HOPS Pagosa

HOPS Brewsletter - June 2012

HOPS – Homebrewers Of Pagosa Springs

Hello HOPS Heads,

It’s friggin hot. It’s so hot the birds are taking baths in the Lobster Pot at the Hot Springs just to cool off. It’s so hot the fire fighters are hanging out at the burn areas just to cool down. The cows are giving evaporated milk. The weather service issued a “Fat guys in tank tops” warning. The hobo downtown was holding a “Will work for shade” sign. It’s hotter than sweat pants full of BBQ. I learned that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron, too. It’s friggin hot. When it’s this hot about all I can think about is beer. Then again, weather doesn’t really change that thought process. We brewed a nice n’ tasty green chili beer. I like to serve it up in an ice cold, frosty schooner and then sit back and sip away as the buzzards peck at my rotting carcass because it’s been so friggin hot. Sorry, my turrets are kicking in. But it could be worse. I could live in Florida, a land equally hot but way more humid. A land boiling over with violent reactions to craft beer deprivation (at least that’s what I hear). This is a land where you bring your own koozies to the bar (which I happen to think is pretty cool). A land where people don’t get in fights, they merely high-five each other’s faces (which I also think is pretty cool). Come to think of it, if Florida had more craft beer and an Antarctic climate I may consider moving there. There is a hint of redneckery that beacons that soul, oozing its awesomeness. BWAAH! I’m delirious! Doctor, get me a chili beer, stat! Frosty schooner, check. Green chili beer on tap, check. Comfy chair in the shade, check. Buzzards circling… um, check.

Until next time, cheers and happy fermenting ~

Randini the Beer Spammer

Quote of the Day: Beer is the Danish national drink, and the Danish national weakness is another beer.
- Clementine Paddleford

Tech Tip of the Day: What does it cost to produce homebrew? A total beer geek (God bless ‘em) from the Hop Barley and the Alers homebrew club in the Front Range put together the info below about what it costs to brew his beer. I found it quite interesting and I think you may too!

On Behalf Of Ryan T
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 5:13 PM
Subject: {SPAM 03.5} [HBAmembers] What does it cost to produce homebrew?

Hi everyone,

About this time last year I became very interested in what my actual costs were for producing homebrew. I decided the best way to find out would be to track what I spent for a year and then average it out per gallon. My hope was the long time period would smooth out any per batch fluctuations and give me a more accurate total. Here is what I found.

		$/G	% of total	% of non-Cap
Total Gallons Produced	341				11 BBLs, 17 batches
Total Expenses	2313.13
Ingredients	1022.50	2.998534	44.20%	64.69%
Capital Improvements	732.44	2.147918	31.66%		kettles, burner, keg washer, barrel
Supplies	233.17	0.683783	10.08%	14.75%	slants, brushes, flasks, filters, buckets, etc
LP Gas (propane)	195.83	0.574282	8.47%	12.39%
CO2	107.60	0.315543	4.65%	6.81%
O2	21.59	0.063314	0.93%	1.37%
All Gases (LP, CO2, O2)	325.02	0.953138	14.05%	20.56%


Dollars/G	6.78
noncap$/G	4.64

Pint Price total	0.85
Pint Price non-cap	0.58

Corny Price total	33.92
Corny Price non-cap	23.18

avg grain #/G	2.23
# used	759.82

So, my answer is around $4.64 per gallon, or $6.78 including the onetime upgrades I did this year. It appears my biggest potential savings would come from switching to electric instead of propane, and using priming sugar rather than force carbonating. I found it interesting that gases were such a large percentage of the total cost.

Next time your significant other complains about the money you put towards homebrew you can point them to my research and remind them how glad they should be they aren’t married to me.

