What has two thumbs and is going pro?

[Sigafoos]

Buffalo's west side has a lot of abandoned property. There's a reason we were at the top of America's Top Dead Cities. When people move away, into a better neighborhood or into a new housing development most times the lot sits unused. (This is all part of a larger issue, and the city has a lot of ennui going around, let me tell you) However, there are urban farmers like the Massachusetts Avenue Project that take these lots and turn them into farms, or gardens. I toured the MAP farms last year and it was really awesome (it also solves the issue of poor eating habits in a low income, largely carless area). We've already been told that we can have a vacant lot if we'll do something with it, and so we'd like to turn it into a brewer's garden, with hops (obviously) and other herbs that can be used in beer. We won't have enough for constant use, of course, but if we can get some of the farms to grow them we can at least make a harvest/wet hop ale.

Grains will obviously be a pain, what with the malting, though it would be a fun experiment to try at some point (and then there are all the unmalted grains, like rye, that we could use). We don't have any plans to do any fruit beers now, but we also haven't sworn them off, so it'd be cool to do some sort of partnership in the future.

pwndabear, Rochester is quite the hotbed for brewing right now too. Do you know about Three Heads?

 

[pwndabear]

I do not, actually. Do tell...

Im really trying to get into brewing as a career so any time i can get with a brewery, the better!

 

[iahebert]

That's awesome! Good luck, and i'll keep the jealousy to a minimum.

 

[Sigafoos]

I do not, actually. Do tell...

Im really trying to get into brewing as a career so any time i can get with a brewery, the better!

Well somebody doesn't follow us on Facebook... Info on Three Heads (contract brewing with CBC right now, plans to expand in the future). Are you a UNYHA member? Seems like they'd know more on the locals. You should join UNYHA anyway; everyone I know in the club seems awesome.

 

[pwndabear]

I tried to join them actually. emailed them about 3 weeks ago and never got anything back at all. i figured maybe they were full up?

 

[chumprock]

There's 3 breweries opening in Rochester in the next few months. (if you include Canandaigua)

Custom Brewcrafters does accept unpaid interns if you want brewery experience.

 

[Calico]

I tried to join them actually. emailed them about 3 weeks ago and never got anything back at all. i figured maybe they were full up?

Hi, I am a UNYHA member and I can tell you we are definitely accepting new members, from experienced brewers to beginning brewers and beer enthusiasts. I'm sorry your email got no response. If it was sent through the website, it may be that the web form is not working. I'll have to let the web admin know in that case. (It also looks like several things need to be updated there.)

In any event, our current president is Jeremy Belair, who's reachable at [email protected]; the rest of the officers' contact information is at the end of our monthly newsletter - here's the September one: http://www.unyha.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/439437_1.pdf

It turns out you just missed our monthly meeting last night. We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7:30 at Merchants Grill, next to L&M Lanes (near the corner of Culver & Merchants). September is actually membership renewal month, so this is the best time to join. Individual annual membership is $25; couple membership is $40.

I hope you will join us at our next monthly meeting on October 13 or at one of the other events listed in our events calendar (also in the newsletter).

 

[Calico]

I do not, actually. Do tell...

Im really trying to get into brewing as a career so any time i can get with a brewery, the better!

Oh - also, Genesee Country Village and Museum is accepting volunteers at their historical brewery. Due to licensing weirdness they don't actually make beer for human consumption there (they pour it on the garden!) but hey, it is brewing experience.

 

[Sigafoos]

Well isn't that a damn shame.

 

[pwndabear]

Oh - also, Genesee Country Village and Museum is accepting volunteers at their historical brewery. Due to licensing weirdness they don't actually make beer for human consumption there (they pour it on the garden!) but hey, it is brewing experience.

thats the worst thing ive ever heard in my entire life.

 

[Calico]

thats the worst thing ive ever heard in my entire life.

ha! then you (a) haven't heard a lot of bad things and (b) probably shouldn't volunteer there.

It makes me cry too. But hey, it does serve the purpose of educating the visitors about how grain is ground, how it's mashed, how hop additions go in... the kids who visit love to help out. And the beer whose recipe they are following is actually made at Custom Brewcrafters (1803 Fat Ox Ale) and sold on premises in the 2 restaurants there (at Genesee Country Village).

