In October’s meeting, we were visited by several members of the Gigayeast team, tasted fifteen delicious homebrews, and met a new member of the Sudzer community. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and see you next month!

Business:
– Derek distributed t-shirts to all paid 2016 Sudzers club members that signed up on the Google spreadsheet. Anyone who still hasn’t picked up their preordered shirt(s) should make arrangements directly with Derek before October 15, or they will become part of the club inventory.
– Tim has put together a schedule for a public-transit pub-crawl in San Francisco on October 15th. Details available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/14yxRF8Ioj7l3XOEKFfEcoiCNmLWbt_Kqe7wuJjO0c6g/edit.
– Dark Matter Brew Day will be held on October 29th at David Fortune’s house. Details with time and address to come.
– The end of the year is approaching, which means the Sudzers Christmas Party, and the most important of election of 2016 (the Sudzer Officer Election) are upon us. Details to come.
– Derek mentioned trading beer tours with the MadZ’s. Details to come.
– Cassie, Amelia, Matt, and their “assorted entourage” joined us from Gigayeast to gather notes and taste beers made with an experimental yeast they gave out roughly five months ago. I think we can all agree that this is a highly attenuative, easy-to-use, characterful Saison yeast. Thanks for coming by, and we hope to see you at future meetings!
– Please e-mail any fermentation or tasting notes for your Gigayeast Saison to Amelia at amelia@gigayeast.com.
– Thirsty Third Thursday will be held at Harry’s Hofbrau in San Jose on October 20th.

In all, we had fifteen brews:

BREWER             BEER                                IBUs  ABV
Derek W.           Citra Saison                        35    7%
Charles            Sauvon Saison                       22    7.3%
Adam C.            Saison                              -     7.5%
Jim W.             Saison J                            35    7.6%
Robert C.          Sour Saison                         30    6%
Joanna             N-120 Bohemian Pils                 -     5.25%
David J.           Hefeweizen                          -     6.1%
David J.           Blueberry Hefeweizen                -     6.3%
Danny              Wet Hop IPA                         85    5%
Marc-Andre         Earl Grey Session IPA               100   5.2%
Robert C.          Belgian Not So Strong               25    7.3%
Derek W.           Coconut Porter                      35    6%
Steve & Derek H.   Rye Barrel Porter                   -     8.5%
Justin V.          Imperial Porter                     75    10.09%
David J.           Belgian Quad                        80    9.7%

Thanks to Steins and everyone that showed up. See you next month!

Hello Sudzers! Our next meeting will be held at 4:00pm on Sunday, October 9th at Steins Beer Garden in Mountain View.

http://steinsbeergarden.com/
895 Villa Street
Mountain View, CA 94041

As a reminder, club dues are collected on a calendar year basis, so please bring $25 and arrive as close to 4:00 as possible if you would like to pay your 2016 dues. Becoming a paid member gets you a discount at MoreBeer in Los Altos, as well as access to the special members-only events we do through the year.

Agenda:
– Preordered 2016 t-shirts need to be picked up from Derek Wolfgram by October 15, or they will just become part of the club inventory. Derek will have them at Sunday’s meeting, and anyone who can’t make the meeting should make arrangements directly with him to get preordered shirts.
– A few months ago, Gigayeast came by and handed out some of their experimental Saison yeast. If you brewed a beer with this yeast, then please bring it and all tasting notes with you, as members of the Gigayeast team will attend on Sunday to sample your beer and take any feedback on the yeast.
– The Dark Matter Brew Day will be held on Saturday, October 29th at David Fortune’s house.
– Recap NCHF.
– Tim has put together the plans for the Sudzer SF Brewery Tour on October 15. Check it out at https://docs.google.com/document/d/14yxRF8Ioj7l3XOEKFfEcoiCNmLWbt_Kqe7wuJjO0c6g/edit?usp=sharing.
– Homebrew evaluations. Remember, bring your recipe – club members will have lots of questions! Sign in your beer along with your name and statistics (IBU, ABV, etc.). The info is optional, but helpful in determining tasting order.

See you Sunday!

