is the AHA a scam??

[freemontbrwr]

just saw the price of the VIRTUAL conference price ,,,, wow!!!!!!! count me out.

everything these people do is to make $$$$ ... even things to ""support"" the community is all $$$ focused ,,, during reeally low point of homebrewing what did they do
i went to check on there income by charity navigator but they arent listed. turns out not a nonprofit ive drove by there building ... people cant even afford a house in boulder

is the whole thing a scam? what would this hobby be like if the group people thought was a nonprofit was a nonprofit really working hard to promote homebrewing

 

[hout17]

If you are a member you can get 10% off beer at most places at least where I'm at. I don't think it's a scam at all and yeah Boulder is pricey.

 

[MaxStout]

The AHA is not a non-profit organization. It is a not for profit organization, which is different.

In any case, it's not a scam. It has thousands of members who enjoy the benefits of membership. But if you don't like what AHA is doing, perhaps you could just calm down, ignore them and move along.

 

[hout17]

I would also like to add that I'm a member and frequent the AHA forum definitely not a scam. Denny Conn is very active over there and if he thinks it's legit then I'm on board. If anything support the American Homebrewers Association!

Also last time I checked the GABF is in Denver and only a short distance from Boulder. Also you can get award winning recipes from them if you are a member.

Also chill out and brew some beer and smile that's what it's all about anyway brew on!

 

[bracconiere]

is this a heart one, the historical one, or something else?

 

[DBhomebrew]

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/

 

[bracconiere]

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/
Thank the AHA for a legal hobby.

damn right, InBev would **** bricks, if they knew they were losing $7,000 a year on just one lowly homebrewer, imagine if it was popular! they wouldn't care if i was selling my ass on the street corner, and homeless....as long as they were getting the money.....

 

[DBhomebrew]

I had my history a bit confused. Papazian founded AHA just after Carter signed the legalization of homebrewing.

But nonetheless, American homebrewing has much to thank AHA and its founders for.

 

[bracconiere]

I had my history a bit confused. Papazian founded AHA just after Carter signed the legalization of homebrewing.

But nonetheless, American homebrewing has much to thank AHA and its founders for.

all i remember is a quote hard to come by these days, but it was...blah, blah how good "and if i can brew my own for 20 cents a quart i should be able too!"

 

[Jayjay1976]

I'm a member, that alone makes it legit.

 

[bracconiere]

I'm a member, that alone makes it legit.

i have 3 supporting memberships to HBT? (wait man you're missing something? not saying it's as fancy as a AHA magazine, but gotta keep the ole' lights on for HBT, it might be a scam, but they might teach someone how to brew once in a while?)

 

[Andres Falconer]

The AHA is not a non-profit organization. It is a not for profit organization, which is different.

In any case, it's not a scam. It has thousands of members who enjoy the benefits of membership. But if you don't like what AHA is doing, perhaps you could just calm down, ignore them and move along.

Despite some arguments to the contrary, the terms "nonprofit" and "not-for-profit" are synonymous. Basically, they are organizations that cannot distribute any financial surplus (profits) to shareholders, and thus benefit from certain tax exemptions. What some more narrowly call "nonprofits" are organizations classified as 501(c)(3) - in addition to not distributing profits, they are set up for charitable, educational, religious or scientific purposes. The AHA is listed as a 501(c)(6), which is a category used for business leagues, chambers of commerce and other organizations that - despite their non-profit-distributing nature - are created to promote a trade, profession or commercial activity (i.e. homebrewing). They are not listed or rated by Charity Navigator because, as a 501(c)(6), their membership dues are considered business expenses, rather than charitable donations, and are not tax deductible. Yes, the AHA is legit; no, it is not a scam.

 

[Bobby_M]

As the AHA grew larger and Papazian was taking a less active role, I think it lost a little of its soul. Despite that, I will always attend the in-person conference because the people that attend are my people and it is one of the highlights of my year.

 

[odie]

Interesting FIRST post ever by the OP...

 

[passedpawn]

I was a member for years. But I never used a discount and never went to the conf. I did submit beers once to the competition. I mostly paid to keep up the fight for open homebrewing in all 50 states. When that was done, I stopped becoming a member. I don't doubt that they do other things that benefit the homebrewing community, like their forum. But I don't use any of that.

Charlie's an upstanding dude. I suspect he will be forgotten by future brewers as he doesn't tour anymore, and his book is now deprecated for Palmer's How to Brew. Remember when half the posts on this site contained RDWHAHB? Here's the interview Papazian did for our HBT forum. Also, I put a sweet video down there.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/legends-in-brewing-charlie-papazian.678727/

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I am am an AHA member and there are numerous benefits that justify the $4 per month price (free books, great recipe catalog, homebrew con recordings, discounts, so-so magazine, etc.).

just saw the price of the VIRTUAL conference price ,,,, wow!!!!!!! count me out.