 

[BryanJ]

I saw some tee-shirts on your blog/website. Do you have any left that i can purchase?

 

[Calico]

I saw some tee-shirts on your blog/website. Do you have any left that i can purchase?

I'm not sure - the keeper of the T-shirts is Alan Mack - [email protected] - and he has people pre-order them and brings them to meetings a couple times a year.

 

[Sigafoos]

Bryan, if you meant us, nope, not yet. Nine of those were made, and I ironed 'em all on myself (remarking that it was a literal sweatshop in my house). We do keep making cryptic comments about shirts being sold at some point, though...

 

[pwndabear]

did you want someone to possibly do some designs for you? i know someone who is getting into the tshirt biz and would be happy to speak with you and come up with some ideas...

 

[Sigafoos]

We may get to that point, definitely. There's an idea we have, and it's cool, but I don't want to spoil it until it's set in motion.

 

[klyph]

Saw your guys article in life hacker. Just wanted to post it up here.

http://lifehacker.com/5664424/how-to-give-your-beer-the-right-glass-and-a-proper-pour

 

[Sigafoos]

Thanks! Yeah, that was awesome. Not really about us, but Ethan manages to sneak in a few plugs.

Between that and Blue Monk finally (finally!) being open, I think Buffalo is on its way to becoming a lot more beer-aware.

 

[BryanJ]

Hey, how did you brewing go at Bidwell? And how can i get one of the blue cbw t shirts??

 

[bovineblitz]

That small? Isn't your five-year goal like 1,000bbl/annually?

Oh, and we're definitely going to be out, Christmas-time; just bought Bills/Pats tickets for the day after Christmas.... :rockin: :rockin:

I'll be at that game too

Go Bills!

 

[chumprock]

Thanks! Yeah, that was awesome. Not really about us, but Ethan manages to sneak in a few plugs.

Between that and Blue Monk finally (finally!) being open, I think Buffalo is on its way to becoming a lot more beer-aware.

UNfortunately, he was pouring from a Dundee mixer...

 

[Sigafoos]

Hey, how did you brewing go at Bidwell? And how can i get one of the blue cbw t shirts??

It went great! Well, we were short on our OG, but we were combat brewing and that was really just to have something nifty going on while people came up to talk to us. It was a pretty tiring day (I didn't sit down at all) but a lot of people came up to talk to us, so it was a lot of fun.


CBW! by Community Beer Works, on Flickr (I'm the doofus that's third from the left)

For those not keeping up with us on Bookface, here's the writeup of the day, and then our shiny new Flickr account, and a video too!



Alas, the blue shirts just for us: we have to feel special somehow, y'know? The brown, though (which I think fit the design better anyway), those are still available. PM me your size and we'll find a way to get it to you.

chumprock, yeah, well... who knows. Maybe it's what was brought along for the shoot.

 

[BryanJ]

I just wanted the one with your logo, ill send you a pm.

 

[Sigafoos]

Totally self serving update! Heh. CBW shirts are now available on the intertubes. $15 local (Bryan, we should have emailed you already, or else it's coming soon), $20 shipped.

 

[olllllo]

Ordered. It will live nicely next to my Mystery Brewing t.

I kind of wanted it to say: "I live in Buffalo $15.00"

 

[ErieShores]

Do you have any plans to sell any homebrewing supplies in the future?

 

[Sigafoos]

olllllo: Hooray! Now get back into IRC.

ErieShores: Nope. No reason to compete with Niagara Tradition! We're going to be busy enough with just the beer for quite a while, anyway.

 

[ErieShores]

Yeah, I like NT but damn, it is so far for me to grab a racking cane or a pound of 2 row!
I have a co-worker that is looking to grow hops commercially. I told her I would keep an ear out for her, let me know if you are interested.

 

[skeeordye11]

Ordered. It will live nicely next to my Mystery Brewing t.

I kind of wanted it to say: "I live in Buffalo $15.00"

Damn ollllllo, you must scour the internet looking for brewery t-shirts. I need to get me one of those t-shirts. My aunt lives in Buffalo, gonna have to arange a little x-mas present action there!
(I also have a mystery brewing t for it to reside next to)

 

[Sigafoos]

By the by, this week's update talks about a lot of the crap that goes into opening a brewery that you might not think about. Being a good brewer will be, for most people, the easiest part of the process.