CHICKEN. NEXT MEETING: Harmony Hall th St NW, Grand Rapids Competition 6:00 / Meeting 7:00 October 18, The RUBBER

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1 The RUBBER CHICKEN NEXT MEETING: Harmony Hall th St NW, Competition 6:00 / Meeting 7:00 October 18, 2017 O If you are unaware of what Oktobrewfest is, crawl out from under the rock you are under. Almost 9 years ago, my uncle, my cousin, and I were trash talking about how much better our märzen was that the others. I told my uncle, among other things, to put his money where his mouth is and submit to a competition. We decided to throw an oktoberfest themed party where the attendees would vote on the best beer. The first Oktobrewfest was on the first Saturday of October in The guest list was much more modest at about 35 people. Despite this, we still had 4 different beers competing. I got last and Uncle Douggie got first. I got 4 votes and all of them were mine. The highlight of my year is not Christmas. Its not the 4 th of July. I am not a hunter so it is not Opening Day. It is not my birthday either. It is the last Saturday of every September, Oktobrewfest. This past September 30 did not disappoint. Here are some figures: 13 different beers on tap. 55 lbs of homemade Sausage 127 attendees. 12 hours of party time 1 bounce house 145 cans of PBR used in beer pong No beer left over No food left over No rain It was a success. Those that attended can attest to that. Eventually we had to limit the competition entries to 12 brewers and tighten the voting and judging procedures. One year we had 17 entries. It was too hard for everybody to try to judge all of those. I still need remind people that they do not need to do full pours for every beer. Just take tastes so you get through all of them. Over the years, it has grown considerably but the main idea is the same. German style beers, the whole keg, and German style foods, brought by the guests. It very much a community fueled event. It is not my party, it is your party. Many local area homebrew clubs are involved now. We have major corporate sponsorship from Gravel Bottom Craft Brewery and Supply as well as new sponsor this year, Thornapple Brewing Company. My other uncle does not brew but wanted to participate, so every year, he supplies all the sausage. His own recipe. He is a big time gourmand and his sausage does not disappoint. The food game is strong on all fronts. Those that bring food, bring the best stuff. Homemade dishes such as

2 spaetzle, fermented kraut, soft pretzels, potatoes in many forms, rohtkol, pierogis, kapusta, streusel, strudel, cakes, on and on. Prost! to seeing more of you at the 9 th annual Oktobrewfest September 29, 2018!--DT BETWEEN TWO BEERS BY DICK THUNDER The Competitor. When he loses he gets upset. He is meticulous. He is a mediocre engineer. He does something illegal in his house. He once took back his Dad s Father s Day gift. His high school nickname was Buttplug. He is accident prone when it comes to brewing. He is the current reigning Primetime Brewer of the Year. Since the party has grown so much, we formed the Oktobrewfest Society of Like Minds and Sympathizers. AKA The Society. This a 15 member team of people that plan and obsess over every aspect and detail of the party. Always trying to streamline and improve Oktobrewfest, the Society loves what they do. We meet throughout the year to socialize (Drink beer together), conduct market research (Brewery Tour), and brainstorm new ideas (Bullshit about fun stuff). You can recognize a Society member by their blue shirt, and smile. The Society is always looking for fresh ideas and more help. So speak up if you have an idea or are willing to help. Jesse Colclasure says he is short tempered. I ve seen it. When he got a second place at one of our monthly competitions, he made several accusations of collusion and malfeasance. I won t repeat them here, but it was funny. He has been taking these competitions pretty seriously. The record shows this too. Last year he won PTB Brewer of the Year handily and he is in the running for another win this year. At our 8 th Oktobrewfest this year there were some winners, and some losers. The Best beer, as voted by the mob, was David Beerens from Brewsquitos with a Märzen. Second was Zach Dreyer from Brewers on the Lake with a Märzen. Third was taken by our very own Ric Brown s Maibock. Kathy holds the distinct privilege of taking last place this year. Its OK Kathy, many fine brewers have held that position. The winner gets to write their name on the Oktobrewfest Cup and a gift card to Gravel Bottom, while the loser has the privilege of taking home the Mr. Beer Kit last place trophy. We also host many other games. There is the Wench Run timed stein carrying contest, the Stein Grabber standing stein holding contest, the Barrel Roll team keg rolling contest, the Pong Tourney beer pong tournament. It is always a good time, and it is always a family friendly event. We encourage all to wear there Dirndls and Lederhosen. Many do. Jesse insists on following procedure. Like a true engineer, even a mediocre one, his brew process is pretty regimented. At group brewdays it is a sight to behold. He says that if he were to be part of a travelling circus, he would be the safety technician. He loves to follow procedure to make sure all details are covered. Thus he would be the best person to hang the nets. Even with all his safety measures and steps, he still has some pretty good mishaps. Sometimes he leaves the drain plug out of his Grainfather brew system, allowing water to flow all over the basement. He holds the distinction of being the first person to spill beer in Thornapple Brewing Company s new, then unused, brewhouse. Eric Fouch was hosting a club brewday when Jesse was running hot wort into his glass carboy. Several people expressed trepidation about the hot liquid in cool glass. Jesse says, Nah, I do it all the time. It will be fine. Famous last words. Sure

