Bubblings From the Fermenter
By Mark Tumarkin
Usually when I start writing these Bubblings, I look back on the past month and reflect a bit on the things that have happened with the brew club. This time, it's hard to look at the past month and think of anything beyond the events of Sept. 11th and how they've changed our lives, perhaps forever. I don't want to dwell on these things here, other than to say two things. First, it's hard for me to imagine the mind-set of people who would knowingly cause this kind of destruction, loss of life, and suffering. And second, it's heartening to see the way our people have pulled together in the face of this disaster. I'm really glad that the club voted to contribute to the Home Brew Digest's Community Red Cross Match Fund. The fund is currently up to $730, which will be matched by Ford dollar for dollar, and there's still time before Oct. 13th to meet the goal of $1000. (late breaking news flash ·· the $1000 goal has been met and surpassed!!)
On the happier side, Jamie and Robert will be getting married on Oct. 6th in the mountains of West Virginia. They have been brewing almost continuously for the wedding, making about nine batches of beer for the festivities. They were brewing so much that even with Robert's multitude of refrigerators, they still ran out of fermenting and conditioning space and had to farm out carboys and cornies all over town. We were able to preview some of the brews at the monthly meeting. The Porter and the Hefe were especially yummy, should be a great wedding party. Congratulations, Robert & Jamie. Also, the October meeting at Robert and Jamie's turned out very well. Jamie even invited us back again (as long as we all keep bringing such great food for the pre-meeting pot-luck dinners).
The Road Trip/Pub Crawl to Spanish Springs Brewing at Lady Lake was a big success. This is the second RT/PC for this year. The Savannah trip worked out so well that we did another trip in our own vehicles. A special thanks to all the designated drivers! See the accompanying article for more info and some digital pix.
On the party scene, Ray and Selina's pool soiree was a great success. Selina had brought back a variety of beers from the Atlanta area - but that wasn't enough for Ray. He assembled an assortment of beers for a blind tasting, though since most of them were in the American Light Lager category some of the tasters couldn't wait to return to the Atlanta selection. Everyone enjoyed the new pool. It turned out beautifully, as did the fishpond. A surprisingly large number of people were able to fit into the hot tub - though I don't think any records were achieved. The highpoint of the evening was Selina's bellybutton piercing. Check it out next time you see her.
The BOTY contest continues to be a real race. Pete continues to hold onto first place, but the contest is still wide open. There are two remaining contests and a number of brewers are close enough to challenge Pete's lead. This one won't be open till the fat lady sings. Next month's contest is on Mead (Category 25) and Cider (Category 26). November (the last one in the 2001 BOTY series) will be on Brown Ale (Category 10). Craig and Nancy Birkheimer will host the November meeting. So until then, keep those fermenters bubbling.
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