AHA Nationals

[Brewtopia]

I registered my SWMBO for the social package. She wants to go to Pro Brewer's Night and Club Night. We're going to do the banquet as well. Should have talked to you first...oh well. I registered for the whole thing but may not attend everything. When is everyone planning on getting to Denver? We should arrive early Wednesday, drop off the beer at the hotel, then straight to the Falling Rock for me.

 

[shbrewer]

What the hell, I'm entering an Oatmeal Stout. Why not have this as my first competition. No way for me to go but I'm sure it will be fun.

 

[Dude]

I registered my SWMBO for the social package. She wants to go to Pro Brewer's Night and Club Night. We're going to do the banquet as well. Should have talked to you first...oh well. I registered for the whole thing but may not attend everything. When is everyone planning on getting to Denver? We should arrive early Wednesday, drop off the beer at the hotel, then straight to the Falling Rock for me.

The banquet will be fine if you like endless talking and endless shooting sunshine up everyone's butts for such a great weekend...it just got really old for me. You might also enjoy it if you think you have beers that may have won. I'm not entering any, hence I don't give a rat's ass.

We get in fairly early Wednesday too, I believe. I suggest an HBT pub crawl of our own. We'll start exchanging info once this gets closer.

 

[RichBrewer]

This may be my one and only chance I get to attend so I signed up for the whole thing. I guess a little sunshine up my butt won't hurt anything.
My SWMBO won't want to attend any of the events but maybe I can talk her into getting together with other SWMBOs.

 

[Evan!]

Never done a comp before, but I've registered Dark Horse Stout v1.0 and the Honey Ginger Winter Warmer. Contemplating tossing the Burninator Barleywine v1.0 in for good measure too. We'll see. It's all about the Dark Horse right now. Got friends pressuring me to enter it, so there you go. Hope it does okay.

I won't be able to actually attend anything, but I'm shipping them in.

Question: even if your brews don't make it to the finals, does the AHA still give you the judges' feedback?

 

[clayof2day]

I just booked my hotel and flight to go out too! I'm going to send in my Sweet 'Tater Ale for the comp. I wish I would have monitored this thread a little better though, we're coming in early on Thursday, I would have been down for a an HBT crawl on Wednesday night if I had noticed. DOH!

 

[Dude]

I just booked my hotel and flight to go out too! I'm going to send in my Sweet 'Tater Ale for the comp. I wish I would have monitored this thread a little better though, we're coming in early on Thursday, I would have been down for a an HBT crawl on Wednesday night if I had noticed. DOH!

Cool...just make sure you are signed up for Pro Brewers night and Club night, and I guarantee you'll have a good time.

We'll meet up Thursday at some point!

 

[gruntingfrog]

I'm entering 4 beers.

I'm entering a pale ale, a brown ale, an orange pale ale, and a blueberry brown ale. The two fruit beers obviously are using the two main beers as the base.

OK. I take that back. I'll be entering an American Pale Ale and an American Brown Ale for sure. I may be entering a rye beer as well. The two fruit variations are questionable. The orange pale ale currently smells like Mr. Clean Orange All Purpose Cleaner and tastes not far from it. It may mellow in time so I'm not throwing it out, but I'm pretty sure it's not worth the entry fee for Nationals. The blueberry brown ale is very dry since I didn't take the additional fermentables which raised the ABV in account when I brewed the brown ale base. If I had, I would have raised the mash temp to get a little more malt sweetness to the base. I have about a week and a half before I ship them off, so I'll see what it's like in a week. I'm bottling the rye tomorrow so hopefully 3 weeks is enough aging since I'll have to make a decision when I taste it next week while it's still green.

 

[Dude]

Brewing it isn't going to be a problem.
Air Cargo?

Anyone ever do this?

Update by chance?

A guy on BB said that you can bring kegs as longs as they are IN your checked luggage. I can do that.

I'm gonna call our airline and confirm this....

What about a booth theme? We need to get moving on this!!!!!!

 

[Dude]

More club night info.

B,
Thank you so much for the additional information! I have added you to the list for a "booth" at Club Night at this year's National Homebrewers Conference! Within the next month, I will be starting to contact all clubs/groups that have signed up for a booth and will be asking questions regarding your booth so I'll know if you will need the conference to provide any special equipment, etc. Also, I hope to have the opportunity to take a tour of the room by then that we will be utilizing for Club Night so I'll know the status of electrical outlets, etc. This will help when I start collecting your information. In the meantime, if you already know what equipment, etc that you may need, or what you'll be bringing, let me know and I will get that added to my list. Also, let me know if you have any questions for me regarding Club Night. Thanks so much Brandon! I look forward to meeting you in June!! Take care!

Cheers,
Dottie Clapp
2007 NHC Club Night Coordinator

 

[olllllo]

Update by chance?

A guy on BB said that you can bring kegs as longs as they are IN your checked luggage. I can do that.

I'm gonna call our airline and confirm this....

There's actually 2 hurdles on this:
What the airlines will allow (size, weight, type of cargo)
What the TSA will open and inspect.

I think contracting the airlines is a good idea, because the answer could vary between carriers. I guess I'm worried that the TSA will open my corny and not be able to reseal it. It'll leak and then the airline will reject it. All of this would happen while you're getting your seat on the plane. Meanwhile your corny will sit in the departure airport's hot baggage area spoiling away until you get back home to claim your new batch of malt vinegar.

 

[Dude]

There's actually 2 hurdles on this:
What the airlines will allow (size, weight, type of cargo)
What the TSA will open and inspect.

I think contracting the airlines is a good idea, because the answer could vary between carriers. I guess I'm worried that the TSA will open my corny and not be able to reseal it. It'll leak and then the airline will reject it. All of this would happen while you're getting your seat on the plane. Meanwhile your corny will sit in the departure airport's hot baggage area spoiling away until you get back home to claim your new batch of malt vinegar.

