News

What to look forward to at Iron Home Brewer

August 4, 2016
Here is the update on the Iron Home Brewer event:

Details:

  • This will be a club only contest that will utilize RYE as the secret ingredient in the brewing process.
  • Brewers will have until our meeting on September 10th to brew any beer that they feel will work in harmony and exemplify the secret ingredient.  You do not need to brew to a BJCP style.  There is still time to brew a rye beer.
  • Brewers should bring at minimum 6 – 12 oz bottles or 1 – 64oz growler. We will have the club jockey box available for kegs as well.
  • Pat and Hank McNeely will be giving a talk / demonstration on how to make award winning mead.  If you would like to learn more about the latest techniques, these two award winning mead makers will give you the scoop.
  • We will be conducting the “Brewers of Fame.”  So please bring any beer your would like to receive constructive feedback. 

There are two ways to win:

  1. We will have a panel of 3 qualified judges to select the Iron Home Brewer. The winner will win an MHBA Iron Home Brewer trophy and a $50 gift certificate to Midwest Supplies.
  2. We will also have a people’s choice award will win a $25 to Midwest Supplies.
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2016 Iron Home Brewer Competition Announced

June 2, 2016

It’s time to start thinking about brewing with an off-beat ingredient. Once again the Minnesota Home Brewers association is hosting an Iron Home Brewer Competition!

2015 Best of Show: Scott Ode and Jim Bradburn for their Lime Pale Ale

Best of Show: Scott Ode and Jim Bradburn for their Lime Pale Ale

Here are all the details:

  • This will be a club only contest that will utilize a secret ingredient in the brewing process.
  • Brewers will have from June 13th until September 10th to brew any beer that they feel will work in harmony and exemplify the secret ingredient.
  • Brewers should bring at minimum 6 – 12 oz bottles or 1 – 64oz growler. We will have the club jockey box available for kegs as well.
  • The secret ingredient will be unveiled June 13th on-line and at the “Sinning with the Saints” game.
  • The secret ingredient will be provided for free to any member that pre-registers for the competition and arrives at the Saints game and wants to participate in the competition.
  • The secret ingredient will be chosen at random from one of these 4 ingredients:
  • Rye (Flaked)
  • Brown Sugar
  • Orange
  • Coriander

There are two ways to win:

  1. We will have a panel of 3 qualified judges to select the Iron Home Brewer. The winner will win an MHBA Iron Home Brewer trophy and a $50 gift certificate to Midwest Supplies.
  2. We will also have a people’s choice award will win a $25 to Midwest Supplies.

If you plan on picking up the ingredient at the Saints game (we need to ensure we have enough), or have any questions about this event please e-mail Matt Weide at or register below.

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A couple reminders

May 2, 2016

In case you missed the notes, there are a couple Pro-Am homebrew competitions that are coming up. Check out the North Loop and LiftBridge competitions for more information.

This Saturday is the Inbound/North Loop Big Brew Day. Swing out and join us for a fantastic day of brewing in Minnetonka.

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North Loop Brewer for a Day

May 1, 2016

Do you have what it takes to brew like a pro?

Enter your homebrew in the North Loop Brewer for the Day home brew competition. The grand prize is having your recipe brewed by North Loop and being entered in the GABF Pro-Am competition.

Registration and Drop off is through June 12, 2016. Judging is June 24 and 25 and winners will be announced June 25th. Our very own Chris Smith won this in 2015 with his amazing Hefeweizen!

For more information, or to sign up visit http://brewerfortheday.com/contest/

bfd

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LiftBridge Homebrew Competition

April 28, 2016

Lift Bridge Brewing Company is inviting members of the Minnesota Home Brewers Association to enter beers in their 3rd annual 2016 Home Brew contest. One lucky winner will have his/her entry selected to be brewed at Lift Bridge and entered into the GABF PRO-AM contest in Denver 10/6-10/8!

Lift Bridge is excited to include the MHBA Homebrew Club! They are hoping up to 10 of the 50 total entries will come from MHBA members. The MHBA will be selecting entries for members on a first-come, first served basis. Entrants must be a dues-paid member of the MHBA.

Here are the short details:

  • Entries will need to be entered into the website and delivered to Lift Bridge Brewing Company between (and not before or after) 5/7 and 6/11.
  • Brewers will be allowed to enter two entries, but may only represent one club (even if they are members of more than one club). This also means that if a club submits 10 entries, they should come from at least 5 brewers.
  • The entries will be judged on 6/18. Gera Exire La Tour will be the Organizer of the competition, following BJCP guidelines.
  • Any beers scoring 36 or higher on the BJCP scale of 50 will receive a ribbon.
  • The Brewer’s Choice may or may not be the Best of Show winner.
  • The winner is encouraged to join the Head Brewer in brewing the winning recipe at Lift Bridge.
  • The winner’s beer will be released commercially and entered into this years GABF PRO-AM competition (space allowing). Lift Bridge will provide one “all session” entry pass to GABF, though the winning Brewer will be responsible for all travel expenses if they choose to attend.

If you have competition questions, feel free to contact the competition organizers with any questions you may have! Please direct inquiries to [email protected] or Gera at [email protected].

