Pro/Am Challenge Complete

The Half Pints Pro/Am is now complete, a big thinks to all the organizers who put in countless hours to make the competition a huge success. And not to be forgotten are the hard working volunteers and judges who came from near and far, a big thanks to them as well!

Congratulations to our local winners, Sean Richens, Mark Borowski, Paul Mailhot, Brett Aho, Adam Olson, Jared Carlberg, Matt Hildebrand & Gille Noel and Steve Gauthier!

For full results see: http://www.compete.beer/Competition/results/1

In club news, the event calendar has been updated with some changes. Our next meeting on November 3rd will now be held at Half Pints. This is because the club competition will be held in December at Fort Garry Brewery. This years competition is BJCP 2015 category 21. IPA, so bring your best IPA in December for a chance to choose this years big brew recipe!

2015 / 2016 Season Starts Mid September!

*Update*

First meeting is confirmed for Tuesday September 15th at Half Pints brewery! Start time is 7:30pm.

 

It has been a busy summer, but the 2015/2016 Winnipeg Brew Bomber season is coming soon! The first meeting should be held mid-September. Check back at the end of August for a confirmed date and location!

Also check out the new club Frequently Asked Question’s page under the “About” section. This should have all the information you are looking for if you want to know how to join!

John Palmer – Next Tuesday!

Join us at February’s meeting for a Skype chat with one of the founders of North American home brewing,  John Palmer!

 

About John Palmer

Two score and seven years ago, two parents in Midland, MI raised a determined young boy who wanted to make things. Make things and catch fish. About this same time, he tried his grandfather’s homemade root beer for the first time, and declared it to be the “best stuff in the world!” The root beer was made in a large stoneware crock with Hire’s extract and tended to make the bottles explode, but it was worth it. As time passed and catching ever-larger fish to impress the girls seemed to lose its effectiveness, John went off to Michigan Tech to learn metallurgy. Metallurgy, snow, and drinking local beer were engaging pastimes for many years but it was finally time to leave Michigan and seek his fame in fortune in Southern California. Girls had nothing to do with it.

The local aerospace industry of Southern California proved to be a very nourishing environment for the up-and-coming metallurgist, but the lovely beaches of Orange County tended to starve a sophisticated beer drinker. It was the heyday of Corona girls serving beer with lemon, but their beauty and its style was kind of smooth after a while, give him two-hand hefty biersteins any time. It was the dark lager beer in particular that he missed, and being an engineer, he decided that actually brewing some could not be that hard. A couple trips to the local homebrew supply store and that first disappointing batch of beer was made.

Ah the twists of fate – that first batch was cidery and did not taste anything like the beer he had in mind. It made him more determined than ever to analyze the brewing processes and determine the best method for brewing his beer. And thus was born his five year mission to explore strange new beers, to seek out new recipes and new brewing techniques, to boldly explain what no one had explained before, at least not quite in the same way. Several years were spent writing and re-writing the material and then the book was published online at www.howtobrew.com, the first comprehensive brewing book on the internet. A year later, it was published in hard copy, and a few years later it was revised and How to Brew was published by Brewer’s Publications in 2006. Many people ask if brewing beer and writing about beer is his full-time job, but no, it’s is just a cherished hobby. His secret identity is being a metallurgist and quality manager for a large heat treating corporation.

John always enjoys having a beer and sharing experiences with other brewers at weekend competitions and conferences.

(http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/brewer-of-the-week/john-palmer/)

 

Also be sure to check out his new book:

Water: A Comprehensive Guide for Brewers

2014 Half Pints Pro/Am Competition Results

Category 1/2: Light Lager / Pilsner (13 entries) Sponsored by: Everwood Ave Brew Shop

1st              Geordan Sanders – Flip Cup – 1c Premium American Lager / KABOB

2nd             Sean Richens – Light Pils 140105  – 2A German Pils / Winnipeg Brew Bombers

3rd             John Adair – Missy’s Lager – 1E: Dortmunder Ex

Category 3: European Amber Lager (12 entries) Sponsored by: Grape & Grain

1st             Eric Cousineau – Vienna Lager – 3A: Vienna Lager / GTA Brews

2nd            Chris Young – Oktoberfest Lager – 3B Oktoberfest / Half Pints

3rd            Tyrone Keep – Blacktie Brauhaus – 3B Oktoberfest / Saskatoon Headhunters

Category 4/5: Dark Lager/Bock (14 entries) Sponsored by: Beer Grains Supply Co.