For comparison:

Coors Light Keg = $5.03/G

Sierra Nevada Pale Keg = $7.74/G

Sierra Nevada Pale 12pk = $11.53/G

Stone Ruination 6pk = $31.07/G

Cheers,

Ryan

HOPS Meetings:

HOPS – New Business:

Next Meeting: Tuesday, the 26^th is the next HOPS meeting, Pagosa Brewing Co at 6:00 PM. The RED COLOR GROUP is up, so if you are in this group, make sure you have been in touch with your Color Group Leader to find out what is in the pipeline.
Style of the Month: Mead & Experimental
Discussion: Some ideas we want to go over include the following:

A) Salida Brewers Rendezvous

B) County Fair Homebrew Competition – Also would like a homebrew demo! Any volunteers?

C) Another Bulk Grain Purchase – one is in the works.

D) Other upcoming events found below.

NEED YOUR HELP; AUGUST 25 SAN JUAN BREWFEST IN DURANGO

I just left a meeting with Todd Youngblood, a coordinator for the San Juan Brewfest in Durango August 25th. There is a lot happening here. We need volunteers to judge, steward and for general assistance for the Commercial Division judging. We also need "Table Captains" for the judging that need to be knowledgable about beer style guidelines. The more volunteers we have the better and the more events we can expand on. There will be commercial brewers from all over the state!

For the first time, there is going to be some sort of homebrewer exhibition depending on a) the number of volunteers and b) the legalities involved. I am handling the legal part of this for now.
There could be classes a couple of days before the Brewfest for new brewers, and this could be a way to get the local 4 corners clubs some publicity.

These things depend largely on the raw numbers of volunteers and how much they are willing to do.

I think this can be a huge opportunity for the local clubs to get their names out there and to get to know more of the local brewers and have fellowship with the other clubs in the area. If you have any questions, I can meet with your club and discuss some of the ideas we have. It is all up to you, the local clubs. Contact me, wm_downs@msn.com to volunteer. There will also be a potential homebrew competition if there is enough interest. One more thing, this is a benefit for the local United Way. Let me know as soon as possible what you need to know from me.

Thank you Homebrewers!

Liquor Stories – New Arrivals At Local Liquor Stores

Liquor Stories:

Our tribute to local liquor stores that like beer - and not just crap beer, I mean Real Beer! Not all of them are cool enough to contribute to our kick a$$ club, so be sure to treat the ones that do with some extra business. You might even get a discount!

Mountain Spirits

Goslings Dark & Stormy ... a pre mixed cocktail of Goslings Dark rum and ginger beer 8.4 oz $2.99

Shipyard Summer Ale Maine 6pk $10.99

Fort Collins Brewey 1900 Amber Ale 6pk $10.59

John Smith Extra Smooth Ale England 4pk $7.99

Breckenridge 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout 4pk $10.99

Blue Moon Vintage Blonde Ale 750ml $5.99

Silver Dollar

New 6pks this month

Firestone Walker DBA

-Double Barrel Ale

Pale 31

-California pale ale that is dry hopped

Union Jack

-IPA Jason Cox swears by this IPA

-Double dry hopped and utilizes over four pounds of

pacific-northwest hops per barrel

Breckenridge Brewery Summer Bright

-Ale brewed with orange and lemon peels

Spoetzl Brewery (Shiner) Ruby Redbird

-Beer brewed with Texas ruby red grapefruit juice and with ginger

Bristol Brewery Beehive

-Wheat ale brewed with honey

New Bombers

New Belgium Tart Lychee

-56% ale aged in oak

-44% ale brewed with lychee and cinnamon

Breckenridge Brewery Well Built

-E.S.B. aged in Stranahan’s Colorado whiskey barrels

Rogue Brewery Dad’s Little Helper

-Black IPA Don’t forget Rogue beers are always brewed

with “free range coastal water”

Russian River Supplication

-Ale aged in Pinot Noir barrels for 12 to 15 months with cherries added

-when my wife and I were at this brewery 2 months ago we could not get enough of this beer soooo good but pricy $13.99 a 375ml bottle

Grand Teton Snarling Badger

-Berliner Weisse

-a traditional north German wheat beer that has a refreshingly tart acidity

6pk of the Month (always $1 off)

Mendocino Brewing Eye of the Hawk

Bomber of the Month (always $1 off)

Unibroue La Fin Du Monde

-One of, if not the best North American made Belgium

Triples

Meads In Stock (for the meeting on Tuesday!)

