East Coast Beer and Home Brewing

After home brewing independently for two years I’ve gotten the notion that I need other people for both inspiration and instruction. I started with extracts and moved on to using a mini-mash along with extracts. Now I’d like to take the next step to all grain brewing. I’ve read through the process and it looks like something that is prone to mistakes if you don’t know what you’re doing. Before taking the plunge I’d like to walk through the process with someone else at least once. And so I thought a home brew club would be a good resource for both new processes and inspiration. I’ve looked for brew clubs in my area and came up empty. Northeast Philadelphia is not exactly a cultural mecca. There is a surprising lack of book stores. Barnes and Noble and Borders must have the impression that this part of the city is illiterate. I did happen across a few online reference of BONES (Brewers of the Northeast), but it appears to be inactive. I happened upon BUZZ (Brewers Unlimited Zany Zymurgists) based in West Chester, PA which is about an hour’s drive away and more during rush hour. I also found the Celtic Cock Guild, a group focused on mead but also interested in beer, wine, and cordials. They are associated with the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism). However I could attend as SCA membership is not required. Both appear active and I plan on dropping in on a BUZZ meeting, but the guild meeting came up first on the calendar and fit into my schedule and so off I went to my first ever brew club meeting last Wednesday (Oct. 12).

I had previously joined their yahoo news group and communicated my intent to attend. The meeting invitation was very broad and welcoming which was rather encouraging. It was in a separate room of McKenzies Brew House (Chadds Ford, PA). By the time I arrived the members were already assembled. The group was immediately welcoming and after I introduced myself they went around the table (there were around 10 people) and introduced themselves and their interests. Everyone at the table make mead and that neatly addresses one recent area of interest. Another fellow happens to live in the Northeast section of Philadelphia and does all grain brewing. I was happy to be invited to a brewing session sometime next month. The meeting consisted of SCA business of which I am wholly unfamiliar, but the remainder consisted of sampling meads and wines that others brought to share.

All in all, I was glad to meet the group and plan on attending the next session and was sorry that I waited two years to meet with a brewing club.

Till next time,
- John