Sudzers CFO Derek W’s latest column from the Los Altos Town Crier:

Honey beers go beyond sweet with pure flower power

In September’s meeting, we distributed the 2016 Sudzer t-shirts, tasted sixteen delicious homebrews, and met two new members of the Sudzer community. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and see you next month!

Business:
– Derek distributed t-shirts to all paid 2016 Sudzers club members that signed up on the Google spreadsheet.
– We’ll be pouring at NCHF’s Hoppy Hour this year. If you’re interested in volunteering to organize Hoppy Hour (set up kegs, put up the tent, etc.), please contact Steve Hutzler (sthutz@gmail.com). We need volunteers, so please help if you can.
– Also, please e-mail Derek Wolfgram (derek.wolfgram@gmail.com) if you’re attending NCHF and haven’t yet received access to the Google spreadsheet for keeping track of what beer, food, etc. you’re bringing.
– During October’s meeting, we plan on having a tasting for the beers made using Gigayeast’s experimental yeast that was handed out a few months ago. Please make sure to bring your notes (i.e., fermentation temperature, tasting notes, etc.) so they can be shared with the Gigayeast team.
– Tim has put together a schedule for a public-transit pub-crawl in San Francisco on October 15th. Details available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/14yxRF8Ioj7l3XOEKFfEcoiCNmLWbt_Kqe7wuJjO0c6g/edit.
– A few members recapped their time at the California Craft Beer Summit, which had 165 breweries and 460 beers!
– A few members also recapped the awesome talk by Jeffers Richardson of Firestone Walker. We learned that pH doesn’t tell the whole story, and titratable acidity is often a better indicator of how sour a beer will be. He’ll be giving an abridged version at NCHF, so check it out if you weren’t able to attend.
– The California State Homebrew Competition is coming up. Check out http://castate.brewcompetition.com/ if you’re interested in judging or submitting beer.
– Steins will help host the Mountain View Oktoberfest on the first weekend in October. Come down for some great food and beer!
– Thirsty Third Thursday will be held at Harry’s Hofbrau in San Jose on September 15th.

In all, we had sixteen brews:

BREWER             BEER                                IBUs  ABV
Mikael             LemonWit                            16    4.5%
Jared              Wit                                 -     5%
Steve & Derek H.   Saison                              -     4.5%
Steve & Derek H.   Belgian Pale                        -     5%
Steve & Derek H.   Honey Belgian Pale                  -     5%
David F.           Witches' Brew, Sweet Pumpkin Stout  15    4.5%
Charles            Milk Stout                          25    4.7%
David J.           Ginger Cider                        0     6.1%
Jared              Strawberry Blond                    -     6.5%
Rob                Hoppy Farmhouse                     35    6%
Danny              IPA                                 100   4.5%
David F.           Rye IPA                             50    6.8%
Adam               citra++, New England Style IPA      -     8.3%
Derek W.           2013 Barrel Aged Dark Matter        100+  10%+
Jim W.             Cherry Bomb, Kettle Sour            13    4.5%
Jim W.             Hoppy Sour, Kettle Sour             20    4.5%

Thanks to Steins and everyone that showed up. See you next month!

Hello Sudzers! Our next meeting will be held at 4:00pm on Sunday, September 11th at Steins Beer Garden in Mountain View.

http://steinsbeergarden.com/
895 Villa Street
Mountain View, CA 94041

As a reminder, club dues are collected on a calendar year basis, so please bring $25 and arrive as close to 4:00 as possible if you would like to pay your 2016 dues. Becoming a paid member gets you a discount at MoreBeer in Los Altos, as well as access to the special members-only events we do through the year.

Agenda:
– 2016 t-shirts are here and will be distributed!
– NCHF is right around the corner, so we’ll discuss Hoppy Hour (we still need beers!), plans for the mobile serving system, setup responsibilities, etc.
– In October, we hope to get some of the Gigayeast crew to attend and sample our homebrews made with their experimental yeast.
– Tim has put together the plans for the Sudzer SF Brewery Tour on October 15. Check it out at https://docs.google.com/document/d/14yxRF8Ioj7l3XOEKFfEcoiCNmLWbt_Kqe7wuJjO0c6g/edit?usp=sharing.
– Recap from anyone that went to the CA Craft Beer Summit.
– Recap from anyone that went to Jeffers Drops Acid Knowledge event. The event is tonight, and tickets may still be available https://www.facebook.com/events/183569225393841/.
– Homebrew evaluations. Remember, bring your recipe – club members will have lots of questions! Sign in your beer along with your name and statistics (IBU, ABV, etc.). The info is optional, but helpful in determining tasting order.