Coming on Tuesday 26^th of June Redstone Meadery Sunshine Nectar

From Star Liquors in Durango:

Hi Home Brewers and Beer Lovers!

It’s really already June?!? Wow the year is just flying by. Plants are coming up in the garden and yes I was one of the unfortunates that lost all my tomato plants to that freeze the last weekend of May (grrr). But the freezes are over the warm weather is here and it’s time to talk about good beer! I have great news, Firestone Walker will be released in this area late in June and we will be carrying all the front line 6 packs as well as the summer seasonal and the Double Jack their Double IPA. As a special treat we have also just put the Parabola on the Shelf which I will start off the reviews with.

Firestone Walker from Paso Robles California is the largest barrel aging brewery in the country. Parabola is Firestones limited release Russian Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels. A truly hearty offering, Parabola is big and roasty, with chocolate, tobacco, coffee and charred barrel flavors blending together with a nice bourbon finish that has a bite, and is a bit boozy. %12.5 ABV provides a nice warming characteristic. 22 oz of this enticing brew costs $13.49, worth every penny.

Grand Teton Brewing in Victor Idaho has made the Snarling Badger Berliner Weisse a good example of the style. Bready and lightly sour this beer is a great intro to the world of sours as well as a great summer beer. Wheat, lemon and gentle yeast notes support a tart citrus body that combine to create a slightly over malty version of a Berliner Weisse but still a great beer for this time of year. A 22oz bottle is a very doable $9.99, and the label is great.

New Belgium has added another in their Lips of Faith series with the Tart Lychee. Lychee fruit hales from Asia and looks like a raspberry but larger, the skin is peeled off to expose a delicate white pulp that has a fragrant flavor. 56% ale aged in oak, 44% ale brewed with lychee and cinnamon. A sweet-sour beer that pairs with a fruit flavor the Western palate is not familiar with. New Belgium is using the power of a major microbrewery to bring in exotic ingredients and make truly unique beer. 22 oz for $8.49

Full Sail Brewing from Bend Oregon produces great beer and somehow they are able to produce fantastic bombers at a great price. The Brewers Share series are brewers creations produced in limited quantities, Phil’s Existential Alt is the newest offering. A 22 oz bottle costs $3.99, tough to beat. Phil’s Alt is a malty brew that has a moderate amount of toast with a dry, slightly hoppy finish. %5.1 ABV and 43 IBU made this a very quaffable beer after mowing the lawn.

A fun beer we just got our hands on is a collaboration between Deschutes and Hair or the Dog. Stoic and Dissident have been blended with Adam and Fred. Talk about some high end beers. 12oz of this ambrosia is a hefty $10.49, but wow talk about a lot of flavor in a small bottle. These beers were brewed in March of 2010. One hundred percent of these beers spent two years aging in a variety of oak barrels: Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Sherry, Pinot Noir, Bourbon, used American Oak, new American Oak and new Oregon Oak. Sweet, sour, dark fruit, barrel and so much more, could be construed as too much, with no defined edges, but this is a beer to drink with buddies and try to dissect it.

Well that’s all the time I have today beer lovers. Remember if you are looking for something fun and can’t find it let me know and I will do my best to track it down for you. As always good brewing and cheers!

Fist Friday Out (FFO) - Tonight! (And other jazz)

MORE SPAM! I just can't get enough. So many fun beer events, so little spam. Another reminder that tonight is the FFO (first Friday of the month) so we're gonna grab a beer at The Pines restaurant at the Golf Course. In fact, I may get there a little early and knock some balls around on the driving range. I haven't whacked that house off of hole 3 in a while...

- The Great Randini

Even though I know you love my constant flow pointless emails, I will try to stop sending an email for each individual event. (Yes, I am a spaz. Hey, look! Something shiny! Ooooo.)

