Cedar Rapids Brewing Society

Why don’t we just post one poll at a time, and do it one week at a time. This way we have an easy online tool to track, no one has an excuse they didn’t vote if they didn’t show up, and if you don’t have internet….well then you have problems far beyond … well you know.

mrT


From: brownbeard [mailto:brew-meetings@crbeernuts.org]
Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 8:29 PM
To: brew-meetings@crbeernuts.org
Subject: Re: Competition styles for the rest of the year


If you can post that twice, back to back, I'm sure we can have four consecutive polls.



Post generated using Mail2Forum (http://www.mail2forum.com)

My vote is not to vote at all but to draw a style out of a hat. Then pull a sub category from the style out of a hat. Once we have the styles for the year, decide what month to have that contest in. Example. Put the numbers 1-23 in a hat, pull out a number say 17. Cat 17 has A-F as sub categories, put those sub categories into a hat and draw. Say it is B. so one contest will be a Sour Flanders Red Ale. Since it take a while to brew this style. Best after about 6 monts or a year. I could vote to have that style next March.

This is just an example of what we could do. That way it would really force us to brew a specific style and not just a style we are comfortable with.

At the March meeting, we voted on the topic and had agreed to do as Brian mentions and draw from a hat. We had said to stick with just the category though. So put all the numbers in a hat and draw out four. We could place them over the year according to necessary aging. Most contests I have entered, including regional, only judge by the main category. It takes a lot of entries to be able to go subcategory, but I am open to it if we get enough people to enter. I think we can run with it as long as we have at least four entries. I like the idea of being pushed to brew a style I normally would not.

BTW, the upcoming newsletter will post the winners from the March contest and show the standings for our club Homebrewer of the Year.

I hate to admit that I'm agreeing with Brian But, instead of a hat, I'd rather see the Wheel of Beer. Spin it and see what comes up.

Seriously, I thought we agreed that this was a way for us to stretch and not keep brewing the same beers over and over. Once a beer has been picked for a competition, it's not available again until we're done going through at least the major styles.

So, if we really want to do a wheat style for June, let's pick a subcategory that's not very common and go with it. I, for one, am planning to brew a red wheat beer for my early summer quaffing, just to make something different.

I am planning a Wit, or something along those lines for summer drinking. I could be persuaded to do a Hefe.

Well, I'm glad somebody was taking notes at the last meeting. Sounds like everyone is in agreement on drawing categories from a hat. We can figure out the rest at the next meeting. I, too, like the idea of brewing a style selected at random to force me to brew something different, even if I'm not crazy about that style. I think it makes you a better brewer. Another idea: if some people don't have the capability of brewing a certain style (no fridge to ferment a lager, for example), they might be able to pair up with another club member and split a batch. They learn how to brew a new style and also get to see how someone else brews. Just a thought.