See you Sunday!

In August’s meeting, we distributed the 2016 Sudzer t-shirts, tasted sixteen delicious homebrews, and met a new member of the Sudzer community. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and see you next month!

Business:
– Derek distributed t-shirts to all paid 2016 Sudzers club members that signed up on the Google spreadsheet.
– Dark Matter brew day. David F. has volunteered to host this year on Saturday, October 29th! More info will be announced later.
– Anil is organizing a study group for several BJCP exams taking place in November and December. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, study up on beer, refine your palate with an off-flavor tasting kit, and of course, drink some beer! Let Anil (adosaj@mac.com) know if you’re interested in joining.
– We’ll be pouring at NCHF’s Hoppy Hour this year. It’s recommended that we have eight kegs at the event, and we will use September’s meeting to give those beers a try. If you’re interested in volunteering to organize Hoppy Hour (set up kegs, etc.), please contact Steve Hutzler (sthutz@gmail.com).
– Please e-mail Derek Wolfgram (derek.wolfgram@gmail.com) if you’re attending NCHF and haven’t yet received access to the Google spreadsheet for keeping track of what beer, food, etc. you’re bringing.
– During October’s meeting, we plan on having a tasting for the beers made using Gigayeast’s experimental yeast that was handed out a few months ago.
– Tim has proposed and will be organizing a public-transit pub-crawl in San Francisco; most likely in mid-October. More info to come.
– Bare Bottle Brewery is interested in having a Sudzers-only home brew competition, and we’ll most likely have it after NCHF has wrapped up. Stay tuned for more info.
– We talked a bit about building up RO water for brewing. Jim mentioned http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=198460 as being an extremely helpful resource on the subject. Check it out to learn more!
– The California Craft Beer Summit is September 8-10. More info can be found at http://www.cacraftbeersummit.com/.
– On September 8th, Jeffers Richardson of Firestone Walker will “Drop Some Acid Knowledge” at Steins! Visit https://www.prod.facebook.com/events/183569225393841/ to learn more.
– Steins will also help host the Mountain View Oktoberfest on the first weekend in October. Come down for some great food and beer!
– Thirsty Third Thursday will be held at Harry’s Hofbrau in San Jose on August 18th, 7:00pm.

In all, we had sixteen brews:

BREWER             BEER                           IBUs  ABV
David F.           Peach-Nectarine Gose           ~15   4.8%
David              Horchata Beer                  20    5.4%
David              Cherry Cider                   0     5.3%
Tim                Wedding Cider                  0     7%
Robert C.          Saison                         40    6.5%
Derek W.           Citra Saison                   ~40   7%
Robert C.          Tripel                         30    6.8%
Vern               West Coast Scottish "bitter"   ?     6.8%
Mikael             BB Porter                      31    5.66%
Paul               Peanut Butter Porter           20    6.2%
Jared              IPA/SMASH -> Pacific Jade      ?     5%
Jared              IPA/SMASH -> Pacific Gem       ?     5%
Marc               Sweet Red IPA                  ~50   7%
David              IPA                            ~60   6.1%
David F.           IPA                            ~80   6.3%
Derek W.           Iced Flanders                  low   ~9%

Thanks to Steins and everyone that showed up. See you next month!

Hello Sudzers! Our next meeting will be held at 4:00pm on Sunday, August 14th at Steins Beer Garden in Mountain View.

Landing Page Oktoberfest

895 Villa Street
Mountain View, CA 94041

As a reminder, club dues are collected on a calendar year basis, so please bring $25 and arrive as close to 4:00 as possible if you would like to pay your 2016 dues. Becoming a paid member gets you a discount at MoreBeer in Los Altos, as well as access to the special members-only events we do through the year.