Here are some other things coming up:

* Sunday - I'm brewing beer! (Yeah for me)

* June 16th - My birthday! Send me beer. Oh, and it's the Hooch Brew Event in Durango. Bring you prison swill made in your toilet. Actually, this sounds like a fun experimental event on fermenting anything you can get your hands on. Eleanor and I have experimented with stuff like that (not in our toilet mind you) and it is fun. It might be hard for them to get judges, and then, how do you 'judge' that? "I'm picking up hints of..." Nevermnind. If you will be in the area and want more info, let me know (randy@speeddirect.com). It will be at Durango Homebrew Supply. I'll spam you more as it gets closer. :-)

* July 14th - Salida Brewer's Rendezvous: DO THIS! It rocks out with it's Bocks out. I'll be there rockin'. You should see it. The event, not me.

Aztec Homebrew Club Gathering Tomorrow

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the Homebrew Club gathering in Aztec. We will get together with fellow fellows of the fermented following from Aztez, Bloomfield, Cortez, Durango, P-town and who knows where else. Hope to see you there! It was a blast last time and I'm sure this year will not disappoint. Details below.

- Randini

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CELTIC BREWERS <celticbrewers@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, May 12, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Subject: Home Brew Clubs Gathering June 2nd
To:

Hello Home Brewers. The Gathering of the Four Corners Homebrew Clubs is ON! Saturday June 2nd at the 4CCHBC World Headquarters 121s Main, Aztec. Doors open at noon, talks start at 3pm.

The Head Brewers from Carvers (Jeff Albarella), Ska (Patrick Jose), 3 Rivers (Peter Fieweger), and Steamworks (Ken Martin) will be giving short lectures on varies aspects of brewing, followed by a Brewers Panel where they will answer questions from us homebrewers, each giving their take on it, so write down any questions you have on brewing. We will be giving away swag from the Breweries.

This is a Potluck event. Bring whatever beers you would like to share, we have 6 open taps if you want to bring a keg.

Please pass this along to your brewclub members and anyone else that may be interested. If alot of you brewers can make it, I think the Breweries will continue to support a Gathering and it would be great to make this an annual Event having a different club host it each year.

Starting at 7pm in the same building, the San Juan Scottish Fiddle Society will be having a Ceilidh (Gaelic for social gathering) with a live Celtic band, more food and beers and ceilidh dances. This is a fundraiser for the Aztec Highland Games and Celtic Festival in October, a $5 donation is suggested if you can stay for this event.

There are some cheap places to stay in Aztec for you out of towners who want to stay for the ceilidh and spend the night, or crash at a brewclub members place, just ask.

Also, Aztec Fiesta Days are going on on this day, just a few minutes walk away, you know the traveling fair thing with rides, games to win stuffed toys, cotton candy, elephants ears, tattoos. Bring the kids!

Beer Tasting Notes from May HOPS Meeting

Howdy HOPS Heads,

We came up with yet another way for me to Spam you. Aint it great? At the HOPS meeting last Tuesday, Mike Garman was kind enough to take notes on the beers we sampled. Funny thing, after trying 6-12 different beers you start to forget what was what. Who knew? So below are the notes on the beers sampled. And again, thanks to Mike for doing this. BTW - you're hired. ;-)

- Randini

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

HOPS Meeting – May 22, 2012

(11 Beers Sampled)

Below are the random thoughts from everyone from the beer tasting from the meeting:

Style of the month: 5 – Bocks

5A – Maibock/Helles Bock

1. Hofbrau Munchen Maibock

Color dark for a Maibock, Peppery oxidation, Pilsner nice, malty lager, “dialed in”

2. Fort Collins Brewery Maibock

Malty aroma, better/more hardy then the first, getting some fruity ester, perhaps too much ester for the style, more of an ale?

