IRON BREWER- Small Batch, Collab Mini-Competition

That year has flown by and we are already brewing for the last Member Only Competition! This is not quite the way I envisioned rolling out the big reveal for our Iron Brewer mini-competition, but a result of the way our event schedule contracted on itself due to the unforeseen forces of life in general. The HBOY race is closer than I could have imagined, but I am more intrigued by how much the quality of Member Homebrew has increased this past year. To conclude our 2021 club competition year, I am happy to reveal the final ingredients required for the Iron Brewer Competition. Sign-up HERE. Entries are due November 16th at the General Meeting and judging is the following weekend.

The Style will be a Porter. You must use bread to replace a portion of your grain bill, and it must be the star showcased in the flavor of your entry.  Typically it is about 40% of the grain bill. The Great Harvest Bread Company is kind even to supplement the bread needs with some loaves and various bread products available at the Clubhouse Thursday, October 21st. The club will also make available chocolate malt, and the following hops if desired. Cascade, Idaho 7, Idaho Gem, El Dorado, Comet. Use the sign-up link above.

There are requests that novice brewers have a chance to pair up with a veteran brewer so they can learn to brew better beer. Are you willing to mentor a fellow member?

Here are some tips for bread in the Mash:

Go into your local bakery, cafe or market and see if they’re happy to give you their surplus at the end of the day. Most will be glad for you to take it off their hands. Once you have the bread,

1. SLICE, DRY AND CRUSH THE BREAD

Dry the bread in an oven at 90°C (194°F) for about 1h. Time and temperature will vary depending on your oven, but generally the lower the temperature the better. Slicing the bread will speed up drying.

Once the bread is dry, coarsely crush to the size of large croutons (not to powder otherwise you will get a stuck mash).  I want you to have fun making this, and not be aggravated with process issues.

Good Luck! Cheers to you for making awesome beer! Thank you All.