3 enough, a crack forms around the bottom and then just when it gets full, it lets all 5 gallons of wort flow all over the new flooring. He says he is a mediocre engineer. His true passions lie more with his wife, children, and beer than his job. He actually stole his wife from Taiwan. They met at school at Ferris State University. She returned home but came back for a job interview when Jesse swooped in trapped her. Her family still struggles with the idea, but must be happy with annual Colclasure family trips to Taiwan. and longevity. He only hopes he can also being brewing fine beers as long as John has. He wishes the club to know one other thing. He wants everyone to know how sad he is that he will have to beat Jeremy Gavin in the Brewer of the Year Competition again this year. It is always the highlight of a man s career when he is finally able to consistently best his inspiration, idol, and hero. We shall see. --DT Sheehan's Stout Rockford Brewing Co. Rogue River Brown Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout Rockford Brewing Co. English-Style Brown Ale Passionfruit Gose Perrin Brewing Co. Leipzig-Style Gose or Contemporary Pilgrim's Dole New Holland Brewing Co. Old Ale or Strong Ale Booboo Butt got into brewing when he bought his Dad a brewing kit for Father s day. That summer, he went home to West Branch, Michigan to spend the day brewing with his Dad. After the brewday, his Dad was not really all that into it so Jesse took it all home and kept brewing by himself. Happy Father s Day Dad. Since then he has gotten the bug for brewing Juicy IPAs, and Sours. He has never been happy with his attempts at stouts and big beers. Self admittedly, he struggles getting the larger body the way he likes it. I have had many of Buttplug s beers and he does a fine job. Buttplug you say? Where does that come from? Once while in college he overdid a night of drinking. Trying to sober a bit, he took a shower. While in the shower he decided he was tired and needed to sit. The next morning, he awoke freezing cold and to a flooded basement. He had sat on the drain and passed out, causing the stand-up shower he was sitting in to overflow. From then on, he was known as Buttplug. If Jesse had that superpower of everlasting youth he so wishes he had, he could drink like that all the time. His hero is Jeremy Gavin. When asked who he looks up to, he immediately, without any hint of hesitation, said Jeremy Gavin. This is understandable. Jeremy Gavin is quite a specimen. Jesse brews every month to beat Mr. Gavin in the monthlies. He even eagerly joined Jeremy s HBL Team in search of glory. He also looks up to John Applegarth. He is impressed with John s brewing prowess US Association of Cider Makers Introduces Style Guidelines In an effort to help wholesalers, retailers and consumers better understand the differences between a growing number of hard ciders now being sold across the country, the United States Association of Cider Makers (USACM) today unveiled its first-ever set of style guidelines. The new guidelines which drew inspiration from existing guidelines already in use by the Great Lakes International Cider and Perry Competition divide the hard cider category into two primary categories, standard and specialty, and include aroma, flavor, appearance and ingredient criteria for 10 distinct cider styles. Similar to the robust set of style descriptions that have existed for craft beer brewers since 1979, the USACM s guidelines are intended to provide an official framework for industry stakeholders to reference as they work to educate both the trade and consumers about the subtle nuances of individual ciders. Cider is a very unique product with many different taste profiles, Jeff Liebhardt, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Bold Rock Hard Cider, told Brewbound. This will help educate retailers, wholesalers and consumers on the different cider styles. It s no different than craft beer defining the difference between an IPA and a Pale Ale.

