Case Swap 10 - Expressions of interest

[Peter Smith]

I had a chat to tilt and he suggested perhaps we aim at a swap around Sat 16th Nov to slot in between the NHB competition and xmas.   Expressions of interest please to get an idea of numbers.. Hopefully a full swap given the new number of case swap members recently!!

The process goes something like this:

1. Brew a beer you're proud of and want other brewers to try and give feedback on.
2. Post your recipe as a separate thread in the NZ case swap group - feedback from others'll be posted under your own recipe thread.
3. Bottle it up in 750s - plastic bottles are best as they have to be shipped around the country using "smash and stomp" courier service.  Plastic being lighter also keeps the costs down a bit too. 
4. How many you send in will depend on the interest we get ----> total number to contribute = number of brewers in the swap minus 1
5. Get your beers to a central point under your own steam.
6. The organisers then make up a bundle of mixed cases and send them out. 
7. Receive your case, chill, drink and enjoy while giving feedback on the beer to the brewer via their CS recipe thread.

I'm happy to be the Auckland depot again this time around. 

If we get a few interested from Wgtn/ ChCh or elsewhere it might be good to have local "hubs" and organisers there too.  Shipping with NZ post to Auckland (assuming this is the only depot as it was last time, that we've got 13 brewers and everyone is using PET bottles not glass) is about $20 from the North Island and $35 from the South.  

Redistribution costs split over the lot of us came to about $10 each. 

So to summarise costs, if Auckland is the central point, are:

$10 for Auckland brewers who drop off and pick up in person

$30 for other North Island brewers

$45 for South Island brewers

How does that all sound? 

[John H]

I'm in

[Matt Lory]

Sounds like a great idea - very keen on being part of - thanks for organizing.

Cheers, Matt

[Stu H]

One thing I've noticed after doing a few case swaps, is it makes sense to label your case swap bottles well; Ideally the name of the beer on the label should match the forum post. I've got tasting notes from a bottle of beer from the last case swap which had the "DG Porter" written on the cap, with the number two written on top of it.. No idea who's beer it is, so I can't submit feedback on it.

My 2c.

[Tilt]

Good advice Stu.  That beer is MattD2's porter.

[mattd2]

I was going to say that was probably mine, but I checked and you had already left me feedback. Unless the feedback that you left for me was for someone else... Confusing!

Noted for Case Swap 10 to put a decent label on the bottles... and to try not to oxidise the beer while bottling.

[Stu H]

Haha yep I probably got mixed up!

[Tilt]

Just having a look at the dates for the next Western Brewers Comp and Case Swap 10. 

Is anyone against bringing the case swap forward a week to November the 9th so we can do a lot of the swapping at the WBC?  This has worked well in the past and kept shipping costs down.

[Matt Lory]

Sorry, I have other commitments that weekend, but can drop off my swap contribution to someone in Auckland. Out out interest, how many people are we looking at for this swap - just need to remember to bottle up in plastic on one of the currently fermenting batches.

Does anyone object to running with a couple of different batches going out (lucky dip) in order to get a bit of different feedback on different brews? Cheers.

[Tilt]

Sounds good Matt.  I aim to have mine bottled a couple of weeks before swap date.  We're too far out to have an exact count, but by my reckoning on people replying so far we're looking at about 12.

A couple of different beers is OK - I did that last time.  Just remember to label them clearly and put both recipes up so people know where to put the feedback.

[Peter Smith]

Works for me, but I may need your help transporting beers back/forward etc,  Can probably fit about 10 doz in my car max.  I have my CS recipe so better get brewing this weekend.

[Tilt]

Sorry, I'm going to be tied up on the day but I thought it might make the swap run more smoothly. 

Lets see how many entries you get in the end.  Last time I only had to take about 70 bottles up to Hallertau - Dan brought the other 40 from Whangarei and we did the swap in the car park.  If entries are more this time maybe one of the other Auckland swappers can help out?

[Peter Smith]

cool we will make a plan I am all for swap on 9th