Presidents report. 

On a recent trip to Alice Springs I had time to stop off at the Alice Springs Brewing Co.

It’s worth a visit if you’re in the heart of Australia. (Pics to follow)

The year rapidly closes in on us, and for a change up this month’s meeting is at Hard Road Brewing, formally known as Caltoria Brewing.

Lein Jenkins who owns the brewery and is a former Melbourne Brewers member hosted our club to a brew day at his brewery at the end of September. Those who attended could take away a cube of the wort made on the day and to make a beer of their choice. These beers will be judged at this months meeting.

This Hard Road/Melbourne Brewers collaboration beer was on tap at the brewery when it opened to the public on the 8^th November.

The brewery is at 31 Holloway Drive Bayswater, with a 7.30 start.

The Christmas party is at 18 Woodland Way Fingal (Moonah Links Golf Course) which is located off Boneo Road at the back of Rosebud/Rye. We will kick off around 3pm. There is ample space under cover for those that would like to stay the night. All that is needed is a swag or similar to stay the night.

Food will be similar to last year, so come along and bring the family.

The committee are currently working at organising Beerfest which will be held at Keg King on 22^nd February 2020. It’s a good opportunity to highlight and promote Melbourne Brewers to the wider beer community. As in other years we will need club volunteers to assist with judging and it’s a good time to start thinking about entering one or more of your beers to gain some feedback under competition conditions to see how they fair.

In March, a date to be confirmed, Steinbrew will again be organised at Nagambie. Keep it in mind, it’s a terrific weekend camping and enjoying each others company and putting a brew together.

At the March meeting we invisible a case swap to enjoy over the Easter period. Worth a thought as to what you might brew for this event.

Cheers, Ian

 

 

 

The next meeting, 27th November. 

Will be at Hard Road Brewing. 31 Holloway Drive, Bayswater with a 7.30 start. Bring along a couple of longnecks if you did the Caltoria Brew Day for a tasting comparison on the night but leave behind your normal drinks as our host has twenty beer taps available to buy from. 

Christmas Party.

Ian Bennett is hosting at his house in Fingal (Moonah Links) on December 7th from 3pm.

Put it in the calendar! Food is provided by the club, bring your own beer of course. Wunderbar will be available for a couple of kegs.

Family friendly event so be sure to bring them all along!

RSVP via the website by the 27th of November.

Beerfest 2020.

Will be held this year at Keg King. 

 

HOW TO ENTER

Entries Close: 8th February 2019

Entry Instructions: Register your entries online at beerfest.melbournebrewers.org Affix the label you are given after payment to the flat side of your bottle (covering the entire label with clear tape) Deliver your bottle to your nearest drop off point. 

Drop-off Details: Entries may be delivered to the following participating Victorian Home Brew Shops: Grain & Grape, 5/280 Whitehall St., Yarraville 3013 Greensborough Home Brewing Supplies, 29 Beewar St. Greensborough 3088 The Brewer’s Den, 253 Dorset Road Boronia 3155 Brewers Choice, 1389 Healesville Road, Woori Yallock, VIC. 3139 Keg King, Warehouse 48 Smith Rd, Springvale VIC 3171 Home Make It: 4/158 Wellington Rd, Clayton, VIC 3168 Home Make It. 265 Spring St, Reservoir VIC 3073

Postal entries are to be sent to The Brewers Den Entry restrictions: Two Entries are permitted per major category, one entry per style. Entries must be at least 500ml and in a single bottle, multi bottle will be disqualified from judging.

 

 

Our sponsors  put up some fantastic prizes this year 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.

Club News.

There will be no meeting in December as we have our Christmas party instead but we will be back to normal in January with the next meeting.

The Club is planning a case swap in Easter, register your interest.

November meeting will involve a taste comparison night of all the IPA beers brewed during the Caltoria brew day event.

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.

The club's preferred method of payment is online. http://13.211.143.4/register/melbourne-brewers-membership-2018-2019/ 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, Steinbeer 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.