Starting up a local home brew club

[krazypara3165]

Afternoon,

For the time being I am just carrying out some research into the possibilities of starting up a local brewing club (Warrington).

Me and a few neighbours have just started brewing (only kits and wow's for now) and we were looking at joining a local club basically for a meet up and to get opinions on our brews.

After looking into it, it seems as if the nearest one is at least a 40 minute drive away.

So has anyone started a little club of their own?, the issues I can foresee is that we would need a venue (which would cost) and the few of us that are up for it only have very limited knowledge.

However, there appears to be a bit of interest in the local area and i've even seen the occasional post on here asking for a group in the Warrington area. with the likes of social media I am sure i could drum up enough interest.

So the question is...........

Has anyone started a home brew club?

Is/was it worth it?

.....and any tips?


Cheers everyone,

 

[Aleman]

Has anyone started a home brew club?

Is/was it worth it?

.....and any tips?

If you contact the Craft Brewing Association, they have a guide to setting up a club (well the way the Midland Craft Brewers Did it), Plus you have Northern Craft Brewers that cover your 'region'. I'm sure that you can ask around to get more knowledgeable people to come down and give a talk or have a QnA session with you . . . I'm only an Hour Away for example

Getting together to talk about beer and brewing is a great way to learn, and discussing your beers and what's wrong/right with them is a way to learn quickly.

Go For it

:thumb: :thumb:

 

[krazypara3165]

Cheers Aleman!

I'll have to ping off a few E-Mails to them and get some advice!

As you have said it's mainly for the learning aspect..... I've never been a huge drinker and have always been restricted to the standard drinks you find in pubs. however, as my girlfriends dad is a drayman he has been getting me into cask ale's. anyway I just drink them but it would be brilliant to see what ingredients people have used and the different effect it has on the drink

 

[aamcle]

I'm in Newton-le-Willows, so if you can get something running I'm interested.

ATB...... Aamcle

 

[krazypara3165]

nice to know aamcle!

It will be a while away if anything does come to fruition, however i thought i would get as much research in as possible!

 

[TRXnMe]

I'd have thought your local church hall, or community hall, would be interested in letting you use the facilities.

After that it's whether you want to risk putting up the funding for the fist 'X' months that is required by the hall you use on the chance that you get enough folk interested to cover the costs.

Alternately, take it in turns to use your own homes / garages for the meetings.

 

[Darcey]

I am Stockport way but its only a short trip on the train (depending on venue).

Never make the Macclesfield or Manchester ones.

D

 

[Aleman]

Or even a decent local pub

 

[krazypara3165]

Well I was in a nice lovely local pub tonight (the maltings in warrington) talking to the staff. The manager was not in but they thought as long as their licensing terms allowed that there should not be a problem.

 

[peelman]

A pub letting home brewers congregate there? Isn't that like the Pentagon renting a room out to al qaeda....?
:rofl:

 

[DethApostle]

Check out Brewdoo Homebrew Club on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brewdoo/ ... ref=stream) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/BrewdooBeer‎)

We meet roughly every month in Frodsham and our members are split between Chester and Warrington areas.
Our 'home' is Kash 22, a pub and microbrewery (Blueball Brewery) in Frodsham, with a very friendly and understanding owner! Plus it's directly opposite the train station too which is handy!
We do also occasionally meet in the sister pub Kash, which is in Chester, and is also just around the corner from the station.

We've been going just over a year and probably have 10 regular members and we're always looking for more! It's a very friendly group and there is absolutely no All-grain elitism! Even if you don't currently brew and are just interested in beer you are welcome to come along!
We hold regular bottle-swap sessions but also keep things interesting with themed competitions such as the Clone Beer challenge and the 'breakfast beer' competitions. (Bacon Stout... need I say more?!)

January was a trip out to the Red Willow Brewery in Macclesfield, and the February meeting is actually the away leg of a competition we held with a Manchester Homebrew club, but from March we'll be back at home!

Drop me a PM or post here or facebook or twitter if this sounds like what you are after and you want more info.
Cheers
DA

 

[adman1966]

Hi KP

I'm up in Skem but would be interested. SWMBO has already offered to ferry me about if I need it so you're only 20 mins away!

Keep us posted. Thanks

 

[krazypara3165]

Check out Brewdoo Homebrew Club on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brewdoo/ ... ref=stream) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/BrewdooBeer‎)

We meet roughly every month in Frodsham and our members are split between Chester and Warrington areas.
Our 'home' is Kash 22, a pub and microbrewery (Blueball Brewery) in Frodsham, with a very friendly and understanding owner! Plus it's directly opposite the train station too which is handy!
We do also occasionally meet in the sister pub Kash, which is in Chester, and is also just around the corner from the station.

We've been going just over a year and probably have 10 regular members and we're always looking for more! It's a very friendly group and there is absolutely no All-grain elitism! Even if you don't currently brew and are just interested in beer you are welcome to come along!
We hold regular bottle-swap sessions but also keep things interesting with themed competitions such as the Clone Beer challenge and the 'breakfast beer' competitions. (Bacon Stout... need I say more?!)

January was a trip out to the Red Willow Brewery in Macclesfield, and the February meeting is actually the away leg of a competition we held with a Manchester Homebrew club, but from March we'll be back at home!

Drop me a PM or post here or facebook or twitter if this sounds like what you are after and you want more info.
Cheers
DA

Cheers! I had been told there was one up that way and when your back at 'base' ill try and pop up a few times for a chat with you all!

However it seems there is an awful lot of interest up over this side of the mersey, so I would be looking into (eventually- no rush) starting something more centralised as I seem to be attracting interest from liverpool and manchester way too :)

 

[aamcle]

Frodsham is hard for me to get to, Warrington would be very much easier.


Aamcle

 

[Brewtrog]

I'm Warrington as well. Would be interesting to see if somewhere like The Lower Angel (micro brewery and pub) would be interested. Would defo be interested in a club in the Warrington area, for various reasons I can't easily get out of Warrington for any of the other near by clubs.

 

[krazypara3165]

.....well you learn something new everyday!! I never knew it was a microbrewery too! I was looking into the microbrewery thats just opened in stockton heath but the lower angel would be perfect due to the closeness of the stations

 

[Brewtrog]

Costellos? It's actually Lymm/Dunham brewery. Yeah, the Angel is a microbrewery - The Tipsy Angel, they do an ace mild which is usually on.

 

[DethApostle]

No problem.
Once you folks get set up drop me a PM and we'll have to arrange somefriendly competitions between clubs? Or just a good ol p*ss up?!

DA