June tasting: Belgian Witbeer (thanks for Lee and Monoghan, serving, presenting)
Check out the forum for info about the tasting schedule. Witbeer: belgian wheat beer, usually spiced (corriander, orange, typically), plus Belgian-type yeast.
Try all the beers first, then discuss and comment.
After second beer, any comments? More spice in the second beer. Bolder. First one was very mellow, kinda boring.
Cloves in the third beer. Number 4, very neutral, more German wheat, not spicey, not so true to style.
Favorite? #2 very popular, a few #3, a few #4
Beer 1: Blue Moon
Beer 2: Avery White Rascal
Beer 3: homebrew – Jason Latham
Beer 4: Hoegaarten
Comments: Hoegaarten seemed very mellow compared to on tap at bar. Possibly suffered from bottling, shipping.
Seminar, Jeff Jensen:
Mash efficiency. Why aren't you hitting your OG/gravity targets, etc.
What is mash efficiency? The theoretical potential of sugars from mash versus what you actually get. How do we improve efficiency? Weigh grains accurately. Measure liquids before and after to correct amounts, calculations. Need to take good notes, be able to relate recipe and process in absolute numbers, rather than generalizations.
Milling: the finer the crush, the higher the potential extraction. The limit is too much grinding, adding husk flavor or causing a stuck sparge. Trial and error process.
Liquid-to-grain ratio. 1 to 1.5 liquid to grain ratio for mash is target. Don't want it to be too thick or too thin. 1 quart water to 1 pound of grain. The lesser amount of water is the goal, the better the conversion. Limit, again, is stuck sparge.
Water chemistry: salts, sodium to chloride balance. See chart in John Palmer's book How to Brew, 2nd Ed., for best efficiencies (chart in the back), to achieve optimal pH for starch breakdown. pH of 5.2 (?) to 5.5 is ideal. Test with strips or reader, Northern Brewer has acids for balancing base/pH.
Temperature range. Mashing/doughing in. Too high: stops conversion. Too low, no conversion. Consistency and maintaining temperature are key to highest efficiency.
Mash for how long? Most mash for 1 hour, but depends on recipe, chemistry. How do I know? Use iodine test (available at Dillons): take liquid from the mash, put it on a white plate, add 1 drop tincture of iodine, as the color gets progressively closer to clear (rusty brown), you have extracted maximum.
Need to raise mash temperature to knock-out temp: 165 degrees. Stops all enzymatic activity. This is important to be able reproduce the recipe. 165 will also improve flow of sparge, better flow of sugars into the kettle.
Finally: percentage of moisture in the grain, affecting weight when measuring. Storing grain as tightly sealed, away from moisture, as dry as possible, to ensure consistency. Also, use grain quickly – within 6 months, e.g. - don't store grains for long periods of time, as they will absorb moisture (and possibly rot).
Business meeting:Secretary's note: apologies for any techie details I got wrong. Excellent seminar, Jeff! Thanks.
Lots of stuff to discuss. Let’s try and be efficient, folks!
New people? Crystal Havens – brewer, wine. Lynnette Woods – maybe interested, observing. Comment: we need more chicks brewing. Jeff Vinyard, just joined. Andrew S, showed up last year, coming back.
Clean up crew: Jason, Cheryl, Ken, Dan Melsch. Thank you!
Treasurer:
109 paid members. Maifest pint glasses for sale – $1. Total guild balance currently: $6073.84
Librarian:
New book – Tasting Beer. Excellent. Check it out (literally). How-to DVDs are back (extract brewing, whole grain brewing, etc.).
Sean has some old books to give to the library. Thanks, Sean.
Old Business:
Pints for Pets – raised $1500 for Humane Society. Yeah!
505050 party. Yeah for old people!
Mugs for Juggs is this Saturday – beer, bands, good cause
Equipment Manager? Quartermaster?
Andy Booth volunteered to be quartermaster. Isn't here. All in favor? Everyone. Passed.
Tents
We need to decide how much/many we should buy. Clint described proposed 3-tent option for $1000+ including shipping. All in favor? Everyone. Passed. Clint will order, get money from Xan.
Trailer
Good discussion on forum. Insurance. Liability. Should we buy? Who can use it? Where will it be stored? $1500 plus title, etc.
All in favor to buy? Almost all approved, Monoghan and Lee opposed. Passed.
Sean: propose that the trailer cannot be used until the “rules” are in place, to be discussed on the forum and voted on next month. Proposed. Group agrees. There will be a committee to put it all together.
New Business
Committees for Brewfest – Logistics met, ticket prices will stay the same ($40). Soon will be beer pledges on forum. See the forum for the rules.
Beverage committees – have reefer truck – Tucker rules! Next meeting will be in July.
Food committee – Sean needs an extra 5-6 volunteers before Brewfest for shopping at Costco. Sign up on Forum. This committee will get going in August.
Invitation to tour new Free State bottling production facility.
Chuck Magerl suggested September 2nd. All in favor? Everyone. Passed. Look for that on the forum, there will probably be a sign-up.
Christmas Party
Where to have it? Fellowship or Lawrence Union Depot. Fellowship board won't commit to the date, so the Depot is prefered. Saturday, Dec 12. 6 p.m. – Midnight. All in favor? Everyone approves.
MaiFest 2010.
May first date is already taken. May 9th. May 15th/16 (KU graduation weekend). All in favor of last date? Everyone. Anyone want May 9th (mother's day)? No one.
Grain buy currently going on forum. Big hand for Rob for doing the grain buy.
Brewer of the Year?
Winner is Jeff Jensen! Trophy is still at Shane's – gonna have to steal it from him. Only 29 people (of 105 paid members) voted. Need to do better next year.
Maifest, again (Xan checked online) -
May 15th isn't available any more. Sean offered to maybe host at his place – pending okay from Sherry. Could move the date back to the first. Discussion tabled.
Keg buy – on the forum. Today is the last day. Payments due to Xan within 7 days.
Meeting adjourned.