Worth joining any association

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honestly, i've kinda always wanted a AHA membership, mostly just for the lobbying power.....not any real benefit other then that?
 
AHA membership gives you access to zymurgy magazine, which publishes moderat to highly informational articles, recipes, and all around top notch pooping magazine material

You also get access to their recipe database which is arguably better than HBT's because you can filter by NHC medal winners

You also get access to the NHC, local brewery deals (which are hit or miss and I honestly feel guilty using them in covid times and servers are generally confused when you ask about them)

So determining whether it's "worth it" is a personal decision to you and the value of your money. For me yes, I enjoy the membership, the stickers, the magazine, access to the NHC etc

Local homebrew clubs are a better value IMO though. You get more for your dues and you can learn a lot from an experienced brewing mentor
 
The one and only sticker on the back of my truck!


LOL! i've got so many HBT stickers, last time i opened my 'just for storage' freezer, they exploded out of it like a glitter bomb! it was funny, because i was just opening the door to put more stickers in it!

edit: not sure if i want to put one on my car though? not a good indicator, just in case i ever got pulled over.....
 
I was an AHA member for 2 or 3 years and got the magazine. Also subscribed to BYO for a year or two. Now I prefer to be here and at Brewersfriend. I watch a few groups on FB. I live in the middle of nowhere so the discounts were of no use to me.
 
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Is the magazine they offer worth the membership?
My first brewing magazine subscription was for BYO. I learned a lot from their digital archive and huge library of recipes. After a year I canceled my subscription due to issues with their digital UI with the magazine, and recently joined the AHA. The deals at local breweries and shops is the main appeal for me. I've read through the last year or so of magazine issues and have found it less informative than BYO. The issues seem shorter in length and only a few articles per issue were about homebrewing beer. There have been some interesting articles about other fermentation products, to be fair. Next year I will probably subscribe to Craft Beer and Brewing and cancel my AHA membership, unless I find a good reason to keep it, like the deals on breweries in my area. Hope that helps. Cheers!
 
As a new homebrewer I am looking for ways to gather the most information and I like to read.

I agree with the comments that @TheMadKing and @Sunfire96, (so I don't have to repeat those comments here).

One additional observation on "magazines": if you are willing to pay for curated video content, the "all access" subscription to Craft Beer and Brewing may be of interest for a year or two. I had an "all access" subscription for a while and it was a good purchase. If it comes with a free trial and you have time/money to use it, add it to your list of resources to consider.

If you have just $40 over the next year for books / subscriptions / memberships, there are a number of good books that may be a better value than AHA membership. In addition to "How To Brew", I'll suggest including "Simple Homebrewing" in your list of resources to consider. If you have an ebook reader, occasionally quality books by well regarded authors (e.g. "Mastering Homebrew" ) can be purchased for less than $10.
 
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I was an AHA member for 2 or 3 years and got the magazine. Also subscribed to BYO for a year or two. Now I prefer to be here and at Brewersfriend. I watch a few groups on FB. I live in the middle of nowhere so the discounts were of no use to me.
How do you get your ingredients? Quite a few homebrew shops also offer AHA member discounts.
 
The discount alone can be worth it financially. I often use it when going to Old Chicago with my relatives and get a $15 value. That a couple times a year plus the LHBS are break even on money.

Their website really does have a wealth of information as well. I certainly love HBT for the many diverse viewpoints and willingness of members here to help, but the AHA website is a great place to go when you want to get more "linear" information about what is what. Just having access to past Homebrew Con presentations is worth the price of membership if you enjoy learning from industry experts as much as you do from our peers here.
 
Hey all, is it worth while to join the AHA or any other association?
What's your objective?
Several benefits of joining the AHA have been addressed already, as well as a few empties. Review them.

My first AHA Conference was in 2013, and it was an unforgettable and invaluable experience. It completely changed the way I perceived homebrewing. Until then, I didn't realize how big homebrewing really is. And it has only grown since.

Now the AHA can't teach you to become a good or better homebrewer. Sure, they'll review equipment and have articles and columns with techniques and knowledge that you can apply, a resource that has accumulated over time, and still continues to do so. They'll encourage you, there's a ton of enthusiasm, but chances are it won't answer the questions you have for your next brew...

... For that, to learn homebrewing, buy Palmer's How to Brew, 4th Ed., read and participate in our forums, find a local homebrew club, do some team brewing, etc. The AHA is not going to teach you that.
 
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