New England Brew Session & yankee enginuity

[chillHayze]

Trying to decide if I want to finish my last batch of brews before I move or take them with me.

Moving beer can be troublesome (heavy, fragile, etc.). I moved a few cases last time we moved and the added difficulty wasn't really worth it. The only bummer is you have to re-build up your stock. Wait - brewing, a bummer? Nah!

Welcome to the forums and the Northeast!

 

[evanmars]

Moving beer can be troublesome (heavy, fragile, etc.). I moved a few cases last time we moved and the added difficulty wasn't really worth it. The only bummer is you have to re-build up your stock. Wait - brewing, a bummer? Nah!

Welcome to the forums and the Northeast!

Guess I'd better get busy drinking then. I've got about 30 Grolsch bottles of homebrew to drink before the middle of January. Shouldn't be too hard.......

P.S. I've got to start taking notes. I can't even remember what style it is supposed to be.

 

[evanmars]

I thought I heard about a Berkshires-based homebrew club, but could find no info. If you find your way over to Hennessy, you might ask the gent who runs the store. I heard it mentioned when he was on the local NPR station one afternoon.

Short of that, HBT pretty much IS my homebrew club (and there are rumblings that we may make this an official club). We're going to try and have get-togethers with some regularity, hopefully we'll have one going in Feburary or so.

Where/what is Hennessy?

 

[the_bird]

It's a homebrew shop (a really nice one) just outside of Troy, NY, about an hour or so from either Bennington or North Adams. The guys there are really helpful, and they stock pretty much everything you need for ingredients.

 

[evanmars]

Awesome. Maybe I'll stop on my way into town.


No, probably not. I'll be on the last leg of an 11 hour drive and it will probably be somewhere near midnight.

 

[Hippie]

Welcome to New England (soon)!! Where abouts in MI are you from? I have had a bunch of friends from the GR/Holland area and spent a month in east lansing once. Any idea where you will settle here? I'll look forward to meeting you at one of these events.

PS. if you get here soon, you can watch your home team become a Super Bowl Champ (again)

 

[evanmars]

I live in the Battle Creek area. About 1 hour south of Grand Rapids. About 45 minutes South-SouthWest of Lansing.

Thinking of settling in the North Adams, MA area.

I'll need some consoling with some homebrews for a while. I'll be leaving my wife and daughter behind for a few months until my wife finishes up her semester at school and (hopefully) get the house situation worked out (both in MI and in MA/VT/NY).

 

[the_bird]

I work in North Adams, I've lived in the area for a few years, so let me know if you need help getting settled in. North Adams is a decent little town, it's improved a ton just in the past five or ten years. Bennington's OK, too, that's where I grew up, but even smaller.

Not sure if you're looking to buy or rent a house, but the real estate market in North Adams is pretty reasonable - but you might look into Adams (where I live) if you have small kids (the school system is a lot better).

In any case, welcome again to the board, and soon welcome to the Northern Berkshires!

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

In any case,

Pun: intended or unintended? YOU decide!

:cross:

 

[the_bird]

Pun: intended or unintended? YOU decide!

:cross:

......




Help me out, brother, it was a long weekend... where's the pun?

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Help me out, brother, it was a long weekend... where's the pun?

In any CASE, on a beer site, ya know? Maybe like a case of beer? Throw me a bone here people...


:cross:

Oh yeah, Merry Ho Ho, 'bird, hope you and yours had a good one!

 

[the_bird]

Oh, wow.






That was really, REALLY lame.

Like, REALLY bad. So bad that *I* wouldn't have gone there (and trust me, I am the KING of terrible puns).

 

[evanmars]

Hey Bird,
I am looking to rent some small shack for a few months until my wife and 5 year old daughter come out. Can you give me a line on some rental companies?

Looking to buy a house after they get here.

 

[chillHayze]

Just rent Bird's brewshed for a few months!

 

[the_bird]

I'll ask around in the morning; the only time I rented a place in the area, it was answering an ad in the newspaper. I'll shoot you a PM with some names and numbers.

 

[Hippie]

Finally got the brew that Vermicous gave me into bottles today... I'll give y'all a report in 2 weeks

Evan, good luck with your search...

 

[chillHayze]

So boys my pale ale is coming along nicely...
When are we gonna do another one of these?

 

[the_bird]

Well, just got the smoked porter bottled last night. Hoping to get my IPA bottled Wednesday night, as well. Anytime three weeks out and up is good for me.

Incididentally, BostonBrewin' mentioned in a PM that he'll be up sometime in the spring, and he'll be in the next town over from Kai. We'll have to do an invasion of Kai's place then. And, my offer to host either this winter or in the spring (as a family-friendly affair) holds.

 

[Kaiser]

Incididentally, BostonBrewin' mentioned in a PM that he'll be up sometime in the spring, and he'll be in the next town over from Kai.

We should definately try to coordinate this such that BOSTON can make it.

We'll have to do an invasion of Kai's place then. And, my offer to host either this winter or in the spring (as a family-friendly affair) holds.

I'm fine with the family friendly gathering. There would probably not much brewing or drinking for me since my little girl is still a hand-full with all the energy that she has. Maybe we have snow and can go sledding.

Kai

 

[the_bird]

I'm fine with the family friendly gathering. There would probably not much brewing or drinking for me since my little girl is still a hand-full with all the energy that she has. Maybe we have snow and can go sledding.

Kai

Dude, I *need* to see you brew. I have such a hard time understanding the idea of a decotion mash, I'd love to see how it actually works. Maybe I can understand half the stuff you talk about, someday...

