The BrewsLeader June 2004 Vol. 21 No. 6 UPCOMING EVENTS Jun 6 Brew at Richbrau Jun 9 Club Meeting - Style Discussion – Summer Coolers Jun 12 BURP’s SoFB Jun 26 Club Brew @ Tedd Smith’s Jul 14 Club Meeting - Brewing History – James River Steam Brewery Jul 21 Board Meeting Aug 11 Club Meeting - Tour of Legend Brew House AHA Club Only – Wheat Beer (Cat. 17) Aug 14 Summer Party @ Dan Mouer’s Aug 20 – 22 BURP Mashout Sep 8 Club Meeting - Style Discussion – IPA AHA Club Only – Smoked Beer (Cat. 23) Sep 11 Club Brew @ WeekEnd Brewer Sep 15 Board Meeting Sep 25 River City Beer & Seafood Festival Oct 13 Club Meeting Oct 30 Hallo-Fest Party @ Stasi & Jeff York’s Nov 10 Club Meeting - AHA Club Only IPA (Cat. 7) Nov 13 AHA Club Only - IPA Nationals – hosted by James River Homebrewers Nov 17 Board Meeting Dec 8 Club Meeting - Election of Officers Style Discussion – Winter Warmers Dec 11 Holiday Party @ Steve Jarrett’s ***************************** May Meeting President Tedd Smith welcomed members and guests, and thanked Tom Martin and the rest of the Legend staff for their gracious hospitality. Feature: The inimitable Bobby Yenney and the inscrutable Perfesser Jack Jackson discussed homebrew kegging. Bobby reviewed the pros and cons of kegging, the equipment needed, and the general process. Jack then demonstrated the closed-system method of transferring homebrew from a carboy to a keg. Thanks to Bobby and Jack for sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with us! Competition: We thanked Stasi and Jeff York, Steve Severtson, Dan Mouer, Keith Shelton and the rest of the committee again for pulling off a great Dominion Cup! We also thanked our sponsors again – we couldn’t do it without their support. Raffle: Another great one! Prizes included cool glasses (including one from Bob Henderson’s recently completed cruise), growlers, a jockey box, a carboy, bottle openers, a t-shirt, beer, coasters, hats and buttons. Graham Cecil won Mystery Prize #1 – a cool glass and Jeff Hewit won Mystery Prize #2 – a beer cap and a candle in a beer glass. ***************************** Board Meeting The James River Homebrewers Board of Directors met May 19. Discussion included calendar updates and plans for our upcoming Club brews. A Team Brewing event is planned for the Club Brew on September 11 at the WeekEnd (Mongolian Cluster Brew?). Details will follow. A number of Directors also pointed out that Club meetings have become a bit unruly during the past several months. After discussion, we decided that we should develop some simple Rules of Etiquette for us all to follow. Let’s all try to abide by these rules – really just common courtesy. Your fellow James River Homebrewers will appreciate it, and you’ll be a better person. 1. Be on Time! We gather informally starting at 6:30 to socialize and share homebrew. This is the time to get a beer and something to eat. The formal part of the meeting, beginning with our feature presentation, begins promptly at 7:00. If you arrive after the presentation begins, please stand quietly near the door until the presentation is finished. Walking across the meeting room, looking for a seat, is very disruptive to those of us who have arrived on time. 2. Be Quiet! We were all taught to keep quiet when someone else is talking. Why do we talk anyway? (And don’t blame it on the beer.) Our speakers, Club members and guests, have put in considerable time preparing their talks. Holding a side conversation is very disrespectful. If you have a question or feel compelled to make a comment, please raise your hand and wait to be recognized. 3. Remain Seated! Getting up to go to the bar or service window is also very disruptive. If you want to drink a beer during the meeting - and who doesn’t - be sure to get it before the meeting starts. 4. Keep Cell Phones Off! If someone calls, they can leave a message which you can get during the break or after the meeting. None of us are so important that we can’t be out of touch for thirty minutes. 5. Keep Children Still! If you can’t get a sitter, and can’t stand to miss a meeting, please make sure your kids can stay still and keep quiet. Our meetings are supposed to be fun, but fussy children aren’t having a good time – don’t forget to consider their feelings. If we all try to be attentive, and follow these Rules of Etiquette, our meetings will be more enjoyable for all of us. ***************************** Club to Brew at Richbrau Mike Banks, Head Brewer at Richbrau, has offered the Club the opportunity to brew a batch of beer at their facility. The date set for the brew session is Sunday, June 6. We’ll be brewing a beer based on Steve Severtson’s award-winning Pre-Prohibition Pils. We will discuss details at the May meeting. Thanks, Mike, for providing this great opportunity. ***************************** Club Survey We are conducting a survey of the membership to get a better handle on who we are and how we can make the James River Homebrewers an even better organization. Blank surveys were included in the March issue of the BrewsLeader. If more than one member of a household is a member of the Club, each member should complete a survey. Please return surveys to Jeff Hewit, or mail them to Club’s PO Box. If you need another copy of the survey, see Jeff, or go the Club’s website. ***************************** T-Shirts and Glasses We still have some available. The T's are $15 (new style) and $10 (old style). Old-style glasses are $2.50, with a special deal for Club members only - two for $5.00. New-style glasses, with a fancy etched logo - are one for $4.00, two for $7.00, and three for $10.00 ***************************** AHA Club-Only Competitions From time to time, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) sponsors competitions based on a particular style. These competitions are open only to AHA-affiliated homebrew clubs. Each club holds a competition on the particular style. The winner’s brew is sent off to the AHA to be judged with the winners from other homebrew clubs around the country. Bring in five bottles – two for the local competition and three to send off if you win. Competition schedule: > Aug - Wheat Beer (Cat. 17 ) > Sep - Smoked Beer (Cat. 23) > Nov - IPA (Cat. 7) - Hosted by James River Homebrewers When the entry dates are set, we will include the competitions in the Upcoming Events listing. Winners earn Homebrew Club of the Year points for their club. ***************************** Elections We're looking for a few good men…and women! In the fall, we elect Officers and Directors for terms beginning January 1, 2005. The offices of Vice President, Secretary, and Member at Large will begin two-year terms; the Assistant Competition Coordinator and all six director positions will begin one-year terms. The current Board of Directors will nominate a slate of candidates at the November meeting. (With Board approval, the current Assistant Competition Coordinator will assume the position of Competition Coordinator.) The elections will take place during the December meeting. (Additional nominations may be made at that time.) If you’re interested in serving the Club, let any Officer or Director know. Following are the duties of the positions, as set forth in the Club’s By-Laws: > Vice President: The Vice President shall assist the President as needed and perform the duties of the President in his/her absence, and solicit items for and conduct the monthly raffle. > Secretary: The Secretary shall record the minutes of regular Club and Board meetings, edit and publish the Club newsletter and maintain the Club’s active member list. > Competition Coordinator: The Competition Coordinator shall be in charge of all beer competitions held by the Club, including those open to Club members only and those open to the homebrewing public. > Assistant Competition Coordinator: The Assistant Competition Coordinator shall assist the Competition Coordinator. > Member at Large: The Member at Large shall maintain Club history and memorabilia and take charge of special projects as approved by the Board. ***************************** Alcohol Shipping Showdown Supreme Court to Settle Wine Disputes; Implications for Beer? The Supreme Court agreed this week to decide if states can ban direct shipments of wine to consumers from out-of-state wineries. Ultimately, the decision could also affect smaller breweries that hope to sell directly to consumers, bypassing traditional distribution channels. A number of lawsuits have been brought challenging the bans for unconstitutionally discriminating against interstate commerce. Defenders of the laws argued that states under the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition, have the power to regulate the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages. The justices agreed to review cases from Michigan and New York in an attempt to resolve conflicting appeals court rulings. At issue is the system of alcohol distribution under which out-of-state wine producers may sell only to wholesalers, who distribute to retailers, who in turn sell to consumers. About half of the states have direct shipping prohibitions. Some laws ban direct shipments from out-of-state wineries, but allow direct sales from wineries within the state. Michigan Attorney General Michael Cox appealed to the Supreme Court. He said Congress delegated to the states the right to regulate the shipment and transportation of alcoholic beverages within its borders. Cox said Michigan's system screens out shipments from outside the state to prevent sales to minors and to ensure that state taxes are collected. Opponents of the Michigan law described the ban as protectionist, discriminatory and anti-consumer. The Supreme Court appeal in the New York case was brought by those challenging the law, including two small family-run wineries in Virginia and California and three New York wine drinkers. Their lawyers said there are more than 2,500 wineries in 49 states, and most of the wineries outside the top 25 are family-run enterprises producing fewer than 5,000 cases a year. They said the Internet now makes possible direct sales to consumers. The lawyers also cited a staff report by the Federal Trade Commission last year that found that the bans reduce consumer choice and increase wine prices. River City Cellars Beer, Wine and Gourmet Foods 2931 West Cary Street Richmond, VA 23221 (804) 355-1375 www.rivercitycellars.com 10% Discount to Members of James River Homebrewers ***************************** The WeekEnd Brewer Homebrew & Wine Supplies 4205 West Hundred Road Chester, VA 23831 (804) 796-9760 www.weekendbrewer.com The BrewsLeader is the official publication of James River Homebrewers PO Box 486 Richmond, Virginia 23218-0486 Monthly Meetings All meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at The Legend Brewery, 321 West 7th Street, Richmond, Virginia. Homebrew tasting at 6:30, meeting at 7:00. We are grateful to Tom Martin and the rest of the Legend staff for their gracious hospitality. Officers and Board of Directors President: Tedd Smith xxx-xxxx Vice President: Dan Mouer xxx-xxxx Treasurer: Bobby Yenney xxx-xxxx Secretary: Jeff Hewit xxx-xxxx Member @ Large: Denise Pierce xxx-xxxx Competition Coordinator: Stasi York xxx-xxxx Asst. Competition Coordinator: Steve Severtson xxx-xxxx Web Master: Ronnie Anderson xxx-xxxx Directors Woody Elliot xxx-xxxx Jack Jackson xxx-xxxx Steve Jarrett xxx-xxxx Joel Trojnar xxx-xxxx Ted Warren xxx-xxxx Jeff York xxx-xxxx Web Site www.jrhomebrewers.org Submit Articles Articles or other items of interest from the membership are welcome and should be submitted to the Secretary. Email to xxx@xxx.xxx. Dues The date after your name on the address label is the due date for your dues renewal. To renew your membership, just bring your dues - only $20 - to the next meeting, and give them to the Treasurer (or another officer if he isn’t there). If you wish, you may mail your dues to the Club at PO Box 486, Richmond, VA 23218-0486 Inclement Weather Policy If the Richmond city Schools are closed due to inclement weather on the day of a regularly scheduled Club meeting, the meeting will be cancelled, and re-scheduled for the following Wednesday – this will be confirmed by e-mail. Remember Drink Responsibly - Don’t Drink and Drive! Members and guests at James River Homebrewers meetings and events are individually and solely liable for any and all actions attendant to or resulting from their participation. James River Homebrewers PO Box 486 Richmond, VA 23218-0486 Don't take it too seriously, it's only beer!