June 2015 Minutes

Daniel Nutting and Patricia Polastri hosted the June B.A.S.H. meeting on Sunday the 14th at their home on Ocean Drive. Outgoing club President Cory Mathews called the meeting to order. The club treasury is still in good shape. Dues of $20 for the new fiscal year are expected at next months’ meeting. In a contentious election, newlywed Sabrina Krueger emerged as El Presidente for the 2015-2016 season. Mike Wojdyla will be Vice President and competition director. Carroll Pate will continue as Treasurer-For-Eons-And-Decades and Wild Bill Lehfeld was chosen as Secretary-For-The-Foreseeable-Future-And-Then-Some. Cory reported that the first two Saturday tasting room sessions at his Lazy Beach Brewing Company were smashing successes.

Sabrina issued the club competition schedule through 2018. For 2016, we will continue with the 2008 BJCP guidelines. Beginning in 2017 we will switch to the new guidelines. The updated schedule will be posted on the website. Speaking of competitions, this months’ English ESB/Pale Ale contest was won by Sabrina/Andrew Herzig, with Paul Holder’s ESB finishing 2nd. Sabrina/Andrew picked up two points in the annual standings, with Paul adding one point to his tally. Year-to-date results after 3 of 6 competitions are as follows:

• Paul - 4 points 
• Andrew/Sabrina – 3 points 
• Daniel Fearn – 3 points 
• Mark Quade – 2 points 

We had very few new homebrews to enjoy with Daniel and Patricia’s German feast. Carroll brought the Kölsch he made during May’s Big Brew and Claudio Montiel provided a raspberry “session barleywine”. As for commercial brews, Andrew and Sabrina brought Ninkasi Tricerahops Double IPA and High Hops Brewery The Power Of Zeus back from their Colorado honeymoon. Cory provided Lazy Beach Ginger Beer and Belgian Blonde Ale. Lou Needleman shared Kelly’s Amber Ale and Session IPA from Albuquerque. Tom Freund craked open some Real Ale Hans’ Pils.

Not a single ridiculous statement was overheard during the meeting, but Paul blinded several members with his recently embroidered Fluorescent Lime Green B.A.S.H. shirt. I guess they were out of Atomic Pink.

Upcoming B.A.S.H. events:

• 12-July-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (B&J’s Pizza on Staples at Timbergate, hosted by Paul Holder) 
• 9-Aug-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Daniel Fearn, <4% ABV aka Session Beer competition) 
• 13-Sep-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Mark Woerner, demonstration brew) 
• 11-Oct-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Andrew Herzig/Sabrina Krueger, sour ale competition, BJCP 17A - F) 

Thanks again Daniel and Patricia, congratulations Andrew and Sabrina, keep on brewin’ and we’ll see you next month at B&J’s on Staples!

May 2015 Minutes

John and Nikki Daniels hosted the May B.A.S.H. meeting on Sunday the 17th at their home in Rockport. Early arrivals spread out on the new composite deck and watched Paul Holder drink a glass of ice water! Club Vice President Sabrina Krueger called the meeting to order. The club treasury is dwindling somewhat leading up to July’s massive dues infusion. Club elections will take place next month. All B.A.S.H. members are invited to the upcoming Lazy Beach Brewing Company grand opening. D-Day for this event is Saturday, June 6th.

Beers for next months’ English ESB/Pale Ale competition are best consumed at 50⁰F, not ice cold. Please give your competition beers to Sabrina upon arrival. For August’s session beer competition you MUST declare an original gravity upon entry of each beer.

After destroying a nice spread of appetizers, we shifted the attack to Nikki’s taco salad. New homebrews were a little sparse this month – Paul’s hefeweizen, Wild Bill Lehfeld’s “Dimwit” Belgian White and Carroll Pate’s “Tom Freund” porter. We did achieve considerable inventory reduction on previously sampled homebrews. Several interesting commercial beers were shared, including Tom’s Alamo Amber Lager, Goliad Golden Ale and Real Ale Hans Pils, Andrew Herzig/Sabrina’s Highland Brewing Company Gaelic Ale and Odell Tree Shaker Peach IPA, Lou Needleman’s Tennant’s Whiskey Oak Aged, Rio Grande Desert Pilsner, Sierra Blanca De La Vega’s Pecan Beer, Ballast Point Victory At Sea and Marble India Pale Ale, and Phil Sims’ Choc Winter Stout and Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale.