I think we should try and arrange a get-together this winter, maybe middle part of February? Don't know when Boston will be up, he just said "spring," so by the time that comes our beers from the last session could be a bit past their prime.

 

[the_bird]

You know, I think Chimone's going to be in the area for his brewing school fairly soon; maybe we should see if he wanted to meet up, as well.

 

[Boston]

Can you guys plan something around March? I want to visit my dad in Townsend, MA.....a stone's throw from Kai's house.

 

[the_bird]

Well, if it's in March, I propose that we wait until then. You have any idea when in March?

 

[Boston]

Well, if it's in March, I propose that we wait until then. You have any idea when in March?

What would work best for me would be one of these week-ends: March 3-4, 10-11 or 17-18.

 

[Desert_Sky]

PM'ed you back before I noticed this thread.

I wont be in Vermont until June, but who am I to complain about taking too many vacations......... Ive been wanting to see you guys neck of the woods for a while anyways.

 

[the_bird]

So you thinking of flying out in March? Awesome!

Sounds like if you, Boston, and Kai can arrange one of those weekends to work for you, the rest of us should be able to make it work as well.

 

[Desert_Sky]

Ok, flying into where? And I need to make arrangements to stay where also?


And for the really big question....

How cold is it going to be then? I dont do cold that well.

 

[Vermicous]

I really enjoyed myself up at Glibbidy's and am looking forward to the next time we can get together.

That being said, the wife's due date is March 11. My jokes about doing anything around that date besides paying loving attention have strangely fallen flat.

I hope that these gatherings continue and I hope to be at the one following.

 

[the_bird]

That being said, the wife's due date is March 11. My jokes about doing anything around that date besides paying loving attention have strangely fallen flat.

I'm not sure I knew you and she were expecting. Congradulations! We'll be sure to lift a pint in your honor, if you cannot attend. Gotta set priorities, which I suppose babies and wives are a little bit higher on the list than homebrew (as much as it pains me to say!)

 

[Kaiser]

Yes, congratulations.

It is possible to combine brewing and small children. Oftentimes that means brewing very early or very late for me to make sure that it doen't keep me to much from helping my wife.

Kai

 

[evanmars]

It's official. SWMBO, SWMBO-in-training, and I will be in the Bennington, VT area from 1/20 to 1/24 looking for someplace to live . I start work on 1/29 in Bennington.

 

[Boston]

It's official. SWMBO, SWMBO-in-training, and I will be in the Bennington, VT area from 1/20 to 1/24 looking for someplace to live . I start work on 1/29 in Bennington.

Repeat after me: I pledge allegiance to the Sox, the Bruins & the Patriots. And to the Republic of Belichick, Sox Nation, under God.......

 

[todd_k]

I'll be at Killington 1/27 and 1/28. I don't skill/snowboard so I won't have much to do. I'm flying up so I can't bring any homebrew.

 

[the_bird]

I'll be at Killington 1/27 and 1/28. I don't skill/snowboard so I won't have much to do. I'm flying up so I can't bring any homebrew.

Hmm... is there any chance we could arrange a quick get-together with some of the group that Sunday? Haven't seen Glibbidy around here for a while, not sure if he'd be able to host. Killington's a bit more than two hours from here. The brother-in-law will be around, I'm teaching him to brew that weekend...

Can't delay the trip until March, can you? Hell, it hasn't even snowed yet

 

[Hippie]

I am about 30 minutes from Killington, and if we don't get anything going, we can atleast get together and hoist a few at the area breweries, Long Trail is about 15 minutes from Killington and Harpoon is something like another 20 from there.
I just cracked some of the IPA's I bottled and must say they taste terrific (thanks again Vermicous, and Crongrats on the capper-in-training... no boys, I said CAPPER). My cousin is excited about the beer and is wondering when I'll start my next batch, so I MIGHT be able to host something, but don't get excited yet.
Either way, I'm very interested in going to Kai's, and maybe even brewing this time and heading to the Bird's to check out his fancy new windows...

 

[todd_k]

Hmm... is there any chance we could arrange a quick get-together with some of the group that Sunday? Haven't seen Glibbidy around here for a while, not sure if he'd be able to host. Killington's a bit more than two hours from here. The brother-in-law will be around, I'm teaching him to brew that weekend...

Can't delay the trip until March, can you? Hell, it hasn't even snowed yet

Sunday isn't the best day. I'm going up there for my brother's bachelor party. I'm flying in late Friday and renting a car and driving down to Killington. Sunday, I think I have to leave by noon to get back up to Burlington for my flight home.
I'm guessing most of the boys will be snowboarding Saturday during the day and I'll be sitting around drinking. I don't know what the schedule is like. We're staying in one of those Ski In Ski Out mountain-side condos.

 

[the_bird]

Eh, Saturday is Cassie's b-day party, so that's out for me. I'm sure Hippie will be happy to represent the HBT Northeast Division and lift a pint or two with you.

 

[Hippie]

Yeah, I've rarely had issue with hoisting a pint...

It would seem like I could host a session if that were in the works for that weekend, probably in the garage for weather reliability, otherwise, if people can't roll due to short notice, we can set something up for another time. If people want to get together, lets start to typing.

 

[Glibbidy]

I'd love to host another event that but that weekend, however, I'm going to be doing some winter camping in the Green Mountain National Forest hiking the Glastenbury loop that weekend.

 

[Hippie]

OK, it seems unlikely I'll be hosting from the lack of resposes, but anyone interested in a mini brew tour? Maybe a run down to brattleboro & McNiels, then up to Harpoon & Long Trail? Evan, don't be shy, you're more then welcome, and everyone, the Pats will have an off week before the SuperBowl

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