What are your plans for the Big Brew? Will you brew one of the official recipes or strike out on your own? Will you have a gathering and join in the official toast?
I stopped by the LHBS the other day, bought some ingredients for an English Pale Ale, and ran into Alestateyall and his friends for a pint. I recommended to the staff they join in the AHA Big Brew May 6th in celebration of National Homebrew Day. The staff seemed to know nothing about it but welcomed the idea and said he’d be brewing the Saison. I sent a note this AM with a link to the AHA site and will stop by in the next week or so to confirm their participation. If confirmed we may stop in and hang out a while, if not I’ll fire up the hausbrauerie.
My plan is to brew a modified (simpler, shorter brew) of the Rushmore IPA today and then in a week. The idea will be to brew, bottle, label and try on May 6th. I plan to send home with each visitor at least one bottle of beer. This way they can observe all of the phases.
Our club is setting up at Woodland Farms Brewery in Kittery, ME. This brewery just opened a few months ago, and set up right in the middle of the Kittery Outlets…Genius!
I think it’s great AHA wants to encourage brewing so they promote this event. That’s cool. But then, why choose a Saison recipe with some obscure hops I doubt most LHBS(s) have? Hops so obscure that they make a recommendation for substituting them right in the recipe. I believe if you want to encourage brewing, you ought to recommend recipes with normally obtainable ingredients. I dunno.