NSA surveillance captured the following baffling exchanges :

• Carroll -- “Nobody’s got one as big as mine” 
• Paul – “You’ve got about one inch behind you” Wild Bill – “That’s what she said” 
• Sabrina – “I’ll bring a thermometer” Lou – “Oral or rectal? It’s a question of flavor” 

The meeting ended as it began – with a Paul Holder shocker. For the first time in 33 years, Paul was ONE OF THE FIRST TO LEAVE. The end is nigh!

Upcoming B.A.S.H. events:

• 14-Jun-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Daniel Nutting, English ESB/Pale ale competition, BJCP 8C) 
• 12-July-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (B&J’s Pizza on Staples at Timbergate, hosted by Paul Holder) 
• 9-Aug-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Daniel Fearn, <4% ABV aka Session Beer competition) 
• 13-Sep-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Mark Woerner, demonstration brew) 
• 11-Oct-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Andrew Herzig/Sabrina Krueger, sour ale competition, BJCP 17A - F) 

Thanks again John and Nikki, see a doctor, Paul, keep on brewin’ and we’ll see you next month at Daniel Nutting’s!

Big Brew 2015

B&J’s Pizza on Staples at Timbergate hosted the 2015 Corpus Christi edition of the American Homebrewers Association’s Big Brew. Three teams from the Bay Area Association of Homebrewers (B.A.S.H.) brewed the AHA’s selected recipes for this year in an outdoor, public demonstration. The weather was beautiful and the B.A.S.H. canopy provided ample shade.

Club President Cory Mathews, assisted by Drew Burkhardt and Claudio Montiel, brewed a 5-gallon batch of “Old-School” American barleywine. This big beer had no fewer than ELEVEN ounces of hops – featuring Cascade, Tomahawk and Centennial. Vice President Sabrina Krueger and Andrew Herzig used the brew-in-a-bag technique to make a Columbus pale ale. Treasurer Carroll Pate brewed an extract version of “Killer Kölsch”.

We joined in the AHA’s global synchronized toast to homebrewing pioneer Charlie Papazian at noon Central Daylight Time, followed by toasts to latecomers Phil Sims and Travis Clapp.

All three beers were eventually completed and will be consumed by club members beginning in July. The barleywine turned out a little watery, but this years’ Chris “Boom-Boom” Edwards award goes to Carroll. After nearly overflowing his brew pot on three occasions, witnesses confirm the fourth boilover ended with a telltale wort stain on the pavement. Oops!

As we enjoyed draft and bottled beers from B&J’s ample inventory, our tongues loosened up. The following quotes were overheard:

• Sabrina (in a panic) -- “My purse and my beer! My purse and my beer!” 
• Wild Bill Lehfeld – “F*@k your purse! Save your beer!” 
• Tom Freund – “Sabrina – she’s like a bag lady” 
• Paul Kalaghan – “It was the top leg that lifted out” 
• Paul Kalaghan – “You can only hold so much between your legs” 
• Phil – “When I started A&M you had to be a high school graduate, free of venereal disease” 
• Wild Bill – “So how’d you get in?” Phil – “A lot of penicillin” 
• Phil – “I spent some on women, I spent some on whiskey, I spent some on gamblin’ and then I wasted some” 
• Claudio – “Think hoppy thoughts” 
• Doreen Kalaghan – “I don’t think that paddle’s big enough” 
• Wild Bill – “Hey Carroll, I’ve got pen in hand – don’t say anything stupid” 
• Carroll – “I don’t have to put all of it in” 
• Carroll – “After about 30 seconds it seemed perfectly natural” 
• Carroll – “The mouth recovers remarkably fast” 
• Chris Swanson – “Hey Carroll, it’s rising again” 
• Paul Kalaghan – “I know it was devious – she saw it from the get-go” 
• Claudio – “It must be French or something” 

Upcoming B.A.S.H. events:

• 17-May-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (3rd Sunday, John Daniels) 
• 14-Jun-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Daniel Nutting, English ESB/Pale ale competition, BJCP 8C) 
• 12-July-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (B&J’s Pizza on Staples at Timbergate, hosted by Paul Holder) 
• 9-Aug-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Daniel Fearn, <4% ABV aka Session Beer competition) 
• 13-Sep-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Mark Woerner, demonstration brew) 
• 11-Oct-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Andrew Herzig/Sabrina Krueger, sour ale competition, BJCP 17A - F) 

See you at The Daniels’!