3. Boulevard Boss Toms Golden Bock

True to style, pretty much a pilsner

5B – Traditional Bock

1. Shiner Bock

Good example of this style, not hoppy – dry, clean melanoidin malt, color malts added, favored by most everyone

2. Breckenridge Pandora’s Bock

Has similarities to many of Breckenridge’s beers (i.e… base Breckenridge flavor) , mainline, clean, evidence of esters, sweet, not as dry for a bock

5C – Doppelbock

1. Paulaner Brauerei Salvator Double Bock

7.9% ABV, tastes like a light barley wine

2. Spaten Optimator

Chewy, finishes light

5D – Eisbock

1. Kulmbacher Eisbock

Very dark, 9.2 ABV, Fantastic, Surprising, Very dry at the end, not as filling as the Optimator, Fantabulis, oxidation distraction, many felt this was the best of the night

Others tasted

1. Alaskan Birch

Brewed with Alaskan Birch Syrup, 8.5 ABV, Ale fermented with natural flavor, Good color, clean, really dry, sweet to begin then dry finish, syrupy

2. Blue Moon Brewing Vintage Blonde Ale

Brewed with Chardonnay Grapes, could definitely taste the grape

3. Brauerei Heller Bamberg Aecht Schlenterla Rauchbier Urbock

Bock style 5E?, The original smokebock, obviously smokey, bitter

HOPS Brewsletter - May, 2012

HOPS – Homebrewers Of Pagosa Springs

Hello HOPS Heads,

Ahhh yes. Another beer, another memory. Sometimes our little homebrewed concoctions can become part of us, in good ways and in bad. Have you ever sampled a beer that made you question your worthiness of being a “Beer Taster”? Holy crap man, I brewed such a brew-hah-ha. My wife and I concocted a dark ale that tossed before me a liquid Right of Passage, a test of will and a down right challenge of my ability to fathom greatness, all at once. It may not have been the greatest beer ever brewed, but it was certainly a tribute, if you catch my gig. I peered into the bottomless, malty abyss within the pint glass and asked myself: Am I man enough to drink a beer this complex? The answer was clearly NO. I tried but was found lacking. I grew my goatee to unreasonable lengths and shapes, trimmed my toe nails with a cutting torch, ate nothing but lumber and peat moss for a week and even head butted a moose or two. The beer chuckled at my failed attempt at manliness. I was defeated and embarrassed. You would feel better about yourself if you tried to kiss your sister through a single pane window. EEEWWE. (Ya’ll aint from ‘round these parts, now iz you?) Yes, sometimes we unknowingly achieve a beer-magnitude to the point we have outdone ourselves. Will a beer like this ever be appreciated? Can any plain multi-celled organism called a human ever be capable of grasping a brew this complex? Perhaps not. But someday, my friends, someday, I will tame this slobber-hurling beast called… wwhuh? Where am I? Awwwe, it was all just another beer soaked dream (and a delightful one at that)! Well, while I try to figure out the recipe for “The Best Beer In The World Tribute”, I’ll quit rambling and get back to what is really important: Beer and other fun fermentables.

Until next time, cheers and happy fermenting ~

Randini the Beer Spammer

Tech Tip of the Day: Don’t be an A-Hole. – Eddie Vedder

Quote of the Day: “Don’t be an A-Hole.” – Eddie Vedder

HOPS Meetings:

HOPS – New Business:

Next Meeting: Tuesday, the 22^nd (TONIGHT) is the next HOPS meeting, Pagosa Brewing Co at 6:00 PM. The GREEN COLOR GROUP is up, so if you are in this group, make sure you have been in touch with your Color Group Leader to find out what is in the pipeline.
Style of the Month: Bock
Discussion: Some ideas we want to go over include the following:

A) Aztec Homebrew Club Gathering on June 2^nd – Road Trip!!!

B) Other upcoming events found below.