Okay....I still need to make a call to the airlines then. I might have an in though. The Maryland clubs are sending all of their beer on a pallet. I'm going to see if I can get in on that.

I am officially registered!!!!!! SWEET!!!!!!

 

[Dude]

Welll...my shipping problem is solved I think.

I heard through the grapevine that some of the Maryland homebrew clubs were getting together to ship a pallet of kegs over. I e-mailed and asked if I could get in on it and they said sure! SWEET!

I gotta get brewing!

Plans for Watermelon Wheat begin (my other keg will be Lake Walk Pale Ale, which was brewed today, we'll run that through the randall at the NHC)!!!!!!!!!

 

[Brewpastor]

I have a Randal (or at least all the parts) and was thinking the oaked randal would be good to have in Denver. Thoughts?

 

[olllllo]

At this point we have as many Randalls as people.

 

[Dude]

At this point we have as many Randalls as people.

And????????????

 

[Brewtopia]

I'll bring my Randall and our theme can be "Singing in the Rain"

Oaked Randall sounds awesome BP.

How many taps do we need? Are we rotating beers through or pouring all at once? I can bring extra Co2, manifold, etc. if needed. I might just toss everything in the back of the rig so we have it. If we don't need it that's cool.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Ok, I'm tentatively in! SWMBO loves the idea, and I have the leave available from work. Brewpastor is only 3 hours from me, and Denver is only 8-10. I'll try and get a brew going ASAP so I have some beer to bring, but I'll never make an entry in time.

What I'd really like to do is finish my Brewman! inspired corny steam masher and perhaps a little side project that Dude and I have been talking about. That should garner HBT a little attention, I think!

(tentatively) Looking forward to it!

Oh, and let me know if there's anything I NEED to bring. I'll be driving a big SUV or pickup!

 

[olllllo]

**** Yea! tentatively

 

[sause]

If I can find another to share a drive out to Denver from Wisconsin/Illinios comma consider the sause in. Really looking for another person.

 

[Dude]

Ok, I'm tentatively in! SWMBO loves the idea, and I have the leave available from work. Brewpastor is only 3 hours from me, and Denver is only 8-10. I'll try and get a brew going ASAP so I have some beer to bring, but I'll never make an entry in time.

What I'd really like to do is finish my Brewman! inspired corny steam masher and perhaps a little side project that Dude and I have been talking about. That should garner HBT a little attention, I think!

(tentatively) Looking forward to it!

Oh, and let me know if there's anything I NEED to bring. I'll be driving a big SUV or pickup!

:rockin:

If I can find another to share a drive out to Denver from Wisconsin/Illinios comma consider the sause in. Really looking for another person.

:rockin:

I need to send you guys PMs for shirts then.....

 

[Dude]

Screw it...I'm entering some beers. I'll be there, maybe I'll steward a table that my beer is at.

Now...what to enter?

 

[RichBrewer]

I've entered one beer. I'll be shiping it when I get back to CO.

 

[RichBrewer]

Mine was shipped today. I had to send it clear to San Diego. I was hoping they would do the regionals here in Denver.
Oh well. It's on the way.

 

[olllllo]

According to my wife, employee Air cargo via US Airways is not an option because they won't accept a pressurized container.

My circumstance in this is unique because we can't really pull a fast one on them. Biting the hand that feeds and all.

I guess I'll have to look into UPS or something.

 

[Dude]

Well, I shipped off 4 entries. I have high hopes for 2 of them. The others I'd be surprised.

One of the 2 I'm proud of is in one of the worst categories to enter though. That beer has to be amazing--I'm confident.

 

[Evan!]

Mine should have arrived at the drop point in Ohio yesterday.

Hey, you know that the cashier at the UPS store actually made me lie to her!? For some dumb reason, the NHC folks make you put "National Beer Blah Blah Blah" in the address line. They should just say "NHC - Ohio Chapter" or something. So when the lady asked what was in the box, I told her "samples". Then, when she saw the "beer" part of the address line, she was like, "is there BEER in here!?". I said, oh no, of course not! She didn't inquire further. If she HAD asked more questions, I'd have dropped the ol' "Yeast Samples" half-truth on her.

Why does the NHC do that?

 

[Dude]

Mine should have arrived at the drop point in Ohio yesterday.

Hey, you know that the cashier at the UPS store actually made me lie to her!? For some dumb reason, the NHC folks make you put "National Beer Blah Blah Blah" in the address line. They should just say "NHC - Ohio Chapter" or something. So when the lady asked what was in the box, I told her "samples". Then, when she saw the "beer" part of the address line, she was like, "is there BEER in here!?". I said, oh no, of course not! She didn't inquire further. If she HAD asked more questions, I'd have dropped the ol' "Yeast Samples" half-truth on her.

Why does the NHC do that?

I put "NHC 2007" on my box. I even took out the "Beer and Wine Making" part of the address. It got there fine, and no questions from UPS.

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Well, I shipped off 4 entries. I have high hopes for 2 of them. The others I'd be surprised.

One of the 2 I'm proud of is in one of the worst categories to enter though. That beer has to be amazing--I'm confident.

What did you enter, Dude?

 

[Dude]

What did you enter, Dude?

S.O.S. (Smoked IPA)
Lake Walk Pale Ale (APA)
Bitter End (ESB)
Gruagach 80/- (Scottish Ale)

Those are in order of how I think they will finish. If the S.O.S. doesn't advance to the second round, I'll be disappointed. The LWPA is great, but green. The Bitter End is awesome. It is a 50% DME beer....Gruagach is prolly too malty (sweet) to advance...but WTF....