Toast
“To a year of great brews and even better friends. To recipes refined and trends that transcend. May our beers be bold, our hops in prime, and out bonds grow stronger with every stein.”
Guests/New Members
26 members were present including two guests – Amanda and Katelyn
Who is Brewing?
- The club total for 2024 was 691.25 BUs. The brewer of the Year, with a total of 107 BUs, is Kristen.
- Discussion ensued regarding how to enter brew totals in 2025. Members liked the old way where everyone would comment on one post on FaceBook so that they could see their own brew totals as well as everyone else’s. However, it is easier and less time consuming to use the Google Form and spreadsheet. The solution will involve both options. There will be an overall post on FaceBook that has the link to the Form and also members can comment below that to share what they brewed. The official count for BOY will happen via the Form entries.
- Third place Competitor of the Year is Jeremy. Tied for second place are John E. and Chris S. The first place COY, with a total of 254 points, is Kristen.
Upcoming Events
- 18 JAN – Taproom takeover in lieu of a Stammtisch, Hop Atomica at 1500
- 01 FEB – Domras Cup
- 05 FEB – SBL Monthly Meeting at Coastal Empire
- Discussion ensued regarding the location of future meetings. Allison made a motion to make Coastal Empire our permanent meeting location. Roger seconded the motion. It passed unanimously. Concerns were raised regarding Debellation and the contributions that Dave has made to the club. We do not want him to feel like we do not appreciate his hospitality and willingness to host us. The members agreed to extend offers to host the various AHA events throughout the year at Debellation.
New Business
- Members were reminded to pay their dues. It is $26 and can be paid by sending funds through PayPal to the club e-mail address ([email protected]).
Committee Discussion
Amy’s Assessments
A food truck is investing heavily in one of the back rooms and plans are in motion.
Treasurer’s Report
Gene gave his report to the members which included the general budget and the Domras Cup 2025 budget.
Barrel Committee
- Barrel 1 – The Duchesse Red is mostly all brewed at this time. The barrel will start getting filled the weekend of January 18.
- Barrel 2 – Lambic – John E. mashed some malt at a high temperature to get more body. About 4.7 gallons were added to the barrel. So far there is no airlock activity. We will check on this in one month.
Merch
- John E. is workign with the printer for Domras Cup shirts. The company will host a website where individuals can place orders for shirts and other merchandise. The hope is to have a few “models” wearing the shirts dring the event and have a QR code available for people to scan who would like to place an order. John E. needs a small design committee as well so please let him know if you are interested in helping.
Competitions
- Domras Cup – February 1, 2025, along with the beauty pageant
- Quarter Quell will be upcoming in the spring, Gerry and Kyle will host
- ReBrew – Chris S. said that there is interest in holding anoter ReBrew competition with the potential of it becoming a yearly event. This year, brewers will need to make 5 gal batches instead of 10. The ABV can be up to 7%. This year you can also name your own beer. Water will be available March-April. The event will take place in mid-July. Chris M. made a motion to make ReBrew the Midyear competition this year. It was seconded by John E. The motion passed unanimously.
Old Business
Post-Domras Hockey Game
The club sold 19 tickets. Tonight is the last chance to purchase tickets. Scott will turn in the final number Thursday morning.
Website
The website is still minimally functioning. Members cannot pay dues through the website anymore either. Discussion regarding the website ensued. It is currently being hosted by C. Watkins. He is unable to manage it anymore. Kristen and Meredith were given rights to post minutes on the “News” tab but were discouraged from touching any other part of the website to make edits or changes. This is because in the past, those who have attempted to do so messed up the pages. Kristen built and managed their brewery website but did not use WordPress. She is willing to speak with C. Watkins to gain access to be able to figure out the platform and take over the website design/maintenance. She will start looking into this and learning WordPress this month. As long as she can figure it out, she will continue to maintain the club’s website.
BJCP Cider Judging
The next class(es) will cover New England ice cider and apple wine. The date is pending Vince’s ability to procure proper samples. After the final few styles are covered, the meetings will shift to the educational component including cider making. The goal is to have an exam in 2026.
Upcoming Stammtisch
- January – Taproom takeover at Hop Atomica, 18 JAN
- February – none because of Domras Cup
- March – St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah
Club Trip
Chris S. talked about having another club trip in Spring 2026. This time the trip would be to England and France with a focus on ciders.