Monthly Meetings
We are sheduled to meet the 3rd Wed of each month at 7 PM. The location varies each month (see the announcement page for times and locations). Sometimes, we meet at members houses and sometimes at commercial establishments ( Lake House, Kleptz, Sonkas, TGIFs). Members and potentail members are invited and are encouraged to bring some home brew to share or some commercial micro-brew to share.
Barrel Projects
Each year we try to do a group project and so far we have been experimenting with 55 gallon "once" used bourbon barrel. We have access to a distillery that provides us with a freshly used barrel. We then brew about 55 gallons of a recipe and fill the barrel. Each participant makes a 5 gallon batch, accoroding to a specified recipe. We allow the beer to age in the barrel for three to nine months and then each particiapant will receive an equal amount from the barrel (usually around 4 gallons). Very interesting to note the impact of charred oak and boubon on our beer. The barrel is usually filled in late May to early June and is emptied when the majority of the particiapnts grant the "go ahead". During the time of conditioning, we may meet several times to evaluate the progress on the barrel.
National Home Brew Day - May is National Big Brew Day - the first Saturday in May
In this event we join in with tens of thousands of home brewers across the country and even abroad. The day is noted as " BIG BREW DAY" and is monitored by the American Homebrewer's Association. Each year we send the AHA our number of participants and the volume of homebrew we produced. This, in turn, is published on the AHA web page. Last year, we used the Big Brew Day to make our beer for the barrel. Lots of fun and very educational to see how the others brew and what they use for equipment.
Pub Crawl
Each year we try to have a weekend in Feb. or another time to do an old fashion "crawl". We selecte 3-5 locations and visit them during the crawl. The first year did Bloomington and this year (2013) we are doing Terre Haute. Maybe next year, we will do Broadripple in INDY.
Club picnics - usually in June
The picnic is just a day for getting together at someone's house or a state park and enjoy the day. We try to have a location that offers boating, fishing and or swimming. Have some great beers (homemade or commercial micro-brew). Generally the club will provide the meat for the event and attendees are encouraged to bring a side dish, snack or desert in addtion to their homebrew
Club family Day - usually in July
Hopefully this will be a pool party with a meal and a wheat beer comepetition. We encourage every member, spouse and kids to attend this event
Octoberfest
This is another family event with good German foods, home brew beer. We have been meeting at a location in Brazil and enjoying the change of seasons. Little bonfire, some great beers, horseshoes, corn hole and some super foods. In the past, we have oriented this event towards a game feast as well as some German foods. A little venison, squirrels, turtles and other game including fish. A very tasty & different event in terms of food. The club will provide the German style meats. Attendees are asked to bring a side dish, snack or desert in addition to some beer to share
Club Auction
The annual club auction is a great place to buy and sell beer related equipment and supplies. For the new or beginner brewer and for those that have been brewing for a long time. Please look at the announcements on this page for items that may be lsited. At this auction you can choose to give the proceeds to the club or keep all or part of the proceeds. The purpose is to raise some monies for the club and to help our members acquire equipment at greatly reduced prices and to remove items no longer needed from their brewing arsenal. |