I do think somebody made a mistake there. I think if they priced it at $39 I would have signed up. After a year of way too many Zoom happy hours and meetings, I am not going to pay $99+ to sit through more...especially since the session recording will be available in 4 months. I had expected that after a year to plan, they would have come up with better ideas for a virtual event.

Hopefully in the future they will keep on online-only option in the $30 to $50 price range.

 

[MaxStout]

Despite some arguments to the contrary, the terms "nonprofit" and "not-for-profit" are synonymous. Basically, they are organizations that cannot distribute any financial surplus (profits) to shareholders, and thus benefit from certain tax exemptions. What some more narrowly call "nonprofits" are organizations classified as 501(c)(3) - in addition to not distributing profits, they are set up for charitable, educational, religious or scientific purposes. The AHA is listed as a 501(c)(6), which is a category used for business leagues, chambers of commerce and other organizations that - despite their non-profit-distributing nature - are created to promote a trade, profession or commercial activity (i.e. homebrewing). They are not listed or rated by Charity Navigator because, as a 501(c)(6), their membership dues are considered business expenses, rather than charitable donations, and are not tax deductible. Yes, the AHA is legit; no, it is not a scam.

With all the distinctions you have (correctly) pointed out, I wouldn't characterize the two entities as being "synonymous," lol.

Anyway, I think one-post wonder @freemontbrwr is long gone and had only stopped by to vent some frustrations. HBT gets those "drive-by trolls" from time to time. Makes for entertaining reading.

 

[matt_m]

AHA no. Online Conferences yes. I "went" to 2 last year that pivoted virtual after many years of well attended in person conferences. For the virtual pivots, one went free, one my employer paid nearly 10x the price of the AHA conference. Both were a complete waste for me and I heard similar feedback from peers. Neither had much in the way of on-demand recordings available, it was all live or pre-recorded but only available at a set time. Since people were producing their own content the production quality varied from unwatchable to better done than my local news. Unfortunately the quality of the content didn't always line up with the quality of the production leaving only a few sessions that were really well done. Lastly...most sessions weren't interactive like a web meeting, more like watching TV. Most sessions muted attendees and only responded to questions from the chat. That said, I have no idea how AHA intends to run theirs...maybe they will allow more interaction.

 

[bwible]

I don't doubt that they do other things that benefit the homebrewing community, like their forum. But I don't use any of that.

Remember when half the posts on this site contained RDWHAHB?

To me, it’s a magazine subscription and some online content you can access. The AHA doesn’t charge seperate subscriptions for Zymurgy magazine and online access, like BYO does.

Zymurgy is decent overall, but can be hit or miss. Lot of the same articles over and over. How many different times do I need to read about Kviek yeast? Some months I find a couple interesting articles, some months I scan over it and throw in my pile with the rest because there’s nothing in it at all that interests me.

Like you said, I’m sure they have other benefits, but I don’t use any of that.

 

[Knightshade]

Troll much? Price went up after May 31, but I still think $139 for a three day conference despite..it being online isn't that bad. Am I attending...no...but that is because I'm a horrible online attendee of anything. I get too easily distracted and end up doing other things on the other monitor.

I just became a member within the past month, just so I could check out some of the archived content. Forgot to take advantage of, verify the discount at my LHBS w/my last order. Been reading through the most recent Zymurgy online magazine and have picked up some bits. Knowing that their existence supports home brewers nationwide at some level, makes membership worth it for me.

 

[Kent88]

is the whole thing a scam?

No. I seriously doubt it. And this is coming from someone who has several times declined to become a member despite being made aware of several benefits he'd like to make use of.

what would this hobby be like if the group people thought was a nonprofit was a nonprofit really working hard to promote homebrewing

I think you might have the wrong idea of what a nonprofit is. It doesn't equate to a charity. A "shining" example of that is the NFL (pre-2015?). They are/were a nonprofit. I wouldn't be surprised if a simple google search could bring up lists of organizations that we'd be surprised to find are nonprofit.

turns out not a nonprofit ive drove by there building ... people cant even afford a house in boulder

You don't have to be a nonprofit to do good things. And do you know how long they've owned that building? Maybe they bought when prices were low.

The AHA leadership seems to include some people who have done a lot for the hobby. Charlie P, obviously. I think @Denny was in a leadership position, too (maybe he still is?). I've actually met Chip Walton before, and I got the impression that he is a genuinely good guy.

I get that one might think that a virtual conference is probably cheaper, and for a lot of people it might be (no airplane tickets, less time off work), but I bet the AHA is paying through the nose for web services to reliably stream their content to everyone. They probably had to also hire a lot of tech support staff, and they're in demand right now.

