Homebrewers in Charleston wv?

[drk_boyce]

Ive been brewing for about a year now and I was just curious if the hombrew scene had much going on here. Any events or clubs?

 

[paperairplane]

I know Parkersburg, Fairmont and Morgantown all have clubs. That's not a real answer - check Facebook, there has to be someone brewing in Charleston.

 

[unionrdr]

I looked in the Charlseton yellow pages & found these,but idk about if they have anything but brewpubs,& the like around you; http://www.yellowpages.com/charleston-wv/beer-brewing-supplies
supposedly they're part of "14 listings of beer makers supplies in Charleston on yp.com". It's the same list as the one I posted. Might have to contact them for info?...

 

[dangerbrew]

Hey - I'm the current president of the Fairmont Homebrewers Club in Fairmont, WV. I'd say the closest would be the Infamous Parkersburg Alers (IPA) if you're looking for an active club, but otherwise I don't think there's much in Charleston at the moment. I'd try and hang up some flyers at CBC and see if you can get some interest going and maybe start your own club down there! I can offer advice and help for you if you need. Us WV brewers gotta stick together.

 

[unionrdr]

I used to have a lot of relatives in Fairmont,including grandma. spent part of my life there & a few other places in WV. A club in my opinion would be about the only thing going,as a lot of whiskey,beer & wine making go on down there.
Lots of things to brew with have been used by folks down there,as well as my own family. I have a nephew down there that brews kits so far. I gotta look up where he said he's from down there. Tried to get him on here a few days ago from facebook. We'll see what happens...

 

[ChuckO]

Wish we had something available, LHBS or a club, down here in the Beckley area. The internet seems to be my best friend when it comes to getting supplies.

 

[dangerbrew]

Yeah, don't know of much around the Beckley area. Actually just found something for Charleston though:

"There is a local club/group called K.R.A.Z.E. ( Kanawha Regional Association of Zymurlogical Enthusiasts ). Rob Asten in the president and Rich Ireland, that writes the "beers to you" blog for the gazette is also involved with the group. It is on Facebook if anyone has an interest in it."

I've heard of them a little bit, but haven't had any direct involvement with the group but I have met with Rich Ireland once or twice. Might want to try looking those guys up or the group on FB. I'm sure someone at CBC has some connection to them as well.

 

[drk_boyce]

Thnx for the info. I deleted my Facebook account a couple yrs ago but I'll swing by CBC and see what I can dig up. I've only been there twice because the beers are to watered down for my taste. I've traveled for yrs and now that I'm back in my home state I want to get the craft beer movement going here. We need to get Charleston more like asheville nc.

 

[dangerbrew]

I've traveled for yrs and now that I'm back in my home state I want to get the craft beer movement going here. We need to get Charleston more like asheville nc.

Amen. I feel the same way. I lived for six years in Vermont and I feel like there's no reason why our state shouldn't be just as amazing as either NC or any of the states around us. We just officially organized the WV Brewer's Guild this past month in Morgantown so we should have a good presence within the state legislature this upcoming year to move some decent craft beers into our state and make it easier for new and existing microbreweries within the state.

 

[drk_boyce]

So "non intoxicating beer" that's legal to sell within wv is 12%? I'm trying to decipher these laws, so who exactly can a brewer sell to without a distributor and what licensing would he or she need?

 

[drk_boyce]

I just read about chestnut brew works in Motown. I really want to meet this guy. We need more ppl in this state doing what he's doing to start this "good beer" revolution. I think I'll try and contact him this week.

 

[dangerbrew]

So "non intoxicating beer" that's legal to sell within wv is 12%? I'm trying to decipher these laws, so who exactly can a brewer sell to without a distributor and what licensing would he or she need?

Yes, 12% is considered non-intoxicating beer thanks to our friend and advocate Travis Carrow here in WV, founder of WVCBAS. Good guy.

In terms of who a brewer can sell to, it depends on your license. You can have a production brewery license or a brewpub license if you're actually producing your own beer. A production brewery can self-distribute on a small scale but will require a distributor for any major operations and cannot sell to beer directly to the consumer except for in full 1/6, 1/4, or 1/2 BBL kegs. A brewpub, however, can sell directly to the consumer over the counter, can self-distribute on a small scale or have a distributor, and can sell kegs, bottles, or up to 2 growlers per person for off-premises consumption.

Of course, I will say not ALL WV breweries or brewpubs follow the rules "exactly" and even the S.O.S. office doesn't know their own rules half the time. (Believe me, I've called and had discussions on several occasions lol) But that's "officially" how it stands, and there are lots of loopholes to be had, luckily enough, and I know ways around a lot of these, working for a brewery myself.

Look up the WV state code and take a look if you're interested.

 

[drk_boyce]

Cheers to Travis Carrow. That 6%rule was killing us. Thanks for the info. All the laws and regulations are pretty confusing.

 

[eulipion2]

I know the Charleston club was posted, but there's also one in Huntington, the Greater Huntington Homebrewers Association. They meet once a month, and the meetings take place in members' homes, ranging from Chillicothe, OH all the way over to Cross Lanes, WV. They've had members from Charleston as well, including the aforementioned Rich Ireland. It's a small club, but the beer and the food are both worth the drive!

 

[drk_boyce]

Attention all wv beer gurus. I'm on a quest for Sam Adams utopia. I was setting here sippin on their imperial white and it rekindled the flame to find this beer. I tried for a couple yrs to find it and lost the will to keep looking. So any info leading to a bottle would be greatly appreciated.

 

[eulipion2]

Attention all wv beer gurus. I'm on a quest for Sam Adams utopia. I was setting here sippin on their imperial white and it rekindled the flame to find this beer. I tried for a couple yrs to find it and lost the will to keep looking. So any info leading to a bottle would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry to say you won't find Utopias in WV. The state caps ABV at 12%. Maybe in Virginia, Kentucky, or Maryland. Ohio is capped as well. Maybe Pennsylvania, but since moving here this summer I've found buying beer in general to be a bit of a pain.

 

[drk_boyce]

Yeah I was hoping someone had a bottle they would sell. Highly unlikely but it's worth a try. I was on a waiting list for a year and a half in Fredericksburg va, when my time came around I couldn't get away to drive out there to get it. Horrible timing.