4 The new guidelines will also be incorporated into the USACM s Certified Cider Professional program, an online accreditation platform for food and alcohol industry professionals that is similar to the beer industry s Cicerone program. Modern Ciders Modern Ciders are made primarily from culinary/table apples. Compared to other Standard Styles, these ciders are generally lower in tannins and higher in acidity. AROMA/FLAVOR Sweet or low-alcohol ciders may have apple aroma and flavor. Dry ciders will be more wine-like with some esters. Sugar and acidity will typically combine to give a refreshing character. Acidity is medium to high-refreshing, but must not be harsh or biting. APPEARANCE Typically pale to yellow in color. Ranges from brilliant to hazy, depending on the cider maker s intention. VARIETIES Commonly grown varieties such as McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Jona gold, Granny Smith, Gala, and Fuji are often found in Modern Ciders. Heritage Ciders Heritage Ciders are made primarily from multi-use or cider -specific bittersweet/bittersharp apples, heirloom varieties; wild or crab apples are sometimes used for acidity/tannin balance. These ciders will generally be higher in tannins than Modern Ciders. This style encompasses those produced in the West Country or England (notably Somerset and Herefordshire), Northern France (notably Normandy and Brittany), Northern Spain (notably Basque and Asturias regions), as well as New World ciders and others in wich cider-specific apple varieties and production techniques are used. AROMA/FLAVOR Increased complexity derived from the cider maker s selection of apples and production techniques. Common attributes include increased astringency, bitterness and complex aromatics. APPEARANCE Typically yloow to amber in color. Ranges brilliant to hazy, depending on the cider maker s intention. VARIETIES Commonly used varieties include Dabinett (bittersweet), Kingston Black (bittersharp), Roxbuyr Russet (American Heirloom) and Wickson (crab). According to USACM website, exam questions fall into five categories: apples, processing, fermentation, history, and taste and style. The organization which counts 535 cidery members currently in operation and has a stated mission of sharing information about cider production, regulations and apple growing said it also plans to create standards for a cider vocabulary and sweetness scale, via its Lexicon Project. GABF Winners! Congrats to our sponsors who medaled in the 2017 GABF competition. Silver Sheehan's Stout Rockford Brewing Co. Classic Irish- Style Dry Stout The Lexicon Project will help us educate consumers and distributors about cider, Trevor Baker, USACM vice president, said via a press release. Now we can get down to the fun business of developing cohesive marketing materials for our members as well as enhancing our CCP program materials. The USACM added that the style guidelines were not meant to serve as the basis for professionally judging and awarding medals to hard cider products, although competitions may pick them up for use. Bronze Rogue River Brown Bronze Passionfruit Gose Bronze Pilgrim's Dole Rockford Brewing Co. Perrin Brewing Co. New Holland Brewing Co. English-Style Brown Ale Leipzig-Style Gose or Contemporary Gose Old Ale or Strong Ale The 10 styles of cider, as defined by the USACM, include: Modern Ciders, Heritage Ciders, Modern Perries, Heritage Perries, Fruit Ciders, Hopped Ciders, Spiced Ciders, Wood-Aged Ciders, Sour Ciders, and Ice Cider. Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year: Rockford Brewing Co. September Meeting Notes: Thank you to Jeff Carlson for hosting! Several ideas were discussed, including Coming up with a club mission statement Having an open forum for questions at the monthly meetings. A club barrel collaboration. Inter-club competitions. Send PayPal payments to: primetimebrewersmi@gmail.com

5 PRIMETIME BREWERS COMPETITION PAGE 2017 Club Competition Calendar January Pale American Ale (18 A & B) February Belgian Ale (24 A, B & C) March Extract (any style, steeping grains allowed) April Best of Cellar Cider (all) May American IPA (21 A) June Beer & Food Pairing July Best of Cellar Beer (all) August European Sour Ale (23 all) September Dark European Lager (8 A & B) October Baltic Porter (9 C) November Best of Cellar Mead (all) Non-PTB Competitions can be found at: First Thursday Destinations Jan Harmony Hall Feb Knickerbocker Mar Hideout Apr Cellar BC May Rockford BC Jun Cedar Springs BC Jul HopCat Aug BOB s Brewery Sep Schmohz Oct White Flame Nov Thornapple Dec City Built SAVE THE DATE(S) 2017 Brewer of the Year To Date Jeremy Gavin 56 Jessie Colclasure 48 Chad Zomerlei 48 Paul Curran 16 John Applegarth 12 Brent Zomerlei 12 Kathy Troxell 8 Jeff Carlson 8 Steve Naylor 4 Frank Landgraff 4 Greg Barnhardt 4 Future RC or Food contributors: Paul Curran Jessie Colclasure Club Officers President: Jeremy Gavin V. P.: Ric Brown Treasurer: Jeff Carlson Sec & RC Editor: Chad Zomerlei (jabrews@gmail.com) (ricbrown67@gmail.com) (carlsonj@gvsu.edu) (zomerlcp@gmail.com) October 29 Club bus trip November 4 Learn how to brew day December 6 Club Christmas Party Other events at: Primetime Brewers Facebook page SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS THEY SUPPORT US!! Welcome our newest sponsor! September Dark European Lager Club Competition Results: 1st 2nd 3rd Last Chad Zomerlei Jeremy Gavin Greg Barnhardt Jessie Colclasure

6 ACME CIDER CO FARMHAUS CIDER 5025 Stanton St Hudsonville (616) BIER DISTILLERY 5295 West River Drive Suite 100 Comstock Park (616) FOUNDERS 235 Grandville Ave SW (616) B.O.B. S HOUSE OF BREWS 20 Monroe NW (616) GAVIN LEGAL PLLC (616) BREWERY VIVANT 925 Cherry SE (616) GRAND RAPIDS. 1 Ionia SW (616) CELLAR BREWING COMPANY 500 E Division, Sparta (616) GRAVEL BOTTOM Craft Brewery & Supply 418 Ada Dr Ada (206) HARMONY BC 1551 Lake Drive SE CITY BUILT BREWING COMPANY 820 Monroe Ave NW COLDBREAK. 81 N Main St NE Cedar Springs (616) (616) And HARMONY HALL 401 Stocking Ave NW (616) HIDEOUT 3113 Plaza Dr NE (616)

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8 ROCKFORD MPANY 12 E Bridge St Rockford (616) SCHMOHZ BREWERY 2600 Patterson SE (616) UNRULY BREWING CO 360 W Western Ave Muskegon (231) VANDER MILL Cleveland St Spring Lake (616) & 505 Ball Ave NE (616) SICILIANO S MARKET 2840 Lake Michigan Dr (616) WHITE FLAME th Ave Hudsonville (616) THORNAPPLE BREWING th St Cascade TRAIL POINT MPANY 6035 Lake Michigan Dr Allendale (616) TWOGUYS BREWING 2356 Porter St SW, Wyoming UNCLE JOHN S CIDER MILL 8614 North US 127 St Johns (989)