It's probably more difficult to get new, interesting content these days. I don't know about everyone else, but with everyone traveling less I've been sharing less beer and even drinking less. It makes sense that homebrewing innovators probably aren't doing as much. Do people get paid to give talks at the AHA conference? They might be asking for more because it's tough to make content they feel is worthy of asking people to pay for. Sponsors might be harder to come by right now, because they're probably hurting and what space can you give them to advise?

Dude, if you don't want to pay for it, that's understandable. One of the best experiences, getting to meet with, talk to, and drink with other homebrewers, that's not a part of these virtual conferences. But just because AHA isn't renting a physical space (actually, they probably book venues years in advance, and I doubt they get all their money back if they cancel) doesn't mean that they have no expenses.

 

[Steveruch]

!

It's probably more difficult to get new, interesting content these days.

Back in 2013 Denny Conn advised someone who complained about the articles in Zymurgy to write something they'd like to read, query the editor, and submit it. While I didn't have any complaints I did query a piece and had it published. I now get credited as a frequent contributor on the pieces I get published (2-3 a year). Not to mention three pieces published in BYO.

 

[Kent88]

Back in 2013 Denny Conn advised someone who complained about the articles in Zymurgy to write something they'd like to read, query the editor, and submit it. While I didn't have any complaints I did query a piece and had it published. I now get credited as a frequent contributor on the pieces I get published (2-3 a year). Not to mention three pieces published in BYO.

It isn't that easy. I bet you put in a lot of time into what you're writing. It's been a while since I wrote college papers, and a few months ago I started brainstorming ideas for a mini-mash howto for beginners to read/reference, and I can tell my writing muscles have atrophied.

 

[MaxStout]

I'm in AHA, too, and I've noticed some repetition in articles. The other side of the coin is that they sometimes jump the shark. Making chicha? No thanks, I'll pass on the saliva brew. But somebody probably enjoys that, so it's all good. There are some foodie articles that I do enjoy, as it's related to beer. (Gotta eat in between drinking.)

Overall, I think AHA does a solid job on many fronts. Brewing education, member-only discounts, recipes, working with local clubs, the camaraderie, Zymurgy, and let's not forget all the lobbying they do to help remove legal roadblocks to brewing. And digital access to the back catalog of Zymurgy and seminar videos is worth the price of admission. $43/year is a bargain.

 

[Steveruch]

No. I seriously doubt it. And this is coming from someone who has several times declined to become a member despite being made aware of several benefits he'd like to make use of.



I think you might have the wrong idea of what a nonprofit is. It doesn't equate to a charity. A "shining" example of that is the NFL (pre-2015?). They are/were a nonprofit. I wouldn't be surprised if a simple google search could bring up lists of organizations that we'd be surprised to find are nonprofit.



You don't have to be a nonprofit to do good things. And do you know how long they've owned that building? Maybe they bought when prices were low.

The AHA leadership seems to include some people who have done a lot for the hobby. Charlie P, obviously. I think @Denny was in a leadership position, too (maybe he still is?). I've actually met Chip Walton before, and I got the impression that he is a genuinely good guy.

I get that one might think that a virtual conference is probably cheaper, and for a lot of people it might be (no airplane tickets, less time off work), but I bet the AHA is paying through the nose for web services to reliably stream their content to everyone. They probably had to also hire a lot of tech support staff, and they're in demand right now.

It's probably more difficult to get new, interesting content these days.

Back in 2013 Denny Conn advised someone who complained about the articles in Zymurgy to write something they'd like to read, query the editor, and submit it. While I didn't have any complaints I did query a piece and had it published. I now get credited as a frequent contributor on the pieces I get published (2-3 a year). Not to mention the pieces published in BYO.

It isn't that easy. I bet you put in a lot of time into what you're writing. It's been a while since I wrote college papers, and a few months ago I started brainstorming ideas for a mini-mash howto for beginners to read/reference, and I can tell my writing muscles have atrophied.

Sure I put time and effort into my articles. The point I was trying to make is if you aren't happy with the articles write some of your own.

 

[bwible]

Back in 2013 Denny Conn advised someone who complained about the articles in Zymurgy to write something they'd like to read, query the editor, and submit it. While I didn't have any complaints I did query a piece and had it published. I now get credited as a frequent contributor on the pieces I get published (2-3 a year). Not to mention three pieces published in BYO.

Don’t get me wrong. I have a giant collection of Zymurgy going all the way back to when they had plain paper covers. I dig through old issues and look at them often. That’s probably why I notice repitition more. I also have all of the AHA style series books and have read most of them. I do support the AHA.

Just like I’m not interested in NEIPA, sour beers, Belgian beers or Kviek yeast, many probably are. Just like I am very interested in British styles, cask ale, pseudo lagers and clean beers, many others probably aren’t. I get that. It’s the nature of the beast.