1st              Sean Richens – Bohemian Tmave – 4B Munich Dunkel / WBB

2nd            Darrin Sayers – The Force – 4C Schwarzbier / Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

3rd            Adam Olson – Glacier Bay Eisbock – 5D Eisbock / RCMB

Category 6: Light Hybrid Beer (18 entries) Sponsored by: Grape & Grain

1st             Fletcher Stevens – Bi-Polar Blonde – 6B Blonde Ale / Yk Beer Society

2nd            Darrin Sayers – Firewater – 6A Cream Ale / Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

3rd            Ben Rix – Lars’ Kolsch – 6C Kolsch

 Category 7: Amber Hybrid Beer (8 entries) Sponsored by: Grape & Grain

 1st             Jonas Hurtig – Cali Steamer – 7B California Common / Cowtown YeastWranglers

2nd             Robert Doerksen – Pier 179  – 7B California Common / Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

3rd            Alvaro Reyes  – Funfundsechzig Jahre Alt – 7C Dusseldorf Altbier / VanBrewers

Category 8: English Pale Ale (9 entries) Sponsored by: Rebellion Brewing Company

 1st             Andrew Stevens – Typical Bitch Face – 8A Standard Bitter / MontreAlers

2nd            Paul Brennan – Nelson’s ESB – 8C ESB / MontreAlers

3rd            Paul Heslop – Alnwick – 8C ESB / Cowtown Yeast Wranglers

Category 9: Scottish and Irish Ale (7 entries) Sponsored by: Beer Grains Supply Co.

 1st             Jonathan Voyer/Kevin Deschambault – Scottish 80 – 9C Scottish Export 80

2nd             Chris Bourdages – Great Scot! – 9C Scottish Heavy 70  / Durham Homebrewers

3rd             Yannick Laplante/Philippe Dufour – IRA – 9D Irish Red Ale

Category 10: American Ale (30 entries) Sponsored by: Hop Dawgs Home Brew Supplies

1st             Zack Weinberg/Graham Markham – Markham Pale Ale – 10A American Pale / Toronto Brewing

2nd       Fletcher Stevens – Honey Bucket Nut Brown – 10C American Brown / Yk Beer Society

3rd       James Watchman/Mike Ozero – Brown Merican – 10C American Brown / Ye Olde Kildonan Boys

Category 11: English Brown Ale (8 entries) Sponsored by: Beersmith

1st             David Freeman – Timid Turtle – 11A Mild

2nd             Fleesha Willfong – Welcome to Brown Town – 11C N. English Brown /ALES

3rd             Paul Heslop – Wear Bridge – 11C N. English Brown / Cowtown YW

Category 12: Porter (11 entries) Sponsored by: Beer Grains Supply Co.

1st              Jason Newton – Newtonian Baltic – 12C Baltic Porter / Vanbrewers

2nd             Mark Borowski – Goin’ Brown Town – 12A Brown Porter / WBB

3rd             Geof Traill – Browndead – 12A Brown Porter / Toronto Brewing

Category 13: Stout (16 entries) Sponsored by: Beersmith

 1st            Thomas Fenn – Simdicoe Psychosis – 3F Imperial Stout

2nd            Mark Pennell – Black Gold – 13A Dry Stout / Brewnosers

3rd            Mark Atkinson – Doctor’s Orders – 13C Oatmeal Stout / BrewVIC

Category 14: India Pale Ale (IPA) (32 entries) Sponsored by: Prairie GEM Hops

 1st            Steve Shaw/Chris Leigh – 77×42 Mleh Heh – 14C Imperial IPA

2nd           Marc Loszchuk – Hoppy Birthday IPA – 14B American IPA / ALES

3rd            Matt Braun – Hoppin In The Dark – 14D Black IPA

Category 15: German Wheat and Rye Beer (9 entries) Sponsored by: Beer Grains Supply Co.

 1st           Jason Newton – Newtonian Hefeweizen – 15A Weizen / Vanbrewers

2nd           Dean Kelly – I’ve Gone Rogue – 15D Roggenbier / Saskatoon Headhunters

3rd           Chris Nowlan – Duke Degenberg’s Daily Bread – 15A Weizen / Cowtown YW

Category 16: Belgian and French Ale (29 entries) Sponsored by: Beer Grains Supply Co.

