Real ales are also still rare in the US, so I haven’t been able to expand my knowledge much beyond what I learned while drinkin…er, living abroad. Oddly enough, even though I’ve been brewing for nearly seven years, I still haven’t explored brewing real ale (beyond an apparent stubbornness to continue bottle conditioning, I guess). You can learn more through the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), a UK organization committed to preserving this style of brewing. Once open, it needs to be drunk quickly before it becomes oxidized. Because it’s unfiltered and unpasteurized, it’s a living product. It should be stored at cellar temperature and allowed to settle before serving (agitating it will shake up the yeast and other ingredients, which will affect the appearance and flavor of the beer). ![]() Quick tutorial on real ale: Real ale is beer allowed to ferment in the vessel from which it’s served, and it naturally carbonates itself in the process. Within a year, I was brewing my own beer. Clearly, I needed to better understand the whole brewing process. This traditional brewing style challenged what I thought I knew about beer at the time. Years ago I lived in the UK where I discovered cask-conditioned beers (referred to as “real ale”). Follow us on Facebook or Twitter weekend, I not only repeatedly relayed the story of how I become interested in brewing, I also had the opportunity to celebrate it at a “real ale” homebrew club meeting hosted by Brewer’s United for Real Potables (BURP). Visit to learn more and sign up to receive updates. DC Homebrewers has been supporting the local homebrewing scene since 2008. The club meets monthly in metro-accessible locations around the city and holds other events throughout the year including group brewing days, the annual Cherry Blossom Homebrewing Competition each spring, and an annual summer barbecue. The goal of the club is to provide a forum for area homebrewers to exchange ideas, expand their knowledge of beer and brewing, and enjoy some homebrew. The judging event, sponsored by Meridian Pint, will occur on March 29, although it will not be open to the public.įollow the club on Twitter for live tweets of the winners.ĭC Homebrewers is a not-for-profit club comprised of homebrewers of all levels of experience in the Washington DC area. Three local sponsors are serving as drop-off locations – MyLHBS (Falls Church, Va.), DC HomeBrew Shop (Washington, D.C.) and Maryland Homebrew (Columbia, Md.).Įntries can also be mailed to the DC HomeBrew Shop, but they must arrive by March 15 to be considered. Homebrewers who wish to enter have until March 15 to register online at (limit of two entries per person) and to submit three bottles of each entry. “I can’t wait to see the creativity inspired by our cherry blossom category from local brewers. “I’m excited to offer a competition to homebrewers outside of DC Homebrewers and sanctioned by the AHA,” Competition Organizer Peter Jones says. Beers will be evaluated on elements such as aroma and flavor as well as relevance to the category and overall drinkability. ![]() The judging team is certified through the AHA’s Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP).īrewers can enter their beers into 24 different beer-style categories, including a special category for beers containing a flower or its derivative, such as blossoms, fruit, or honey. Once a small competition open only to club members, this year’s competition is recognized by the American Homebrewers Association (AHA). Although not officially associated with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the competition will be held on March 29 to coincide with the festival activities happening around Washington. This first annual DC Homebrewers Cherry Blossom Competition provides an opportunity for amateur brewers to show off and test their skills against other homebrewers in the area and across the region. I’ll say more about this in the coming weeks, but here’s some information from the press release (entry registration is open until March 15): So I’m lending my expertise to help with the PR strategy and volunteer management. ![]() Now, the club is growing it to 24 different beer-style categories and opening registration to the public. As you can imagine, this size of event takes a team to organize, run, and judge. It started as a one-category, member-only, best-of-show type event. This spring, my local homebrew club, DC Homebrewers, is hosting its first homebrew competition to be recognized by the American Homebrewers Association (disclosure: I currently serve as club vice president).
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