UPCOMING LOCAL NEWS & EVENTS:

Mark Your Calendars:

Tuesday, May 22^nd – HOPS Meeting: Tonight is the HOPS Meeting (the fourth Tuesday of the month). We will meet at Pagosa Brewing Company at 6:00 PM. This month we will be going over some of the upcoming events and agenda items above, along with the Style of the Month. This time is Bock. For more info on these styles, check out the descriptions listed on the BJCP website here: http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.php. Check out the posts from local liquor stores on our website at www.pagosahops.org to see what is in stock.

First Friday Out, June 1st – The first Friday of the month we like to drink beer. Ok, we like to drink beer more often than that, but we usually get together somewhere around town, and this time around we will meet at The Pines at the Golf Course. See you there at 6:00!

Aztec Homebrew Clubs Gathering, June 2^nd – The Celtic Brewers are putting on a fun shindig in Aztec on Saturday, June 2^nd. If you did not see the post on our website, be sure to check it out at www.pagosahops.org to see what is involved. We will discuss this more at the meeting, but this will be a good one! The details for this event are listed at the bottom of this Brewsletter.

Hooch Brew Off, June 16^th in Durango – The event that throws a wrench in your typical judging – this is more like a prison party without the convicts. Brew up your own hooch and bring it to this one of a kind event. For more info go to: http://pagosahops.org/#!/houch-brew-off-on-june-16th-durango (Then scroll to the very bottom of the page)
Here are some more details:
Getting tired of all the BJCP sanctions, all the category guidelines and beer-snobbery that comes with brewing? Actually, I'm not either, but that doesn't mean we can't branch out and have some fun exploring different 'not-so-snobbish' forms of fermenting. And so I present to you the 'Houch Brew Off' brought to you by our friends from Worth Dreams. This is a new (actually, no, it's quite old) take at fermenting hooch. Basically, take some fermentable matter and turn it into alcohol, just like they do in prison! (You can even use a toilet to ferment in if you so desire.)
This event will take place at Durango Brew Supply on Saturday, June 16th. Please see the attached flier for more details (I hope I can figure out how to attach this thing). Ferment whatever you want as long as it falls within the guidelines in the attachment. There is no charge per entry and you can enter as many as you want. The guys at Durango Brew Supply will probably 'cellar' your entries for you if you can not get to the competition / hooch party the day of. This sounds like a lot of fun, though 'judging' this could be a risky undertaking... 8-{

Archuleta County Fair, August 2-5 – Be sure to keep in mind the beer competition for the Fair this year!

For the Calendar:

May 22: HOPS Meeting – Pagosa Brewing Co at 6:00
June 2: Four Corners Homebrew Gathering – Aztec
June 16: Hooch Brew Off – Durango
June 26: HOPS Meeting – Pagosa Brewing Co at 6:00
June 21-23: National Homebrewers Conference
July 14: Salida Brewer’s Rendezvous
July 24: HOPS Meeting – Pagosa Brewing Co at 6:00
August 2-5: Archuleta County Fair – Beer, wine and mead competition
August 4: Mead Day
October 11-13: Great American Beer Festival - Denver
November 3: Learn to Homebrew Day

NEWS:

Hop Rhizomes Available – If you are looking to grow your own hops, Tony with Pagosa Brewing Co has sent some information on getting a wide variety at pretty good prices. They normally take about two years to get established. If you are interested in getting some let me know. They are about $2.50 each (unless you order 40 ormore) and they have a wide variety to choose from.

Beer News Around Durango – For the latest news on the beer scene in Durango, check out http://beerat6512.blogspot.com/. Our neighbors to the West have a great beer town, along with some great writers and this is a fun place to check up on the happninz. Erich Hennig, my brew-brotha-from-anotha-motha just joined the team. Check it out – I think you will enjoy it!

Pagosa Brewing Company News / Events:

Now on Tap! – Check out some of the new brews on tap at Pagosa Brewing Co:

- Double Black
Imperial Black IPA - One of the most extreme, and yet deceptively quaffable IPA's we’ve ever crafted. As such, we call it Double Black and it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s got an amazing balance of black malts and hops with an intense depth of character of rich malts, but not too heavy. First featured during the Opening Reception at the Big Beer Festival in Vail in January 2011.

