Marchfest 2013 brewing demo

[integersmirk]

Hi there

Most of you know that a feature of Marchfest for the last few years has been a home brew demo.

Other than having fun, the goal of this demo has mostly been to promote craft brewing at home and to show people that it is possible to make great beer by yourself. For many people, home brewing means kit+kilo swill to be endured rather than enjoyed. It is great to have an opportunity to try to change this opinion.

Ed and I have had gallons of fun brewing at Marchfest, but this year it feels like time to take it up a level. Therefore it has been proposed that for the demo this year we try to get as many different people brewing onsite with as many different setups as we can manage - all grain, partial, wort kits, shiny blickman bling vs warehouse pots vs keggles vs splash and dash... the more variety the better.

As far as I know (but Fritz and Maria should confirm this) this idea has been embraced by the organisers and now we need to start getting in to the nitty gritty.

I am looking for volunteers to help, either people that are interested in brewing or people that are interested in assisting in other ways. I am sure there will be a lot to organise and I should have a 6-week-old by Marchfest and am also playing with the Immigrants on the day so I will need help both before the day and during it.

If you are interested, please let me know.

If you want to brew on the day, please let me know how your mobile set-up is likely to work.

If you have a set-up that might work but can't make it along and are happy for someone else to use it, let me know.

Utilities - especially electricity - will be limited so the more people that can brew with gas the better. I would like to say that it's open floor and everyone is welcome but we might have to be selective.

We are still confirming lots of details:

* Final sign-off from the organisers

* Contents of Volunteer packs (t-shirts, tickets, beer vouchers etc)

* What power and water supplies we can rely on

* How big the floor space we will have is

* Potential sponsorship for ingredients

* etc

I am planning on being at Evan's on Saturday which might be a good opportunity to talk about it.

Cheers

Mike

[Adam Tristram]

Hey Mike.... I would give the brewing a go, cooking with gas. Won't be there on Sat as away but count me in, cheers Adam

[integersmirk]

Great stuff!

[Christian]

I'm in if I can demo brewing a quadtriple decocted, smoked Imperial Barley-Wine Eisbock. Noobs will learn how real beer is made!

[Evan Davies]

Count me in, and will see ya on Saturday, will have to run a demo trial b4 MF to see boil times etc, but hey ya gotta be in ta win. Brewhahahahahah evil laff.

[integersmirk]

Awesome. Are you cooking with gas?

[Evan Davies]

yeah will attempt to boil with gas, i can boil about 35 litres, so I guess it may help get mash tun water to temp for one other

[integersmirk]

Christian - you're on. I'm looking forward to learning from the master :)

[Christian]

I'll be boiling with super-heated Volcanic rocks, maybe some lava if we're lucky.

[Evan Davies]

WOW a brew demo of Geothermic proportions, lets get it on Nelsonians. I will stick to gas as last time I caramelised with volcanic rocks and ended up with a trappist barley meadish concoction of Brewdog Anti nuclear eyewatering Double Rainbow, and a burnt kettle lol

[Christian]

hell bro!...maybe I'll just do a kit & kilo then.

[Evan Davies]

Anymore news on the brew demo day there Mike, yet us know more after the wee un arrives, and all the best for that. Kia Kaha

[integersmirk]

Still waiting for info on what space and utilities we will have... chased it a few days ago so hopefully something soon. I will keep you informed on all fronts :)