Monks

   Last Saturday night was a time of worship in the basement of the Testerman house, as Bruce hosted a meeting of the Mile High Monks brew club. It's a time for beer enthusiasts to get together and exchange ideas and thoughts about beer. Wow,what a concept!

    I would like to thank Chris Testerman for the invite and the use of his camera to take these pictures. All in all I would say that around two dozen people showed up for the meeting. This allows us to mingle about and discuss all aspects of home brewing. It's great for the novice and the experienced alike, as we get to talk directly to the people who have been there and done that. Reading a book is one thing, but being able to talk to someone is a whole different animal. Everyone shows up with their own homebrews and we compare and discuss. What type of malt did you use? What kind of hops, how much and when did you add it to the boil? Did you pitch dry or liquid yeast? Did you employ a single infusion or a step infusion mash? Were any adjuncts used? Did you toast some of the grain? Can I get this recipe? Bla, bla, bla. It sounded like a room full of hens cackling. Yes, we are a dedicated group.

   I'm sure some of you are reading this and are thinking that this just sounds like a bunch of drunks gathering to get juiced. This really was not the case at all. We are just trying to figure out how to brew better beer and this is a great way to do it. Another way we can accomplish this feat is by going to the Great American Beer Festival (left) which will be held in Denver this year on September 28-30. Last year 466 breweries competed for gold medals in 69 different categories. We had to opportunity to sample 1,672 different beers, available in one ounce shots. A lot of the time the brewmasters are there and you are able to talk with them about their creations. Very informative and a whole bunch of fun. You can find more info about this event and homebrewing at www.beertown.org.

    The bottom line is we all had a great time and that's what it's all about. As Ben Franklin said, "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants to see us happy". I think everyone was pretty happy last Saturday night. Oh, and thanks for the food Bruce. That potato salad was awesome.

   Give a man a beer, he'll waste an hour. Teach a man to brew, he'll waste a lifetime.   -   bumper sticker

Comments

[Doug]

You recently posted this comment on my blog:

"Great pictures and excellent articles as well. You really do jump into it all unabashed."

Uh huh! And you don't, eh?

Lemme see - its getting about time for a light wheat beer about now - at least here in Hue where its 95 degrees.

Enjoy that beer with a good cigar.

[Russ]

Touche' mi amigo.

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