- Peachy Peach

Champion Light Beer - San Juan Brewfest '11

Gold Medal Fruit Beer - Colorado State Fair '10

Our Peach Wheat is a real treat. Brewed as an American Wheat, it's got amazing aromas of real peaches and a wonderful balance of light beer and peaches in the flavor. Peachy Peach™ is exceedingly quaffable and one of our top sellers in the warmer months.

Also, Open Mic Night has started up again for the summer. I believe it starts at 6:00 PM on Tuesdays, but check with Pagosa Brewing Co to be sure on that!

FRONT RANGE & BEYOND NEWS & EVENTS:

Salida Brewer’s Rendezvous – July 14^th (One of the coolest beer fests in CO if you ask me. And yes, I heard you askin’.)

Great American Beer Festival – October 11-13. http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/

Win A Seat In A Siebel Brewing School Course - MoreBeer! Is giving away a seat at the Siebel Institute of Technology's Advanced Homebrewing Program! For each issue of our "Brewing Techniques" magazines ordered, you'll receive one entry for your chance to win! This class will run for one week, from July 23rd - July 27th. See below for contest and class details.Siebel Institute of Technology is a well respected school that attracts thousands of brewers seeking a higher level of brewing knowledge. Siebel has been teaching brewers the "secrets of brewing" for the past 140 years, and continues to gain popularity. These students don't only fly in from across the country; They're flying in from across the world! If you're looking to work in a brewery, become a brewmaster, or open your own brew pub, Siebel is a great place to start. In fact, to show some lucky brewer out there just how great this place is, we'll be running a contest during the next 4 weeks for a chance to go to one of these courses! For more info go to www.morebeer.com for more info.

FOR SALE / FOR FREE / WANTED:

Fridge (Great for a Kegerator) – If a HOPS member is interested in building a kegerator I found a free fridge that would be great for the job. Email me for more info – randy@speeddirect.com. Again, don’t reply to this email or you will send it to every beer drinking fool on the planet. Really.

Wanted – Looking for desperate people willing to work long hours in the sun for minimal pay in dirty, unforgiving conditions. Seriously, I need help picking lots of spruce tips for my side business. Must be willing to work for beer and potato chips out in the forest. You are allowed to bring a lawn chair, but the more you harvest the more beer you get paid with, so you may want to consider putting casters on your lawn chair. Desperate high school kids would be perfect (over 21 of course) because they need to fix their Yugo and are hurting for beer money. If there were college kids here I would try to wrangle them but there aren’t any. So I’ll try to wrangle homebrew club members instead. (Hey, sometimes they are trying to fix their Yugo and are desperate for beer money too!) And yes, I am using the club brewsletter for my own personal spamming. Hey, it has to do with beer – the spruce tips are for brewing man! Interested? Contact me at randy@speeddirect.com. You know you want this job…

Anybody else have anything you want to list? Beer related or not, just lemme know and I will circulate your stuff around the universe. Well, my universe…

Links:

Homebrewing News – A website started by our buddy Bill Downs here in the Four Corners area that focuses on product reviews and more: www.homebrewingnews.com

Local Beerlover Networking Website: Check out www.brewerfest.com for a social beer lover’s networking site. It works kinda like Facebook, only without all the loser teenagers counting how many totally irrelevant “friends” they can amass proving how completely lame they are. This site is actually cool! (Yes, a big fan of Facepuke here…) Joseph from Pagosa Brewing started this one up and it has some great photos of HOPS junk, plus it is free to join! Sign in and rock out with your beer out.

Looking to diversify your homebrew? Check out a couple of these links for sharing and browsing tons of different homebrew recipes. Kick it up a notch – BAM!
www.brewtoad.com
www.hopville.com
http://www.tastybrew.com/newrcp/styleview.html

Details about the Homebrew Clubs Gathering in Aztec on June 2^nd: