Presidents report. 

Another year dawns and hopefully we can look forward to it after the COVID restricted past two years.

One of many drawbacks to isolation is not being able to readily socialise, maybe we’ve seen the back of them.

From The Melbourne Brewers perspective, we are looking to get back to normality. The start of each year is always quite busy, and the club focus is on BeerFest. As a club we are on show to the outside world, and it is important we run the competition efficiently and effectively giving exposure to our sponsors and visitors and cementing our position as the premier home brew club in Melbourne. It goes without saying that we need as many members as possible to be available on the day in the various roles so that the BeerFest runs a seamlessly as possible. Jobs like judging and stewarding can be rewarding and adds to your knowledge of homebrewing.

We are on the lookout for both judges and stewards so let Tom Cooper know that you are interested, and he will be able answer any questions you may have. Members who have never experienced BeerFest are more than welcome.

I suggest that members also brew and enter their own beers for feedback and maybe you could have brewed a winning beer. The Melbourne Brewers would again like to win best performed club, as the prize for this category is again sacks of grain which as in the past, we can all benefit from.

This years BeerFest Competition is being held at HARD ROAD BREWERS, 31 Holloway Drive Bayswater, on SUNDAY 27^th February.

March sees Steinbrew taking place at Nagambie. It is always a terrific camping weekend away, family orientated and brewing some beers with hot rocks to be tasted later in the year at the dinner. Lock it in your diary, it’s a fun weekend!

This month’s meeting this coming Wednesday is at Pete’s warehouse. Tom has brewed an experimental beer for us to mull over, so get along to the first meeting of 2022 to enjoy each other’s company, knowledge, and appreciation.

Ian Bennett

President  

The next meeting, Wednesday the 26th of January.

January's meeting will be back at Pete's warehouse with a 7:30pm start. The address is Unit 11/12 Edina Rd, Ferntree Gully VIC 3156. Tom has brewed an experimental beer to be sampled as well as a BBQ to be had and the usual amenities are on offer.  

Beerfest 2022.

Beerfest 2022 is to be at Hard Road Brewers!

Sunday 27th of February!

31 Holloway Drive, Bayswater.

Get in touch with Tom to Judge and Steward. 

Our sponsors have put up some fantastic prizes in support of the Home Brewing Community. Lets show them some love back and get   behind them when you next do your shopping or recommend a store to a new brewer. It's these sponsors that keep our competitions running so lets return the favour and support them any way you can!

Major Sponsors.

Category Sponsors.

Steinbrew.

March 2022 back in Nagambie. 

The Old Dick.

Since 1999, the Club Brewer of the Year trophy has been an unusual mechanical device, affectionately known as “The Old Dick”.

The trophy was built about 22 years ago by former Member Dick Seville who was a popular and eccentric Member of the Melbourne Brewers and the ABAV which preceded it. “The Old Dick” is designed to hold a 750ml bottle of beer and to gradually tilt it in order to pour the contents without disturbing the sediment, thereby obtaining a crystal clear beer.

Dick an engineer by trade would regularly take the device with him when dining at BYO restaurants and drinking his own beers, mostly bottle conditioned brown ales.

Longstanding Members will remember Dick as the quietly spoken gentleman who would bring a large plate of cheese and onion sandwiches to every club meeting which would be unveiled late at each meeting after the standard Club nibbles had been consumed. These would rapidly be devoured and were a traditional part of Club meetings for many years.

Dick was an inventive guy having a hand in building one of the first commercial washing machines ever built in Australia. Unfortunately, Dick passed away several years ago but much of his brewing equipment was donated and subsequently auctioned by the Club so many current Members have equipment designed and built by Dick and his legacy lives on.

The Old Dick was donated by Dick’s family and Colin Penrose. So next time you see “The Old Dick” remember that it, like our Club, has a rich history built on the efforts of eccentric good blokes like Dick Seville.

The Old Dick is a prestigious award given to the Club Brewer of the Year, based on all the members points tallied from all competitions entered. First, Second and Third all generate points to determine who gets to be this years Brewer of the Year.

Membership.

Join or renew here. The club's preferred method of payment is online. New members: If you believe you are not on the club mailing list, send the committee an email or bring it up with someone at a meeting to make sure we add you in.

Your membership comes with these great benefits plus many others so support the club and help keep it going. BYO Magazine  All members receive the BYO magazine as part of their yearly subscription.

(This is a great saving over an individual subscription)

Monthly Meetings

Meetings are held on the last Wednesday of each month at different locations. They are a great place to socialise, listen to talks, participate in Club competitions, BBQ's and of course taste lots of beer plus many other things.

Communications

A monthly newsletter outlining upcoming Club events and competitions as well as general Melbourne Brewers information and photos.  This gets distributed by email a few days before Club meetings.

Members are also advised of upcoming events by email. Our member email distribution is also used as a forum to discuss topics of interest and to provide brewing information amongst members.

Brew Days Periodically, members volunteer to have a Brew Day at their brewery and invite Club Members or guys who may be interested in brewing to have a look at how they brew, equipment used etc. Brew Days are a good way for novice brewers to learn how to make all-grain beer.

Activity Days Every so often, days are organised for a group of members to build or assemble equipment e.g. convert kegs to boilers, make immersion chillers, yeast stir-plates, counter pressure bottle fillers, temperature controllers.

Events & Excursions Periodically the Club organises events/trips e.g. trip to Maltings, Melbourne microbreweries, weekends away at country pubs, fishing trip.

Annual Club events include the Annual Dinner, Xmas party, Steinbrew weekend and Beerfest weekend (Club run comp).

Club Buys Club buys (Bulk buys) of equipment offer significant savings to members.

Club Library There is a large range of brewing books and equipment available for loan by members.

Things to keep you busy.

Go to our Calendar and sync it with your own so you never miss an event.

Get some reading done after you buy some books through our book depository link.

Last but far from least, help keep the Club alive and don't forget to pay your membership fees for this financial year.