Some Ideas Please

[Dunfie]

Last week I got myself voted onto the Scottish Craft Brewers committee. The reason for this was that I felt that the association was not fullfilling its potential and didn't appear to be very "inclusive". The next two scheduled meetings are a visit to Strathaven Brewery next month (one for you Mysty) and then in November a visit to the Three Judges Beer festival in Glasgow. Both of these events look like they will be good events but don't really get to the heart of what a Craft Brewing association should be about - imo.

I felt that we were missing a trick in that they were simply arranging a couple of social events for the group of members who have known each other for years. What about making the association more available to people who are just taking up the hobby - I am sure they would expect a Craft Brewers meeting to be more oriented around the hobby. I also felt that as these events are always on a Sunday that they were excluding those who have to balance the hobby with family life (myself being an obvious example).

So, I volunteered arranging a midweek meeting in Edinburgh for sometime on October. My plan was to bring us back to basics and concentrate on, but not excusively, the following (these are off the top of my head):

Beer Tasting/Blind Tasting (mainly members beers but also commercial varieties)
Historical Talks on Scottish Brewing and Breweries
Beer Judging
Invited Speakers Brewing Industry
Ingredient Updates as the season pass
Talks on Growing Hops, different yeasts

As there are a few experienced brewers on here I was wondering if you can think of other topics that might get you out of your house on a cold midweek night if you lived in East Central Scotland (answers should only be brewing related.) :lol:

 

[Wez]

Nice one D :clap:

I'll have a think to see if I can come up with anthing

 

[J_P]

How about promoting the craft? For example giving samples of beer away at local festivals in a bid to attract new members? nothing gets peoples attention more than free beer!

Have you thought of forming a co-operative and buying ingredients direct from suppliers?

The social aspect of brewing and drinking should not be sidelined completely for me that's the main reason.

 

[Dunfie]

How about promoting the craft? For example giving samples of beer away at local festivals in a bid to attract new members? nothing gets peoples attention more than free beer!

Have you thought of forming a co-operative and buying ingredients direct from suppliers?

The social aspect of brewing and drinking should not be sidelined completely for me that's the main reason.

Thanks for the ideas JP. I think the SCB used to visit various events but since I have been a member they have only had one. We had a stall at the Scottish Traditional Beer Festival in Edinburgh but we ended up falling out with CAMRA over the use of CO2 for dispensing the beer (bloody zealots).

I like the dea of the cooperative but one of the committee runs the local HBS so that might not go down to well :lol:

 

[Kingfisher]

[quote="J_P"

Have you thought of forming a co-operative and buying ingredients direct from suppliers?
[/quote]

Great idea J_P. :clap: What's the possibilities of doing that with the users of this Forum

 

[Wez]

Have you thought of forming a co-operative and buying ingredients direct from suppliers?

Great idea J_P. :clap: What's the possibilities of doing that with the users of this Forum

I think it's a good idea :)

 

[J_P]

Thanks for the ideas JP. I think the SCB used to visit various events but since I have been a member they have only had one. We had a stall at the Scottish Traditional Beer Festival in Edinburgh but we ended up falling out with CAMRA over the use of CO2 for dispensing the beer (bloody zealots).

Someone may do well to tell CAMRA that without people preserving the art of brewing on any scale they'd have f*ck all to campaign for!

I was considering joining at the last beer festival until some jacked up tinpot f*cking CAMRA hitler berated my mate for serving me a pint of my own porter. He got told where he could go in no uncertain terms :whistle:

It could possibly be one of the reasons I'll never join CAMRA that and the fact 'd rather commit £20 of my money directly to a publican or brewery than spend £20 on CAMRA membership and have it spent on biscuits at another effing AGM! Sorry that touched a raw nerve, I promise I'll keep it civil from here on in.

On a more sensible note have you thought of serving your ale from a polypin or via a corni rigged up to a hadpump? That's got to float their collective puritanical boats. I don't wish to sound patronising but give me a shout if you'd like a walk through or some piccies.

Don't take any guff from those swine

Have you thought of forming a co-operative and buying ingredients direct from suppliers?

Great idea J_P. :clap: What's the possibilities of doing that with the users of this Forum

 

[Dunfie]

Spot on JP. :clap:

I have pals that initially turn there noses up to the idea that I use CO2 - its not as if they are CAMRA members but I think they have read the flyers. Its not until I explain the chemistry to them and then explain that SWMBO won't let me empty a cornie in a couple of days that they get the point. It seems that there is an impass between us craft brewers and CAMRA at present (at least in Scotland) - perhaps more of them should try their hand at brewing and they will alter their views.

 

[J_P]

Apologies for the rant there C but that one touched a nerve they don't call what I was drinking "bitter" without reason :lol:

I'd rather commit £20 of my money directly to a publican or brewery than spend £20 on CAMRA membership

I should have added maltsters, hop merchants and home brew stores to that list.

I take your point about CAMRA members needing to take to brewing. I was fretting about what the beardy CAMRA types would think of a beer I took to a local festival last year and our head honch JW, a grain brewer of 40+ years, reassured me that people could critique my beer if they wished but their opinions counted for nothing unless they could do better, and that's a point well made in my book. Actually I he put it in, ahem , plainer terms than that however, this is a family forum so I shan't repeat what he said :lol:.

The polypin is the middle road in the argument about CO2 though, provided you can keep it cool and keep the condition in the beer then you can serve cracking ale without CO2, appealing to both CAMRA types and people who don't want you to drink 20l of beer in 3 days.

I'll be interested to hear what you come up with to revitalise the SCB

 

[Vossy1]

J_P I do share your sentiments regard a collective buying group, but to post the information on a public forum, may not be the best way to go about it.
If you would be so kind could I ask you to edit your post above regards my accounts.....I'll pm you as to why
I hope that is o.k with you.

 

[J_P]

J_P I do share your sentiments regard a collective buying group, but to post the information on a public forum, may not be the best way to go about it.
If you would be so kind could I ask you to edit your post above regards my accounts.....I'll pm you as to why
I hope that is o.k with you.

Done and done - get rid of the resultant posts re the above info

 

[Vossy1]

Thank you