 1st        Kent Courtice – Sanctify – 16E Belgian Specialty / VanBrewers

2nd       Rob Loewen – Sour Belgian Dubbel – 16E Belgian Specialty

3rd        Jimmy Bernier – Wild Yeast Saison 076 – 16C Saison

Category 17: Sour Ale (10 entries) Sponsored by: GL Designs

 1st             Mark Borowski – The Forgotten – 17B Flanders Red / WBB

2nd             Greg Zeniuk – The Headless Tartsman – 17A Berliner Weisse  / Edmonton Homebrewers Guild

3rd             Greg Zeniuk – Cotton Gueuze – 17E Gueuze / EHG

Category 18: Belgian Strong Ale (12 entries) Sponsored by: Alley Kat

 1st             Chris Nowlan – Contemplatio Divina – 18C Belgian Tripel / Cowtown YW

2nd             Brett Aho – Marteau D’or – 18D Belgian Golden / RCMB

3rd             Dave Janssen – Extra – 18A Belgian Blond / BrewVIC

Category 19: Strong Ale (8 entries) Sponsored by: American Homebrewers Association

1st          Jonas Hurtig – Low Efficiencywine – 19C: American Barleywine / Cowtown YW

2nd        Mark Borowski – ALE X – 19A Old Ale / WBB

3rd         Ben Rix – THUNDERPIG – 19A American Barleywine

Category 20: Fruit Beer (11 entries) Sponsored by: Farmery

1st            Dave Janssen – Wheat Saison With Brett & Lemon – 20A Fruit Beer / BrewVic

2nd           Jimmy Bernier – Raspberry Saison 075 – 20A Fruit Beer

3rd           Cedric Dauchot – Blackberry FestivALE – 20A Fruit Beer

 Category 21: Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer (9 entries) Sponsored by: Grape & Grain

 1st            Scott Higgins/Justin Shead/Ken Sandilands/Alex Wall/Dave Callighan – Coconut Curry – 21A SHV Beer – ELAlers

2nd            David Callaghan – D’unkel Juniper – 21A SHV Beer

3rd            Parker Willfong/Fleesha Willfong – Gilligan’s Radio – 21A SHV  Beer / ALES

Category 22: Smoke-Flavored and Wood-Aged Beer (16 entries) Sponsored by: Townsite Brewing

1st             Andrew Thorne – Fornicator – 22C Wood-aged Beer / RCMB

2nd           Marc Loszchuk – Big Baltic Bastard – 22C Wood-Aged Beer  / ALES

3rd            Adam Olson – Islay Scotch Ale – 22C Wood-Aged Beer / RCMB

 Category 23: Specialty Beer (15 entries) Sponsored by: Toronto Brewing Homebrew Supply Store

 1st             Kent Courtice/Marc Raymond – The MAK – 23A Specialty Beer / VanBrewers

2nd            Marc Loszchuk – Big Bourbon Bastard – 23A Specialty / ALES

3rd            Dave Janssen – Rye Spiced Saison – 23A Specialty / BrewVic

 

Category 24-26: Mead Sponsored by: White Labs

1st            Jason Toews – A Good Swift Kick In The Oranges – 26A Metheglin / Saskatoon Headhunters

2nd          Tyrone Keep – Orange You Glad – 26C Open Mead / Saskatoon Headhunters

3rd           Alex Wall – Ginger Merry Mead – 26A Metheglin / E.L.Alers

 

Category 27-28: Cider and Perry (6 entries) Sponsored by: Grape & Grain

 1st            Donovan Fontaine – Nottingham Cider – 27B English Cider / WBB

2nd           Donovan Fontaine – Champagne Cider – 27A Common Cider / WBB

3rd            Ian McCallister/Cali Ramsey – Fuggle Rock – 28D Specialty Cider / WBB

 

BEST OF SHOW: Winner will brew at HalfPints Sponsored by: Halfpints Brewing Company & Fort Garry Brewing Company

1st            Kent Courtice – Sanctify – 16E Belgian Specialty  / VanBrewers

2nd           Dave Janssen – Wheat Saison with Brett & Lemon – 20A Fruit Beer / BrewVic

3rd            Zack Weinberg/Graham Markham – Markham Pale Ale – 10A American Pale Ale / Toronto Brewing

4th            Steve Shaw/Chris Leigh – 77X42 Mleh Heh – 14C: Imperial IPA

 

BREWER OF THE YEAR: Set of Brewing Classic Books for 1st  Sponsored by: Brewers Publications 

1st       Mark Borowski with a total of 7 points / Winnipeg Brew Bombers

Tied for 2nd with 6 points: Jonas Hurtig, Marc Loszchuk, and Jason Newton