happy, please park on our side of South Ann Arbor facing north.

In an attempt to try to not have a repeat from last year’s police escorts after the meeting to the town line that many people enjoyed, I will not have the banner out. Instead, I will ensure that the cupola light is on – it is the only one on South Ann Arbor Street J. If you haven’t been to the house, a cupola is a small tower above the second floor. Because the house was built before electricity, these were originally added to homes as a way to vent hot air out in the summer. I will also likely have a red Ford Focus parked on the street at the edge of the driveway.

I just received our new, high tech fuel cell Breathalyzer, so if anyone questions their sobriety, please ask to use it. Remember, you can’t have had an alcoholic drink for at least 15 minutes prior to testing to ensure an accurate estimate of your BAC. We have extra bedrooms upstairs just in case…always drink responsibly and be safe.

Our dog Jake, while not an accomplished escape artist, needs to stay within the property. Please come in through the backyard basement door (thru the picket fence gate near the back steps), and re-latch the gate behind you. He barks like the Dickens, but will likely run away from you. Don’t bother trying to pet him, and please don’t feed him.

We try to keep the 1st floor off limits. We hold the meeting in the basement of the house, with overflow in the kitchen/dining room if necessary. Bathrooms, of course, are upstairs too. In the event we get an evening that is warm enough, we can spill out into the backyard and garage. If it is dry, I might have a late night fire in the back.

All food goes downstairs. We will have several “groaning” tables set up, and I will have an electrical strip available at one table for crook pots.

October, 2011 meeting

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:27:08 +0000

Please note: you must be at least 21 years old to attend AABG meetings.

The October meeting will be hosted by Bob Scholl, starting at 7:30PM on Friday, October 14.

Read more about the meeting online, including an interactive map to the location, or download the newsletter, which contains information about the meeting and features German Wheat and Rye beer, the style of the month.

A bit more information:

Parking:
People should park on the street.
Some people can park in the drive but people might get parked in.

It is dark..no street lights… bring flashlights.
The neighbor’s driveway has signage for an auction on Saturday (Braun Helmer).
Our driveway is right after sign. The house numbers go out of sequence.
There will be a sign: “The Party’s Here”.

Use back door please.

September, 2011 meeting

admin — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:02:10 +0000

Please note: you must be at least 21 years old to attend AABG meetings.

The September meeting will be hosted by Jeff Renner, starting at 7:30PM on Friday, September 9.

Read more about the meeting online, including an interactive map to the location, or download the newsletter, which contains information about the meeting and features specialty beers, the style of the month.

August, 2011 meeting

admin — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:01:48 +0000

Please note: you must be at least 21 years old to attend AABG meetings.

The August meeting will be hosted by Patti Smith and Jeff Bletch, starting at 7:30PM on Friday, August 12.

Read more about the meeting online, including an interactive map to the location, or download the newsletter, which contains information about the meeting and features Sour Beers, the style of the month.

Patti and Jeff live on Stone School between two Baylis streets, which is one big loop. So you pass one Baylis, but if you pass a second Baylis, you’ve gone too far. Their house has front yard garden beds and a windsock and a big driveway. Additional parking can be found on the Baylis.