Agenda:
– 2016 t-shirts are here and will be distributed!
– Follow up from last meeting’s discussion on where and when to have the annual Dark Matter Brew Day.
– BJCP Study class has started – anyone want to join? We’ll provide details at the meeting.
– Let’s find out who is going to NCHF and who can contribute beer for Hoppy hour and the main festival. Also what beer styles are people bringing?
– Reminder, Hoppy Hour tastings will happen in the September meeting.
– In October, we plan to have a competition for beers that used Gigayeast’s experimental yeast.
– Any interest in submitting Belgian Beers in a club competition to Bare Bottle Brewing?
– Tim will discuss his idea for a public transit beer tour in SF and perhaps another Bus tour to the East Bay.
– CA Craft Beer Summit on September 8-10 (http://www.californiacraftbeer.com/2016-craft-beer-summit/).
– Homebrew evaluations. Remember, bring your recipe – club members will have lots of questions! Sign in your beer along with your name and statistics (IBU, ABV, etc.). The info is optional, but helpful in determining tasting order.

See you Sunday!

Sudzers CFO Derek W’s latest column from the Los Altos Town Crier:

Peninsula brewers take center stage at SV Beer Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers!

July’s meeting was jam-packed with business items, had seven delicious homebrews, and gave us a chance to meet some new members of the beer community. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and see you next month!

Business:
– Derek showed the new 2016 t-shirt design. All paid 2016 Sudzers club members will receive one free shirt, so please go to the google form at http://goo.gl/forms/sNNEy1haqXUmw7vl2 to enter your name and size by July 18th. If you would like to order additional shirts beyond your free one, please send $10 per additional shirt via paypal to derek@sudzers.org. (Maybe we’ll see collared shirts in the future?)
– Judging for the Santa Clara County Fair homebrew competition is complete. Thanks to all who helped organize, judge, and steward!
– Dark Matter brew day. It looks like David F. has volunteered to host this year! More info will be announced later.
– We’ll be pouring at NCHF’s Hoppy Hour this year. It’s recommended that we have eight kegs at the event, and we will use September’s meeting to give those beers a try. If you’re interested in volunteering to organize Hoppy Hour (set up kegs, etc.), please contact Steve Hutzler (sthutz@gmail.com).
– We talked a bit about working together with Bay Area clubs to make a Belgian beer pavilion. More details on this will be sent out as we get them.
– During October’s meeting, we plan on having a competition for the beers made using Gigayeast’s experimental yeast that was handed out a few months ago.
– Care to share your knowledge of homebrewing with the club? We’re looking for volunteers to do a technical presentation at one of the upcoming meetings. Let me know if you’re interested in this.
– Freewheel homebrew competition in two weeks: 7/24/16. Does anyone want to lead this and brew at Freewheel that day? The style is Kentucky Common.
– Bare Bottle Brewery is interested in having a Sudzers, Belgian-themed home brew competition. This is an opportunity to brew your beer at a huge scale! More info will be sent out as it comes in.
– Anil is organizing a study group for several BJCP exams taking place in November and December. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, study up on beer, refine your palate with an off-flavor tasting kit, and of course, drink some beer! Let Anil (adosaj@mac.com) know if you’re interested in joining.
– The first registration for NCHF is this Saturday!
– The California Craft Beer Summit is September 8-10. More info can be found at http://www.cacraftbeersummit.com/.

In all, we had seven brews:

BREWER             BEER                                  IBUs  ABV
David F.           Not the Best Beer, California Common  30    4%
Jesse              Hana Walk, Irish Red                  -     4.7%
Steve and Derek    Belgian Heretic, Baby Dubbel          -     5.3%
Jared              Lady Marmalade, SMASH                 30    5.4%
Dave               Amber Waves, Amber Ale                30    6%
Adam               Apricot Kettle Sour                   -     4.5%
Mikael             Peach Gose                            9     5.6%

Thanks to Steins and everyone that showed up. See you next month!

Sudzers CFO Derek W’s monthly column from the Los Altos Town Crier. Cheers!

Citrus-y beers celebrate summer