Home of the BrewNosers

Hi all,

I was at beer on the pier this weekend and Liverdance suggested I should join up and start attending some meetings. I live in Sackville NB and would be looking to carpool. I understand some people commute to meetings from Amhurst, I would love to split driving responsibilities.

I am a foodie and a beer "snob", but I only got into the home brew hobby this year (although I have been making mead for a while now). I love it immensely. I grew up among the vineyards in Niagara, Ontario, so I think fermented beverages are in my blood. I belong to a number of forums, but I feel a real, not digital, community would be a great thing. I currently only have the capacity to do partial grain, but will be expanding sometime soon. I have never done any bottle conditioning because a friend gave me his old keg, I feel like I cheated, but hey, who is going to say no to a free kegarator. As for taste, I like new bold flavors, like some of the ales and hopps coming out of the west coast, or sometimes I go for something more traditional like Belgium triple or a stout. I like any good beer really, as long as its not carbonated water like some well known breweries try to pass off as beer. I am currently exploring barley wines, and would love to talk to someone about what makes a good barley wine over a bad one. I only started drinking them about two months ago, so I know very little about them. Anyways, I have rambled long enough. I look forward to meeting those of you who attend the meetings and hearing from those of you who don't.

Cheers,
Graham

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention one thing. I hope someone out there likes to cook with beer as much as I do and we can exchange some ideas. I tend to think the complexities of beer make it twice as good as wine when it comes to pairing tasties with drinkables. As much as I love wine and how subtle its character can be, beer wins hands down for range of flavors. I hope someone out there agrees.

Glad you could make it Graham.

It'll be rough to get down for Tuesday meetings for you, but keep an eye on the events section for what's happening. And make your way to the food forum as well when you get a chance.

Welcome from the other side of the marsh. I, unfortunately, haven't made it down to any meetings yet for precisely the reason that X mentioned. Maybe Andy (akr71) and I will have to organize a bit of a local meet up at some point so all of us up in this area can get together.

jeffsmith wrote:

Welcome from the other side of the marsh. I, unfortunately, haven't made it down to any meetings yet for precisely the reason that X mentioned. Maybe Andy (akr71) and I will have to organize a bit of a local meet up at some point so all of us up in this area can get together.

I make it to 1 meeting/year on average & still trying to fit one in this year... but with 3 of us now, we might be able to take turns driving and make it every 3 or 4 months or so.

I whole-heatedly support a Brewnosers-Tantramar Chapter meeting!

As for Barleywines - I've never made any, but I do have all 3 years of Garrison's Ol Fog Burner + the 2010 Glen Breton aged sitting in my cellar just waiting for a few people to help out with a vertical tasting and a couple bottles of Samichlaus (I don't know if it is technically a Barleywine, but at 14% it works for me).

jeffsmith wrote:

Welcome from the other side of the marsh. I, unfortunately, haven't made it down to any meetings yet for precisely the reason that X mentioned. Maybe Andy (akr71) and I will have to organize a bit of a local meet up at some point so all of us up in this area can get together.

Local meeting sounds good, I would be up for a few brews and some beer talk. I try to keep a few harder to find beers around for people who like good beer so we could have it at my place, but my place isn't too big. Although, I can always drive them across the marsh.

I would also be up for the drive to Halifax after work on Tuesdays, but maybe every couple of months or so. Especially if a few of us carpooled, that way only one person has to keep a close eye on consumption.

akr71 wrote:
I make it to 1 meeting/year on average & still trying to fit one in this year... but with 3 of us now, we might be able to take turns driving and make it every 3 or 4 months or so.

I whole-heatedly support a Brewnosers-Tantramar Chapter meeting!

As for Barleywines - I've never made any, but I do have all 3 years of Garrison's Ol Fog Burner + the 2010 Glen Breton aged sitting in my cellar just waiting for a few people to help out with a vertical tasting and a couple bottles of Samichlaus (I don't know if it is technically a Barleywine, but at 14% it works for me).

How perfect, I have a bottle of Lagunitas GnarlyWine and I was just wondering who might be up to tasting it. I have a few beer snob friends, but none of them are yet into barley wines. I do like the most recent Ol Fog Burner, its probably my favorite barley wine I have tried so far. If you are up to opening one for a stranger I would love to see how age impacts the taste of a Barley wine I know I already like. I would be happy to bring the Lagunitas to do a tasting at our local chapter meeting. I probably know a few other people who would be into a closer to home meeting too. I couldn't get them into going to Halifax but Amhurst or here in Sackville is probably a lot more enticing to them.

I have a few beer geek friends on both sides of the marsh, so either works for me. Though I don't know if I can commit to anything until next week or later.

And remember, there are other events than just the Tuesday meetings that would be of interest, like hoptoberfest...

akr71 wrote:I have a few beer geek friends on both sides of the marsh, so either works for me. Though I don't know if I can commit to anything until next week or later.

16th-18th or the 23rd-25th are good for me. I have one buddy who used to brew that is interested for sure and I will ask around and see if there are others.

Beer and food, hmmmm nope we hate that sort of thing actually one of those chickens I smoked with onions was brined for 24 hrs in weizen

Also, occasionally I bring the H & T to Amherst!

Sent from the hop-phone.

Welcome to the forums, Graham!

For sure check out the "Events" part of the forum, especially with Hoptoberfest coming up in September, I hope you and the other Marsh People can make it down. We're also starting to do Friday night tastings, which means you could make a weekend trip out of it too. Brewnosers meeting, Hart and Thistle, etc.

I'm also a big barleywine fan, I've got ~30 of them in my cellar just waiting for the right folks to come along and drink them... You could be those people!

NASH wrote:Also, occasionally I bring the H & T to Amherst!

Maybe we'll be able to organize for sometime that you're up this way.

mgc wrote:so we could have it at my place, but my place isn't too big. Although, I can always drive them across the marsh.

I could probably offer up my place for a get together at some point. I've got a pretty good spot downstairs with a bar area, big TV and whatnot. I'd have to wait into September though likely until the craziness of the summer (or is this fall, can't tell) dies down. We've got family and friends visiting on and off pretty much until after Labour Day here.

chalmers wrote:For sure check out the "Events" part of the forum, especially with Hoptoberfest coming up in September, I hope you and the other Marsh People can make it down.

Had been hoping to make it down but the PEI Beer Festival is the same weekend, have a feeling I could get roped into going to that by family/friends. We'll see though. "Marsh People"—like that one.

jeffsmith wrote:"Marsh People"—like that one.

C.S.Lewis called them "Marsh Wiggles".

jeffsmith wrote:

NASH wrote:Also, occasionally I bring the H & T to Amherst!

Maybe we'll be able to organize for sometime that you're up this way.

Absolutely!

I also love to cook with Beer i'm attending NBCC in ST Andrews taking the Culinary Arts program so Im going to try to work in beer pairings in as im not a huge fan of wine !!!

Excellent!!