The Barley Whispers

Official Newsletter of the Forest City Brewers 

Summer 2006 Edition

 

Table of Contents:

President’s Notes –                              Page 1

Meeting Notes  -                                   Page 1

Website Notes  -                                     Page 1

Club Event Notes –                              Page 1

 

President’s Notes:

By any other name…

Do you name your homebrews? I do. Or at least I try to. I don’t really know how it started, but I decided to name them all with Led Zeppelin references. It started innocently with “Red Zeppelin Amber ale”, then got even more fun. “No Quarter Porter”, “Nobody’s Alt But Mine”, “When the Carboy Breaks”, and of course, “Stairway to Hefeweizen”. I’ve never gotten around to making the labels, but I’ve got some fine ideas and spectacular True Type fonts!

So, do you have some good ones? Let’s hear em’.

Meeting Notes:      

As the May 2006 FCB meeting began we discussed a little business to determine some summertime meeting locations. The majority voted to meet at Carlyle’s during the summer months for the Taster’s Guild, and at Old Chicago for the summer informal FCB meetings. I spoke with the management at Old Chcago, and got their blessing for our members to bring in homebrew if they wished during our meetings. If you go, make sure you show your appreciation for their hospitality.

Then we discussed nominations for our Fall meeting monthly contest styles. We will be continuing to do the AHA styles as well, with the winner being eligible to enter the contest paid for by the club. The following styles were chosen for fall:

September – American Stout (AHA)

October – Octoberfest

November – Kolsch (AHA)

December – Porter

There was a short discussion about summer events, including The Flotilla, then we sampled our contest brews. We had a unanimous winner in the Style contest, and a nice field of entries in the Open contest. Congratulations to our first time winner, Trish Phillips on her very excellent Stout. We hope you bring us some more excellent brews this fall!

Style- Rye Beer                                                                                        Open

1^st    Chuck Nolen                                                                                    1^st    Trish Phillips – Stout

                                                                                                             2^nd   Lynn Foster – Mild Brown Ale

                                                                                                     3^rd   Brian Cihak – Hefeweizen

Honorable Mention:

Ken Schultz – Cream Ale

Chuck Nolen – Brown Ale

Ryan Cooper – American Amber

Jim Deming – American Wheat

 

Website Notes:

Website updates are still ongoing. All points, events, and info should be current. I also posted pics of the Chilton bus trip from May. Remember to check the webpage for Taster’s Guild dates and locations. Also, I have brought back the long lost tradition of posting the monthly contest winners on the front page of the website. So, if you want to show off a bit, the FCB will make you famous!

 

Club Event Notes:

Not really so much an event as an invitation or reminder. If you can’t get enough homebrew meeting action in your life, check out the Stateline Brewing Society. Ex-FCB member Andy Friedl is the godfather of the club that meets informally on the second Wednesday each month at Suds O’Hanahans Irish Bar & Grill in scenic downtown Beloit, WI. Plus, they have free in shell roasted peanuts. Man, I love those peanuts. You will too. For more information, email me.

( That would be Ryan Cooper, for those not paying attention)