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When It Rains It Pours - Beer

Northern Brewer General
#1

Found out a couple months ago that a nearby town was having a German Fest this Saturday, and our club was asked to have a homebrew contest (popular vote thing). Of course we agreed since it sounded like fun. German music, beer, food at a street party. Tours of a former brewery, which is where the contest/tasting will be held.

Then a few weeks later I find out theres going to be a festival in my home town, called a Hootenanny. Again we were asked to do a brewing demo and to help pour beer at the craft beer tasting (16 beers). Four bands, mostly bluegrass/folk, plus lots of family stuff like pumpkin carving and a petting zoo with a camel.

So we are trying to cover both events and I think I have enough volunteers lined up for both. I am going to make an appearance at both, and will be camping at the Hootenanny since its next to a campgrounds. I have a helles and a weizen for the German Fest, and a cream ale and several styles bottled for the Hootenanny tasting.

The only question is, why do these both have to happen on the same day? Almost nothing like this ever happens around here. Oh, and theres a 30% chance of rain, first in a while.

#2

I hear ya, that does seem to be the way things go most of the time…I think it’s some guy named Murphy’s fault…at any rate sounds like a pretty fun(if not busy) day

#3

[quote=“tom sawyer”]
Then a few weeks later I find out theres going to be a festival in my home town, called a Hootenanny. [/quote]
Hootenanny? Being from KC, it’s so hard to resist throwing in a couple stereotypical southern MO hillbilly jokes, but…I…will…resist. 8)

Hope you have a great time at both events. Doesn’t sound like a terrible problem to have. I just found out this week that on Saturday there’s a fairly large, terribly publicized beerfest and another smaller “beerfest” at a Renaissance festival about 20 minutes away from there. I can’t make it to either. Now that’s a problem!

#4

Speaking O the hills and SUN------shine and all points east and west of the Ozarks,
This old Dude is my personal hero--------->Popcorn Sutton’s video/s " this is the last da m run of likker I’m ever going to make" I am not sure if I can post the link here but if you haven’t seen the videos do a quick google fu. It really piqued the hunter/fisher in me when he was scouring the hills looking for the perfect crik to setup shop. Plus his model A truck is one of many vehicles on my short bucket list of collectable/ real drivers I hope to restore. Although I hope to have a model A snow flyer as I live in the north and do enjoy late season hunting and ice fishing…The snow flyer would be right up my alley. Forget a brand new skidoo, my icefishing rig will be a snow flyer for sure one day.
[attachment=0]th.jpeg[/attachment]

All the other icefisherman/woman will be like who the H E double hockey sticks invited that hillbilly out here!!! love it. Don’t any of you corn suckers go and steal my idears now YAH HEar!

Right on Tom this double header sounds like a great weekend! Enjoy.

#5

No doubt, there is a certain amount of hillbilly in me even though we are a little north of ground zero for that. In fact, the term “hootenanny” comes from Scottish and means “celebration”. The link is that the hillbillies of the Appalachians were mostly Scotch-Irish.

As such, I’m tempted to wear my Utilikilt to the Hootenanny, although every time I wear it I hear about it for weeks. I have a German fest hat for the other event.

I checked my German Fest beer entries this morning. I made a modern style Festbier and a hefeweizen. I’m happy with the hefe, and the festbier/helles is good but I decided to blend a little bock in it for a little more bready richness. I pressure-transferred it to a new keg to get it off the yeast so it doesn’t get stirred up when I take it to the festival. Its the second time I’ve transferred and its nice and clear.

#6

What a busy day Saturday was! We did the brewing demo at the Hootenanny and may have a recuirted at last two new members as a result. Then I took two beers to the German Fest and we ended up serving samples to over 500 people, there were over 1000 that took the tour of the old brewery. The crowd was far larger than the Rotary club anticipated and they were thrilled. They made $5000 just on the tour. I snuck out halfway through that event and beat feet back to the Hootenanny to taste some craft beers. They had Buffalo Sweat, Green Flash, Black Butte Porter and Southern Tier 2X Steam among others. Pulled pork, chicken salad tacos, and I was done in. didnt’ really focus on the music, of which there was a-plenty.

#7

Thanks for all of that Lennie. Two of my favorite things, Blue Grass and Beer!

#8

And Oompa followed by classic rock at the German Fest.

#9

This is Donna, the lady who served my two beers at the German Fest. At first I was serving and telling people all about the styles and telling them what to look for, but as the crowd grew Donna took the reigns and her spiel was “Munich”, squirt, “Bavarian”, squirt, next. It was great and worked to serve samples to over 400 people in 4 hours. The picnic taps worked great for this, the people could hold their own small tasting cup and get a small sample quickly. IL law limits to 1oz samples, and while it sounded far too small it really was about right for those just wanting a taste. Plus there were eleven entries so you could still get about a whole beer out of the deal, and go around for more if you wanted.

Julie, the gal next to her, is another club member who was serving my buddy’s altbier. He got a lot of votes for that beer, I was happy to see a brown beer so well received.

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