To enter, visit the MHBA Lift Bridge Competition Sign-up form

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2016 Big Brew Day

April 28, 2016

Big Brew Day — Saturday, May 7th: 8AM – 5PM
Come out to North Loop BrewCo’s (the brewery formerly known as LUCID) Minnetonka facility on May 7th and bring your brewing gear!  6020 Culligan Way, Minnetonka, MN 55345

(From North Loop’s Facebook invitation) Each year we invite homebrewers from all over to take over our parking lot, use our hot water, and share a few brews with us. If you’d like to participate in the big brew, please email or direct facebook message us to be sure we get an appropriate head count. We will accommodate as many brewers as we can fit.

We’ll be here starting at 8AM. We provide hot and cold water to get you going. You provide equipment and ingredients.

Want to brew? — contact us on this Facebook event page (North Loop BrewCo).

(John Longballa here)–Please let North Loop know if you plan to attend.  A food truck is in the works for the event.  We will participate in the national toast at noon CST.

Also–as part of the Iron Brewer meeting in September, the club will be awarding prizes to the two best beers that adhere to the recipes suggested by the American Homebrewers Association for the 2016 Big Brew.  The beers need not be made at the event, but will be judged according to the recipes.

Big Brew for National Homebrew Day

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Sinning with the Saints in 2016

April 1, 2016

You know the drill by now.  You ignore the dreary grey sky, the lack of anything green in the yard, the feeling that Apollo doesn’t love Minnesotans any longer, and you dream of a not-so-distant future day, sitting in the sun with all your homebrewer friends, grilling meat and drinking beer, awaiting a warm evening game of baseball.

What will assist you in your dreaming is buying some tickets to the club’s annual tailgating party at the Saints game, which this year will take place on Monday, June 13th. (sorry, AHA travelers!)
st-paul-saints-logo

Tickets will be $18 each, and include a reserved infield seat at the new stadium and some freshly-grilled meat.  Members typically bring all kinds of delightful foods and beverages to share at this family-friendly event.  We’ll all gather in the DART parking lot, beginning at 4:00.

You’ll want to purchase your tickets with a credit card, using the link below.  We probably cannot purchase extra tickets come May, so step forward now to give us an accurate head count, please.

Purchase your tickets now!

Photo courtesy of Courtney Ives

Photo courtesy of Courtney Ives

Photo courtesy of Courtney Ives

Photo courtesy of Courtney Ives

Photo by Audrey Royer

Photo by Audrey Royer

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Are you ready for the Homebrew Fest of the Year?

March 22, 2016

It’s almost April and that can only mean one thing…it’s time for the best Homebrew Festival around! Come out to the beautiful Northern Brewer Warehouse on Saturday April 2 and join us for the 7th annual MHBA Homebrew Fest!

This has been a very popular event and last year we had over 70 different home brews to try. It is a great opportunity to share your beer, mead, or cider with your fellow members. There will be prizes for People’s Choice Best Beer and another for People’s Choice Best Mead/Cider. You can bring bottles, growlers, or kegs—any amount, but try to bring enough so you can share.

We will have the club Jockey Box for up to 5 kegs available. If you want a spot, contact Gera, the organizer.

This is also a great event to bring a friend who is contemplating getting involved in either homebrewing or joining the MHBA. Hope to see you there!

For event details, like address and time, check out the event listing in the calendar. Note the postcard incorrectly listed this on April 4th. The event is Saturday April 2nd.

April 2015 Homebrew Fest - Photo by Chris Smith

April 2015 Homebrew Fest – Photo by Chris Smith

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Are you good enough for Chief Chili Pepper?

February 23, 2016

It’s that time of year again. Chief Chili Pepper is coming out of hiding and that means it must be time for the Annual Chili cookoff with the MHBA!

This Sunday we will host the annual event at the CSPS hall in St Paul in conjunction with the election of club officers and a special presentation by Wayne Marklowitz of RFDoering Hop Farm. Hops, chili and homebrew…what else do you need?

Here is the low-down on the event, what’s happening when and what you need to bring.

Schedule

Here is the approximate schedule. Don’t get upset when this changes a bit.

  • 12:00 – Arrival and social hour.
  • 1:00 – Potluck chili showdown.
  • 2:00 – Presentation by Wayne Marklowitz of RFDoering Hop Farm.
  • 2:30 – Election of club officers and treasurer’s report.
  • 4:00 – Adjournment.

If you’ve wanted to get involved with the club in a leadership capacity, well, here’s your opportunity! We will be voting on president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, and two at-large board seats. Not everyone is wanting to continue his/her position, so please consider tossing your hat in the ring!

MHBA Chili Cookoff 2015-1170346

Chili Contest

Break out your best chili recipe, and if you win the people’s choice award, you can take home Chief Chili Pepper! There are three categories you may enter:

  • Red Chili – meat, but NO beans
  • Chili with Beans
  • Open – green, vegetarian, white, whatever

Homebrew, mead, and cider are encouraged, especially those that go well with chili. If you bring at least a six-pack’s worth (or one growler, or one keg) of one style for group tasting, then you will receive credit for that style in the Brewers of Fame program.

What to Bring

YOU should bring your chili ready-to-eat, in crockpots, along with extension cords, power strips, and serving utensils. Bring a sample glass and some homebrew to share. Bring the family too!

The CLUB will provide bowls, spoons, and napkins.

Chief Chilipepper

Chief Chili Pepper is the traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the chili contest!

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Congratulations to 2016 Brew Ha Ha Winners

February 22, 2016

Congratulations to all the 2016 Brew Ha Ha  Duluth Homebrew competition winners!

Below are all the MHBA winners from Brew Ha Ha. Did I miss you? Shoot us an email and I’ll update it and next time submit you entry with MHBA as the club name!

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