Vancouver BC Brewing Exchange Club

[HighGravity]

Hello from beautiful BC. Any other Vancouver area brewers out there? I am hoping to find a group of 5-10 constant brewers around here to swap brews with and get together now and then.

Myself I have about a year of brewing experience, but no all grain exp, not even close. I just got back into brewing after getting my equipment out of storage and I currently base my brews off a "Brewhouse" kit sold locally in Delta BC by RJ Spagnols. 2 primaries and 3 or 4 carboys keep me busy every 10 days or so, so I am always looking out for something new to try in addition to the batches made just for quick processing like pilsners.

There is a local brewing site called "vancouver homebrewing network" but it doesn't get much use it seems. I was hoping that if some members on this site wanted to meet in real life, have a beer and exchange, maybe a little competition, then we could start something a little different by either using this website or the one above. Its a great way to get to know many styles and variations I think, so if you are local please IM or post!

This is a great site, I have a feeling I will be on it constantly, don't even need to ask questions with so many already asked out there.

 

[hopdawg]

Hello HG,
I wish you were closer that sounds like a great idea.
You oughta try all grain its not difficult at all.
Good luck with your beer swap.
HD

 

[HighGravity]

Hi HopDawg, how's it going? Yes I have thought of going all grain, but I am short of space for the time being as it involves a bit more equipment.

Seems not only brewing we have in common, I ride an XT350. Have you checked out the Loose Screw DS in the Loops? I went to the 2009 event and it was awesome. I could hardly keep up; the terrain is a lot more fun that on the coast with all the rock.

If Vernon has enough homebrewers to merit a store, surely metro van will have enough for a weekly or bi-weekly tasting club.

 

[DragonTail]

Welcome

 

[hopdawg]

Hi HopDawg........
If Vernon has enough homebrewers to merit a store, surely metro van will have enough for a weekly or bi-weekly tasting club.

Truly there are not enough brewers in Vernon for a store. My store is one I've assemble to serve those like me in small towns that want to brew but lack the product to do it. It's new and will go online later this week. So far I'm it's best customer, but with the wide variety of yeast, malts and hops I'm expecting to attract attention.
I'll check out the Loose Screw. I race the Okanagan Hare Scramble Series and also ride a KTM 990 Adventure.

 

[HighGravity]

That's also a little funny, the lead guy in the loops team I rode with, who designed the 230km course, was on a 990 adventure on the B route and got a small amount of cheers for it. The B route was designed for maximum 650 bikes only, with about half of the 650's that chose to ride the B route actually completing it due to the odd intense hill climb or muddy clearcut with no trail. Myself I chickened out at a climb late in the day below a popular lake, but have never regretted it. With only 30 hp and numerous performance issues I knew I wouldn't make it up without going sideways only halfway up. Thank God we are on a non-bike forum, but a yamaha like mine just can't handle much that the KTM's can. Just wish all the KTM's were dual-sport legal.

 

[hopdawg]

Hello HG,
I just registered at DualSportBC. I have cruised the site in the past but dual sporting wasn't that interesting to me at the time. I've always been full off road or full on road never in between. The 990 has altered my perspective. Its a great road bike, I can still embarrass a good many sport bikes, and yet it will perform off road duty. Here in BC we have more gravel road than paved and I've seen all the paved top to bottom left to right so the time was right for a dual purpose bike. My screen name on DSBC is faststage1. What's yours?

 

[yoremez]

Hello everyone,

I’m from Mexico and this summer i'm going to spend 4 weeks in Vancouver. I'm really interested in learning how to brew and I wonder if somebody knows about a brewing school or if it's possible to take some courses in Vancouver. I’ve got to say that my experience in brewing is just limited to the Mr. Beer kit … please stop laughing!!! … That’s why I’m asking for some help!

Any advice about “where do I start” will be very welcomed.

Regards,

-aarón
([email protected])

 

[leeinq]

Hi, I just moved to the Vancouver area. I am an experienced all grain brewer, but I do not have equipment or the place to brew. I am looking for a brewing buddy or buddies that would be interested in sharing knowledge, resources, etc.

For the past 10 years I have brewed with a group of friends in Saskatchewan. We grew our own hops and were all grain. We brewed large batches of a variety of types of beer.

I am interested in both all grain and partial grain, so let me know if you are interested.

Cheers
Lee

 

[HighGravity]

Hi Lee, welcome to the board. I wish I could offer something for you in terms of equipment or space, but I am maxed out at just 5 fermentors, related bottles and equipment for mostly all-grain kit brewing with partially grain/hop/extract additions. Guess you are in an apartment too? The bane of brewing good beer. A friend of mine had a better result the first time brewing some type of golden beer (english no good) than I ever had, without properly sanitation or instruction (drunk when I tried to teach). The key was sitting in the basement of an unheated house at 5-8C for a month....so condo brewing in Van is a little harder maybe.

I too would like to do all grain, for the first time, maybe someone else on this board has the room for equipment and would like to have some people come over and do most of the work in exchange for brewing on site? I heard the "royal canadian malted patrol" does group brewings in Surrey but they are hard to track down.

 

[leeinq]

Hi Lee, welcome to the board. I wish I could offer something for you in terms of equipment or space, but I am maxed out at just 5 fermentors, related bottles and equipment for mostly all-grain kit brewing with partially grain/hop/extract additions. Guess you are in an apartment too? The bane of brewing good beer. A friend of mine had a better result the first time brewing some type of golden beer (english no good) than I ever had, without properly sanitation or instruction (drunk when I tried to teach). The key was sitting in the basement of an unheated house at 5-8C for a month....so condo brewing in Van is a little harder maybe.

I too would like to do all grain, for the first time, maybe someone else on this board has the room for equipment and would like to have some people come over and do most of the work in exchange for brewing on site? I heard the "royal canadian malted patrol" does group brewings in Surrey but they are hard to track down.

I posted on the Camra BC site and got an offer of equipment, just have to find the space....

Cheers

 

[luthierzan]

I can offer you some equipement I am not using.
A 5-6 gallon plastic carboy and about 60-80 500ml green plastic bottles if you want to pick them up in Vancouver.

I may also have a couple of extra pieces laying around, I would have to check, I think I have a plastic racking cane, maybe a bottle filler.

Free to a new brewer if you will use them and not just sell them.

PM me with nyou info and I will follow up

David Oh

 

[HighGravity]

Guess I forgot to mention I DID find a local monthly meeting in Vancouver, held on the last wednesday of every month. They're a great bunch of guys and girls, their tastings have really blown my mind open:

http://vanbrewers.blogspot.com/