April Minutes 2015

Carroll and Judy Pate hosted the April B.A.S.H. meeting and MASSIVE PIG ROAST on Sunday the 12th. All present had a good time, except perhaps for the pig. Club President Cory Mathews called the meeting to order and thanked pigmeisters Richard Pate and his girlfriend Chris. Other guests in attendance included babies Emily Merry and Neal Mathews, Sean Sutherland (Texas State Aquarium), Paula (Terry and Monika Caldwell’s friend) and Carroll’s friends Hatcher and George.

The club treasury is unchanged from last month. Teams for the upcoming Big Brew are Cory/Drew Burkhardt/Claudio Montiel (all-grain barleywine), Travis Clapp/Andrew Herzig/Sabrina Krueger (all-grain pale ale) and Carroll/Mark Quade (extract Kölsch). In other new business, Cory announced the impending move of his Lazy Beach Brewing Company to Bichon Road (near Rodd Field and Yorktown). Tom Freund encouraged new members to get involved with competition judging.

Speaking of which, the competition this month was for light hybrid beers, BJCP categories 6A – D. Paul Holder’s “Cubano” cream ale earned 2 points for 1st place, Andrew/Sabrina’s blonde ale scored 1 point for finishing a close second and Paul’s Kölsch came in 3rd (no points awarded). After two competitions, the race for Homebrewer of the Year is up for grabs – Daniel Fearn and Paul each have 3 points, Mark Quade has 2 and Andrew/Sabrina have 1.

Needless to say, the pig didn’t stand a chance around that many famished trenchermen. As we squealed with delight and oinked vociferously, we swilled from a keg of Paul and Wild Bill Lehfeld’s “Travisty” Scottish abomination ale (last month’s demonstration brew)and another keg of Carroll and Bob Davis’ B&J’s Hairy Porter clone. Other new homebrews included Cory and Drew’s cucumber saison, John Daniels’ German light, Craig Gann’s robust porter, Wild Bill’s “Angry Shtup” California common, Jason Merry’s session IPA, Carroll’s ginger ale and Chris Swanson’s Irish stout. Lou Needleman brought some New Mexico beers, including Santa Fe Pale Ale and Nut Brown Ale, and Marble India Pale Ale.

Hidden microphones picked up the following gems :

• Carroll -- “I don’t use much chemistry when brewing beer, I use yeast” 
• Paul – “I play around with it now and then” 
• Tom – “You gotta keep up with your orifices” 
• Jessica Fearn – “You’re my favorite husband yet” 

Upcoming B.A.S.H. events:

• 2-May-15: Big Brew (B&J’s Pizza on Staples at Timbergate, multiple brewing demonstrations) 
• 17-May-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (John Daniels) 
• 14-Jun-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Daniel Nutting, English ESB/Pale ale competition, BJCP 8C) 
• 12-July-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (B&J’s Pizza on Staples at Timbergate, hosted by Paul Holder) 
• 9-Aug-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Daniel Fearn, <4% ABV aka Session Beer competition) 
• 13-Sep-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Mark Woerner, demonstration brew) 
• 11-Oct-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Andrew Herzig/Sabrina Krueger, sour ale competition, BJCP 17A - F) 

Thanks again Carroll, Judy, Richard and Chris, keep on brewin’ and we’ll see you next month at the Daniels’!

March 2015 Minutes

Mark Woerner hosted the soggy March B.A.S.H. meeting on Sunday the 8th. Club President Cory Mathews called the meeting to order, announcing the birth of future member Neal Allen Mathews. Carroll Pate babbled incoherently in lieu of a Treasurer’s report. No one noticed. Paul Holder announced that Liquid Town on Airline near Toys’R’Us has slightly age-expired high-end craft beer on sale for half price. The Big Brew is coming up on Saturday, May 2nd. During this outdoor brewing demonstration event at B&J’s on Staples, teams of club members will make three beers per AHA’s recipes – an American barleywine, a Columbus pale ale and a Kölsch-style ale. B.A.S.H. will buy the ingredients and we will drink the results at our July (pale ale/Kölsch) and December (barleywine) meetings. Who could forget last years’ event starring Chris “Boom Boom” Edwards? Contact Cory if you’re interested in brewing one of the beers.

There was no competition this month, but Paul and Wild Bill Lehfeld conducted a demonstration brew of their “Travisty” Scottish abomination pale ale. Namesake Travis Clapp was greatly amused! Don’t forget the light hybrid ale competition and MASSIVE PIG ROAST at Carroll’s next month.