 

[eric19312]

I joined AHA when I was competing. Opened door to some competitions. Got occasional discounts on beer and ingredients for having the membership but usually forgot to ask for them. Never seriously considered attending the conference. Sounds like a lot of fun but just never seemed to fit my schedule. I'd be mainly interested in the social aspects, meeting folks from HBT would be very cool. Can't picture trying to do it virtually..maybe if I had beers in the competition but even then probably not.

 

[matt_m]

Repetitive articles in magazines are a complaint from longtime readers but new readers complain they never have articles on ____. Its the same thing with club presentations.

 

[Jhedrick83]

just saw the price of the VIRTUAL conference price ,,,, wow!!!!!!! count me out.

You think that's expensive for a virtual conference?? I had a trade conference last year that was $950 for a week of Zoom... and that was the discount after the outcry...

 

[JJinMD]

I am not currently a member, but thinking of joining just to keep Braccioniere off the street corner, I feel like I would be doing my small part for the community...

 

[Steveruch]

Don’t get me wrong. I have a giant collection of Zymurgy going all the way back to when they had plain paper covers. I dig through old issues and look at them often. That’s probably why I notice repitition more. I also have all of the AHA style series books and have read most of them. I do support the AHA.

Just like I’m not interested in NEIPA, sour beers, Belgian beers or Kviek yeast, many probably are. Just like I am very interested in British styles, cask ale, pseudo lagers and clean beers, many others probably aren’t. I get that. It’s the nature of the beast.

There are things in there that I'm not especially interested in too, but I read all the articles as my tastes sometimes change and I might end up wishing I had paid closer attention. And I sometimes see things in articles about my non favorite styles that I can incorporate into ones I am interested in.

 

[Kent88]

Sure I put time and effort into my articles. The point I was trying to make is if you aren't happy with the articles write some of your own.

The point I was trying to make was that people who put on virtual conferences, and good content creators in general, are working hard.

 

[MaxStout]

My profession, like many others, requires a certain amount of continuing ed credits in order to to stay current and maintain licensing. My state requires a minimum number of hours of instruction, much of it live and in-person. During the pandemic, these seminars pivoted to live video. The video seminars were a mixed bag in presentation quality (it's been a learning experience for everyone doing remote video!). Some were well-executed, others droned on and on. But all of them were informative and helpful to my practice. So I try to cut the presenters some slack and be open-minded.

The AHA videos I have watched have been varied as well, but I always walk away with some bit of good information. I choose the seminars that are relevant to my interests. It's the same with the magazine. Not everything is relevant to me, but I manage to find a few things I need within the articles. The magazine, and moreover, AHA, has to try to appeal to as broad a spectrum of interests as possible. Sometimes that spreads things a little thin, but there's always something interesting or helpful to glean.

 

[dmtaylor]

No organization is perfect. Is every little facet flawless? Probably not. That being said, an organization is still good overall if it brings more value to its members than amplification of its flaws.

The AHA gives me great value and pleasure. I'm a proud and happy member. I don't serve on the board or anything like that. No one is paying me to say any of this. I just know and appreciate what they do for members, and for the hobby as a whole. For that they should be commended IMHO.

Goodbye, troll.

 

[BQ&W]

Methinks the OP needs some RDWHAH!

 

[soccerdad]

I was a member for a number of years. It's a solid organization with a good mission and a good publication. But - in the end I determined that I get as much here and at Brewersfriend and with a few you tube channels. So that's what I do now. VIVA AHA!

 

[Yooper]

Do people get paid to give talks at the AHA conference? They might be asking for more because it's tough to make content they feel is worthy of asking people to pay for.

No, we don't get paid for it. Not even a discount on rooms when it's in person. Some will be there out of the goodness of their hearts and the joy of doing it, some may have a book or software to promote in their bio- but for the most part it's just volunteering the time to do it (and it takes a ton of time to do the Powerpoint, the talks, etc). I think I spent a good 100 hours or so preparing for mine last year.

 

[Nagorg]

Making chicha? No thanks, I'll pass on the saliva brew.

^^^This! I almost puked reading that article..

 

[Kent88]

for the most part it's just volunteering the time to do it (and it takes a ton of time to do the Powerpoint, the talks, etc). I think I spent a good 100 hours or so preparing for mine last year.

It's pretty cool that people are volunteering like that.

Even though I'm not an AHA member, nor have I seen your presentation, I appreciate that you put so much effort into this, and things like it.

 

[Jayjay1976]

i have 3 supporting memberships to HBT? (wait man you're missing something? not saying it's as fancy as a AHA magazine, but gotta keep the ole' lights on for HBT, it might be a scam, but they might teach someone how to brew once in a while?)

Hey thanks Bracco, for the supporting membership! I'll be sure to pay it forward!!