Big Brew Day – 2015

It’s that time of year again – the AHA is once again sponsoring a Big Brew Day. We will be participating as a club by brewing at 3 Stars Brewing, who have graciously offered to sponsor us for this event. Their homebrew shop will be open, so you can pick up the ingredients for your

2015 DCHB Cherry Blossom Competition

It’s time to start brewing your entries for DC Homebrewers’ Cherry Blossom Competition. This is the second year the competition will be sanctioned by the Beer Judge Certification Program, meaning you’ll get great feedback from certified judges and be eligible for fantastic prizes. (Here’s more info about what being a BJCP-sanctioned competition means.) Why Should

Sept 2014 Oktoberfest Meeting

Another DC Homebrewers Oktoberfest meeting has come and gone. As always, a great time was had by all. Our hosts – Martin and Kristan Doczkat – provided the perfect space for us to enjoy all the great beer and great food.

Speaking of food – they also provided 6 chickens slow roasted over charcoal and a couple of smoked pork butts. Plenty of food was provided by the Food Committee and others, including pretzels, rouladen, potato pancakes, pickled red cabbage, brats, and more. We will try to better next time to accommodate the vegetarians in the group, but for those who imbibe in the meats, no one should have been hungry.

BJCP Study Along: Session 1 – An Introduction to Beer Judging

Study group members listen to Jamie Langlie explain the scoring process.

Study group members listen to Jamie Langlie explain the scoring process.

So begins the H.O.P.S. BJCP study session! First, let’s learn about evaluating beers, the BJCP judging process, and the certification exam. To guide your own discussion on these topics, read How to Judge Beer for a quick primer on what’s involved. Also reference chapters I – III in the BJCP Exam Study Guide.

So You Want to Be a Beer Judge … A Study-Along Series

DC Homebrewers President  Bob Rouse judges a beer

DC Homebrewers President Bob Rouse judges a beer

If you’re enthusiastic about beer and homebrewing, becoming a certified beer judge is a valuable next step to expand your knowledge, appreciation, and brewing ability. The American Homebrewers Association’s Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) is designed to help aspiring judges develop the sensory awareness and knowledge of beer styles, history, and brewing science necessary to be effective judges (and better brewers).

Preparing for the BJCP exam requires quite of bit of study (and drinking), though. This summer, the women of H.O.P.S. (Homebrew Outreach and Participation Sisterhood, a sub-committee of DC Homebrewers) are conducting a BJCP study group. Although the group is already at capacity, we’d like to share our notes and beer lists with you so you can study along at home.

June 2014 Meeting

It seems like just a few weeks ago we had our May Meeting. Mark Nicui won the UK Beer Styles club-only competition, with Omar 2nd and Erich 3rd. Our June meeting will be on the 16th (the location has been sent via email). There is no club-only competition, but we will have a German malt

May 2014 Meeting

It’s almost time for our May meeting! Tuesday May 20th we will be meeting at the home of Patrick Coonan, who lives in the U Street/Columbia Heights area. The exact address has been sent via email. The theme for this month’s meeting is “UK Styles”, so bring your milds, your Scottish ales, your ESBs… Or

4th Annual Sam Adams / DC Homebrewers Competition

UPDATE: Winners listed below!

Our 4th annual Sam Adams / DC Homebrewers homebrew contest is almost upon us! In previous years, the winners have gone to GABF, Oktoberfest, and the Sam Adams brewery in Boston. This year, the winner will be going to the Yakima Valley in Washington for the hop harvest. It must smell amazing.

We had the preliminary judging Tuesday night, and there are 15 winners moving forward to the final round, which is THIS SATURDAY (April 26th), starting at noon at City Tap House near Chinatown (http://www.citytaphousedc.com/). There will be a celebrity panel of judges picking the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. There will also be a “crowd favorite” prize picked by the attendees, so come taste some wonderful beers and pick your favorite. Winners and awards will be presented at 4:00.

Here are the brewers who made it into the finals: