Beer Forum

Our club is presenting at the Colorado Brewers Festival in June. Trying to reach out the BN Army for help brainstorming presentation topics that the general public(beer appreciating) might enjoy...thoughts?

I guess I was considering showing the basic set up for a newbie and doing a extract batch start to finish...

your Idea of showing an extract batch from start to finish, and the minimal amount of equipment needed would be a great idea. I dont know how many poeple I talk to about starting to homebrew, and they are always concerned on the cost of start up. If they can boil 3 gallons of water they can make beer, is what I tell them.

Definitely fermentation. It's what it's all about. You could also go into pitching rates, starters, stir plates, yeast nutrient, oxygen, and off-flavors that can happen if you don't do the right thing. That's how I'd start people off.

PorkSlapper wrote:your Idea of showing an extract batch from start to finish, and the minimal amount of equipment needed would be a great idea. I dont know how many poeple I talk to about starting to homebrew, and they are always concerned on the cost of start up. If they can boil 3 gallons of water they can make beer, is what I tell them.

+1. Getting too technical, such as talking about different malts, hops, yeast care, processes, cleaning, etc. tends to make their eyes glaze over. Keep it simple. Even though you might be presenting to dozens of people, the likelihood of 5% of them even trying it once is probably rather optimistic. Basic info will keep it more enjoyable for the masses & probably inspire a few of the more interested to ask questions. Perhaps you could even recruit one of the more interested folks as your assistant brewer.

Ozwald wrote:

PorkSlapper wrote:your Idea of showing an extract batch from start to finish, and the minimal amount of equipment needed would be a great idea. I dont know how many poeple I talk to about starting to homebrew, and they are always concerned on the cost of start up. If they can boil 3 gallons of water they can make beer, is what I tell them.

+1. Getting too technical, such as talking about different malts, hops, yeast care, processes, cleaning, etc. tends to make their eyes glaze over. Keep it simple. Even though you might be presenting to dozens of people, the likelihood of 5% of them even trying it once is probably rather optimistic. Basic info will keep it more enjoyable for the masses & probably inspire a few of the more interested to ask questions. Perhaps you could even recruit one of the more interested folks as your assistant brewer.

That sounds pretty good and makes sense. People I have met that have "always wanted to try it" might feel overwhelmed when discussing the more technical/adv topics...

I am only a little of a year into this hobby and do all grain BIAB style. I always thought this was going to be way for complicated for someone like myself to get into. I started watching BTV and was amazed watching ole Chip Walton making batches on his stove top, ordered an extract kit and the obsession began. Sometimes I think all people need for that final push is seeing someone literally boil water and add extract and hops into it, for them to realize how simple it all can be.

On the fermentation side, try to get the point across that keeping that carboy at a constant temp is a must. I was storing my carboys in the closet with my hot water tank, and didn't realize that so much temp fluctuation was occurring, and that was why my beer was getting some crazy yeast esters.

Strap on your and shirt and get your brewday started!

BeaverBarber wrote:Definitely fermentation. It's what it's all about. You could also go into pitching rates, starters, stir plates, yeast nutrient, oxygen, and off-flavors that can happen if you don't do the right thing. That's how I'd start people off.

Really? If it's truly intended to be a intro level presentation, most of these things are at least intermediate, if not advanced. You have to get most people interested in making beer before you can get them excited about pitching rates/etc.

spiderwrangler wrote:

BeaverBarber wrote:Definitely fermentation. It's what it's all about. You could also go into pitching rates, starters, stir plates, yeast nutrient, oxygen, and off-flavors that can happen if you don't do the right thing. That's how I'd start people off.

Really? If it's truly intended to be a intro level presentation, most of these things are at least intermediate, if not advanced. You have to get most people interested in making beer before you can get them excited about pitching rates/etc.

Oops...all I zeroed in on was presentation at the Colorado Brewers Festival. I misunderstood.