Home Brew Club

[Steve SPF]

What happens at home brew clubs? I was asked today about starting one but have no real idea what goes on. I'm thinking bottle swaps would be quite neat and maybe brewery tours but we don't seem to have any active ones around here so I've no experience of them at all.

Any thoughts?

 

[Sunfire96]

What happens at home brew clubs? I was asked today about starting one but have no real idea what goes on. I'm thinking bottle swaps would be quite neat and maybe brewery tours but we don't seem to have any active ones around here so I'ce no experience of them at all.

Any thoughts?

I want to join my local club but the virus keeps postponing in person meetings. This club does bottle swaps, find guest speakers from the local brewing community, and is pretty gung-ho about entering competitions

 

[Nosybear]

Depends on the club. Ours is all about education, improving club brewers, bottle swaps.... We formed ours a few years ago as an extension of the local homebrew shop - they're happy to have us and we support them when we can. None around, you can always start one and the Brewer's Friend community functions a bit like a virtual homebrew club.

 

[Steve SPF]

I'm the local homebrew supplier, I supply both of our local shops as well, so it's a good fit for me business wise but I'm a wee bit anti-social as well so it's a little bit left field for me to be thinking along these lines. I think everyone should just join Brewer's Friend and they'll find all they need here

I do have some trade contacts though so could probably organise speakers etc. Competitions are really very not my bag so I've no clue how those work, must look into that.

 

[Nosybear]

I'm the local homebrew supplier, I supply both of our local shops as well, so it's a good fit for me business wise but I'm a wee bit anti-social as well so it's a little bit left field for me to be thinking along these lines. I think everyone should just join Brewer's Friend and they'll find all they need here

I do have some trade contacts though so could probably organise speakers etc. Competitions are really very not my bag so I've no clue how those work, must look into that.

Find some schmuck like me to kick it off for you, could be anyone...

 

[Steve SPF]

Find some schmuck like me to kick it off for you, could be anyone...

What's your availability like second weekend in March?

 

[Sunfire96]

I'm the local homebrew supplier, I supply both of our local shops as well, so it's a good fit for me business wise but I'm a wee bit anti-social as well so it's a little bit left field for me to be thinking along these lines. I think everyone should just join Brewer's Friend and they'll find all they need here

I do have some trade contacts though so could probably organise speakers etc. Competitions are really very not my bag so I've no clue how those work, must look into that.

You just need someone that wants to meet new people and loves talking about beer. They could be inexperienced, as long as they're doing the work for organizing and recruiting

 

[Nosybear]

What's your availability like second weekend in March?

Sorry, that's ski week.

 

[NorthWest Small Batch Brewing]

Also a lot of times they will all go in on a massive 2 row buy to get a better price on a bulk buy so you can get your base grain at a lower price.

 

[Craigerrr]

Unfortunately our local club seems to be a bunch of socially awkward unwelcoming beer nerds. I maintain my membership solely to take advantage of the bulk buys.

 

[Bulin's Milker Bucket Brews]

I actually would'nt mind joining a club, unfortunately the nearest one is in Madison, that's 1 1/2 hour drive. Doesn't seem to be many homebrewers in this area.

 

[Steve SPF]

Unfortunately our local club seems to be a bunch of socially awkward unwelcoming beer nerds. I maintain my membership solely to take advantage of the bulk buys.

Could be describing me there

What would bulk buy discounts look like? I buy direct from the big suppliers so I have soom wriggle room for discounting.

 

[Ward Chillington]

Sorry, that's ski week.

Lol...I thought you were gonna ask about air fare!!

I gave one of the local clubs a few tries pre covid but after their membership chairman failed to follow through on an application 3 times, I said F 'em...jeez guy, you had one job to take my money .....maybe that explains their latest Facebook posting......from January ...2021!

Who cares...I got my Brewer's Friends!

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

I thought about it but I have enough meetings at work. The clubs in my are don't seem to be that active anyway. Like @Ward Chillington , I have you folks and it is much more fun.

 

[Steve SPF]

I'm the same honestly, I get pretty much all my answers here or via brewing contacts. I was asked last week though and was curious about the concept.

 

[Ward Chillington]

Yeah...and we don't hafta wait a month!

 

[Nosybear]

Could be describing me there

What would bulk buy discounts look like? I buy direct from the big suppliers so I have soom wriggle room for discounting.

We have a few of those, too. Fortunately the others balance me out...

 

[Craigerrr]

Could be describing me there

What would bulk buy discounts look like? I buy direct from the big suppliers so I have soom wriggle room for discounting.

I meant no offence to the socially awkward beer nerds out there
My experience with the few meetings that I have been to was to be looked at with the "who is that guy" as opposed to "hey, you're new here, what's your name"

Grain by the sack, hops by the pound, and discounts for dry yeast both by 11g and 450 gram packages.
Sometimes there is a hop only bulk by that may be offered by a particular local grower, or distributor.
We have two LHBS's that also offer a 5% discount to club members, and will take turns facilitating the bulk buys. I assume that they are also getting an extra discount for placing an extra large order. A spreadsheet is posted with the list of items available, and you add the items you want to purchase to it. It is usually open for a couple of weeks, and then may take a week or two for the order to be completed.

 

[Steve Ruch]

I want to join my local club but the virus keeps postponing in person meetings. This club does bottle swaps, find guest speakers from the local brewing community, and is pretty gung-ho about entering competitions

The local club is meeting, but so many people in Indiana aren't vaccinated I do not feel safe in any group.

 

[Minbari]

Reviving this since the plague is over.

Gonna go to a club meeting tomorrow and see if I want to join. Been wanting to try a club and see if I can improve my craft. This site has always been helpful, so maybe in life people will too.