As we masticated co-host Lou Needleman’s scrumptious Indian food, we enjoyed new homebrews by Cory’s father-in-law John Golden (pecan brown ale), Andrew Herzig/Sabrina Krueger (Pliny The Elder clone), Paul (amber ale) and Wild Bill (“Willie the Whale” pale ale/”Still Not Dead” Rogue Dead Guy clone). Interesting commercial beers included Craig Gann’s Point Cascade Pale Ale and Amber Ale, Adam Klager’s Squatter’s Double IPA, Cory’s Lazy Beach Bock and Mark Woerner’s Adelbert’s Tripel B.

Random comments to mull over :

• Carroll “He’s got a nice bottom” 
• Claudio Montiel “I’ve met very few beers I didn’t like” 
• Wild Bill “Will you be my hose man?” 

Upcoming B.A.S.H. events:

• 12-Apr-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Carroll Pate, pig roast, light hybrid beer competition, BJCP 6A-D) 
• 2-May-15: Big Brew (B&J’s Pizza on Staples at Timbergate, multiple brewing demonstrations) 
• 17-May-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (John Daniels?) 
• 14-Jun-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Daniel Nutting, English ESB/Pale ale competition, BJCP 8C) 
• 12-July-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (B&J’s Pizza on Staples at Timbergate, hosted by Paul Holder) 
• 9-Aug-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (need host, <4% ABV aka Session Beer competition) 

Thanks again Mark and Lou, congratulations Cory and Jess, keep on brewin’ and we’ll see you next month at Carroll’s!

February 2015 Minutes

Walt and Judy Crawford hosted the February B.A.S.H. meeting on Sunday the 8th at their home in King’s Crossing. Club President Cory Mathews called the meeting to order, welcoming new members Steve and Kathy Indrelunas. Treasurer Carroll Pate gave us the same old, same old report. Paul Holder corrected last months’ statement that home carbon filtration systems will not process more than 0.72 gallons per hour of water. They WILL, but will not remove all chloramines if used at a faster rate. Carroll reminded everyone that the pig roast at his home in April will be a massive feast, so bring your feed bags. In new business, we congratulate Jason and Sarah Merry on the birth of their daughter Emily.

The competition this month was for Fruit/Smoked/Wood Aged beers, BJCP categories 20A, 22A-C. Results are as follows:

• 1st – Daniel Fearn, pineapple pale ale, 174 points 
• 2nd – Mark Quade, chipotle American red ale, 167 points 
• 3rd – Paul Holder, raspberry amber ale, 158 points 
• 4th – Claudio Montiel, orange citrus wheat ale, 126 points 

While the judges pondered the competition beers we dug into King Ranch chicken and tasted new homebrews from Walt (American IPA), Daniel Fearn (pomegranate blonde), Tom Freund (Kölsch and porter) and Jason (barleywine). The most exotic commercial beer was Daniel Fearn’s Blackbeard Premium Roatan Ale.

Random comments to digest :

• Sabrina Krueger “Chipotle is a fruit” 
• Carroll “After three weeks it started throbbing” 
• Carroll “How do you compress it enough to get it in?” 
• Carroll “It must be hydraulic” 

Upcoming B.A.S.H. events:

• 8-Mar-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Lou Needleman, brewing demonstration) 
• 12-Apr-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Carroll Pate, pig roast, light hybrid beer competition, BJCP 6A-D) 
• 2-May-15: Big Brew (B&J’s Pizza on Staples at Timbergate?, multiple brewing demonstrations) 
• 17-May-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (John Daniels?) 
• 14-Jun-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Daniel Nutting, English ESB/Pale ale competition, BJCP 8C) 
• 12-July-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (B&J’s Pizza on Staples at Timbergate, hosted by Paul Holder) 

Thanks again Walt and Judy, congratulations Jason, Sarah and Daniel, keep on brewin’ and we’ll see you next month at Lou’s!

January Minutes

The frost was on the punkin as we held the January B.A.S.H. meeting on Sunday the 11th at the home of Tom and Rocky Freund. Club President Cory Mathews called the meeting to order. Treasurer Carroll Pate reported “All is well, except I’m thirsty”. Paul Holder announced two new local brewpubs in the pipeline, one by member Hector “Toad” Cavazos and the other in Port Aransas at the site of Beaches BBQ.

Paul also gave a synopsis of the book “Water” by John Palmer. The three primary sources of brewing water are tap water, which is cheap but contains contaminants (in our area, chiefly chloramines), reverse osmosis (RO) water which requires chemical addition and spring water, which is pricy and may be missing certain minerals.

