Category Archives: Events

Baltibrew Killa Bees! We on a swarm!

Once a year, Baltibrew joins other homebrew clubs in the area at Snyder's Apiaries in White Hall, Maryland to make mead. For those of you unfamiliar with the topic, mead is honey wine — literally, water, honey, yeast, and a little bit of yeast nutrient make mead. It is one of the oldest forms of fermented beverage, was drunk by vikings before going into battle, and done right, it tastes awesome.

Wootown members Lloyd and Ruth Ann Snyder run the apiary, and do us the great courtesy of providing us with the proverbial hook up — cheap honey, an awesome environment, and most importantly great company.

Mead mazing is easy, doesn't take that long, and is really more of an excuse to hang out in the country with other brewers, learn tons about fermented beverages, and drink some awesome examples all made with honey. This really is one of the best brew days we take part in.

Basic Details:

• Saturday November 1st, 11 a.m. start time  at the home/apiary of Wootowners Lloyd and Ruth-Ann Snyder (4747 Norrisville Road, White Hall, MD 21161)
• Honey is $4.25 per pound.
• 12 pounds makes 9.3% mead, 15 pounds makes 11.2% mead.
• It takes about a half hour per person to maze mead, and usually more than one person is doing so at a time.
• Snyder's takes cash, check, or credit card.
• Yeast and yeast nutrient are available or you can bring your own.
• You will need a clean fermenter, lid or cap, and airlock.
• Wootown is bringing its whizz-bang, inline water heater, so there's no waiting for large volumes of water to heat up, and will have a stirrer available for aeration.

As usual — but for serious this time — bring food and home or pro brew (Cider, wine, beer) to share. Wootown and its members do an excellent job sharing dishes, and homebrew. We want to come correct as well. Please don't show up empty handed!

Baltibrew's 2014 version of the Liam Flynn's Gruit Competition was well attended, went smoothly, and seemed to be enjoyed by all. Here are the results:

Celebrity Competition:

1. Stephen Hulbert — Traditional Gruit
2. Jude & Dave Finnell — Grindylow Imperial Gruit
3. Ian McDonald — Grasshopperbock

People's Choice:

1. Stephen Hulbert — Traditional Gruit
2. JD Oltman — Orange & Spruce Gruit
3. Ian McDonald — Grasshopperbock

A fitting end to Baltimore Beer Week 2014, and we hope to see you again next year.

It's already that third Thursday, Baltibrewers, and that means it's time to invade Nepenthe and discuss all things fermentable. We're hoping to make this meeting a little different in that it's happening during Baltimore Beer Week — as such, less business, more beer!

Prior to the meeting (4–7 p.m.), Nepenthe is hosting Virginia's Devil's Backbone for a tasting. If you can get there before the meeting, there might even be some beer left.

Agenda:

• VERY brief Chilibrew 8 wrap-up, and thanks.
• VERY brief promo for Mead Day (Saturday 11/1)
• Gruit comp preview and request for volunteers
• any Guild notes
• Ed Topic — Surprise guest speaker, and tasting.

We hope to see you there.

Baltibrew is sponsoring the No Hop Gruit Competition at Liam Flynn’s Ale House during Baltimore Beer Week on October 19th from 4 pm to 6 pm.  Entries for submission will be accepted any time before the event begins at 4 pm.

This year we're sponsored by Baltibrew Homebrew Club, Maryland Homebrew, Nepenthe Homebrew, and Free State Homebrew Club Guild.      

Register Your Gruit Here

Print, Complete, and Bring This Form with your Gruit

It's that time again, Baltibrewers. Hard to believe it's already the third week in September, but this means it's time to meet at Nepenthe Homebrew at 8 p.m. tomorrow. 

Howdy Brewing pals This thursday is our July 2014 regular meeting.  We hope you can make it.  8PM at Nepenthe, per usual. Please bring a chair and brew to share.
 
Agenda:

• Mashout - aka - the most kegs of homebrew i've seen in MD in one weekend
• Next brew - July was busy, lets brew in august or september...discuss.
• Chilibrew - subcommittee will touch on progress...short version
• Educational Segment - someone last meeting (can't remember) mentioned a tasting (please email  baltibrew@gmail.com)
• DRINKAGE

Hope to see you there…

Baltibrew's June meeting takes place tonight (6/19/2014) at Nepenthe Homebrew. We want to extend a giant thank you and welcome back to our gracious hosts. It's been a long month and a half without our clubhouse, much less a place to pick up supplies. So what's everyone's first brew going to be?

Agenda

1. Big thanks, and congratulations to Nepenthe on their reopening (and a big pat on our own backs for canceling our Big Brew plans, and helping them clean out the store).
2. Guild Picnic wrap up.
3. Mashout — and more specifically, Baltibrew's involvement in Sour Hour (Jason and Detter to lead discussion).
4. July Brew with Killer Ales (Subcommittee to discuss details)
5. Waverly Main Street partnership opportunity (8/30 event)
6. Baltimore Beer Week 2014
   • Chilibrew 8
   • Gruit Comp
   • Any other events?
7. Ed Topic: Yeast Starters (Gibbs)
8. Floor to club members for open discussion/new business
9. Sharing of the homebrew!

If you'd like to see anything added to the agenda, comment on this post or email baltibrew at gmail.com.

Big news this go-round:

As many of you know, Nepenthe was operationally destroyed by floods on the Jones Falls the first week in May. Graciously, Baltibrew, Lady Brew, and Brewtherville Labs put aside their Big Brew plans to aid in cleaning up the store, which remains closed, and in a state of repair.

As such, we'll be meeting at Blue Pit BBQ (1601 Union Ave.) at 8 p.m. this Thursday (5/15) instead of our usual spot. Blue Pit is across the street from Artifact Coffee, and a stone's throw from Nepenthe.

One key thing to note about this meeting — NO HOMEBREW this go-round, please. Let's support Blue Pit for supporting us, and for supporting Nepenthe. We'll get back to sharing our own once we're back at our normal location.

On the agenda:

• Proposal to roll our Big Brew brewers into a July brew with Killer Ales (creation of subcommittee to support July brew)
• Details on various fundraising events to aid Nepenthe's recovery
• Guild notes from Steve Hulbert
• Guild Summer Picnic, and wheat beer competition details (We've won this a couple years in a row, it'd be nice to continue doing so)
• Ed Topic: Open Q&A session led by Greg Apker and Jonathan Gibbs
• Eating Blue Pit's excellent Reuben sandwich

Hey guys/gals -

We are rescheduling our march meeting to take place NEXT Thursday March 27th at 8pm.  This is to allow some of our members as well as our lovely hosts Nepenthe to attend a screening of the Brewmore Baltimore documentary.  We hope this doesn't screw up your plans and you can still attend.