For light beers (blondes, pilsners, etc.) soft water such as RO is appropriate. For hoppy ales, you need mineral hardness and pH control is critical. For dark beers your water must be alkaline to balance the acidity of dark grains.

Treating tap water with an RO membrane will remove chloramines, but the chloramines will eat the membranes. Commercial RO machines contain an activated carbon filter upstream of the membranes. The carbon removes chloramines and organic contaminants, then the membranes remove minerals.

Many commercial breweries (including locally) filter tap water through carbon. Contact time is critical. Most home carbon filters are only 30 cubic inches or so in volume, and can only process 1 gallon per hour.

Another option for removing chloramines from tap water is using Camden tablets (sodium metabisulfite). Travis Clapp mentioned that potassium metabisulfite is preferable. Boiling tap water will sanitize it, but will NOT remove chloramines.

Cory and Vice President Sabrina Krueger presented Wild Bill Lehfeld with the B.A.S.H. Cup for Homebrewer of the Year 2014.

The highlight of the January meeting is the Iron Mash judging, and this year was no exception. Five solid teams contested Iron Mash XI, brewing their beers on November 1. The “Clappinators” (AKA the “Brewjays”) consisted of Travis, Judge Mark Woerner and Danna Sharpe. Alex “A-train” Almendarez and Patrick Viles were “Encino Man”. Andrew Herzig, Sabrina, Paul Kalaghan and Brent Juilleret were “Team Hazmat”. Cory Mathews, Jess Mathews, Drew Burkhardt and Claudio Montiel competed as “Model Airplane Glue”. Junior Bill Seddelmeyer and Clinton Schena were “Strutter” (Gene Simmons was absent that day).

After thorough consideration by the elite team of judges, the verdict was clear:

• 1st – Encino Man, Belgian Dubbel, 151 pts
• 2nd – Model Airplane Glue, Vanilla Pepper Belgian Dubbel, 132 pts
• 3rd – Clappinators, ESB, 131 pts
• 4th – Strutter, Belgian Dubbel, 126 pts
• 5th – Team Hazmat, Munich Dunkel, 119 pts

Alex and Patrick wasted no time donning their bling medals and drinking from the victory chalice. As Alex would say “It only leaches lead and cadmium, I’ve had worse”!

We feasted on Tom and Rocky’s beef sausage wraps and co-host Aggie Bill and Dianna Hughen’s pulled pork sandwiches, swilled down with the competition beers and new homebrews from Tom and Paul H (kottbüssel), Craig Gann (M-80 IPA), Paul H (amber ale), Aggie Bill (cumin wit), Cory and Drew (pale ale) Claudio (barleywine) and Mark Quade (chipotle red ale). Interesting commercial beers included Mark Q’s Oskar Blue’s Old Chub and Dub’s Pale Ale and Phil Sims’ Choc Winter Stout (Oklahoma).

As the evening wore on, Rocky tried her best to keep Mike Wojdyla’s pyromania under control at the fire pit. As usual, random comments were uttered – you supply the context :

• Lou Needleman “My tongue is a palette” 
• Paul H “We don’t want to contaminate the tongue” 
• Paul H “You need hardness” 
• Drew “It’s coming out in a trickle” 
• Wild Bill “That’s what she said” 
• Travis “I used to get infections” 
• Patrick “I can’t feel my toes anymore” 
• Claudio “I had some Freetail yesterday” 
• Wild Bill “Me too -- Luke’s Mom” 
• Paul “That was the best head I’ve had all night” 
• Patrick “Trust the process. We’re deviants, but we didn’t deviate from the process” 

Upcoming B.A.S.H. events:

• 8-Feb-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Walt Crawford, Fruit/Smoked/Wood Aged competition, BJCP 20A, 22A-C) 
• 8-Mar-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Lou Needleman, brewing demonstration) 
• 12-Apr-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Carroll Pate, pig roast, light hybrid beer competition, BJCP 6A-D) 
• 2-May-15: Big Brew (B&J’s Pizza on Staples at Timbergate?, multiple brewing demonstrations) 
• 17-May-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (John Daniels?) 
• 14-Jun-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (Daniel Nutting, English ESB/Pale ale competition, BJCP 8C) 
• 12-July-15: B.A.S.H. meeting (B&J’s Pizza on Staples at Timbergate, hosted by Paul Holder) 

Thanks again Tom, Rocky, Aggie Bill and Dianna, congratulations Alex and Patrick, keep on brewin’ and we’ll see you next month at the Crawford’s!