What to expect… during a monthly meeting of the Carolina BrewMasters
Our monthly meetings, which occur on the first Tuesday of each month at Blue Blaze Brewing, attract a variety of homebrewers. From “I’ve never brewed before, but I’m interested” to “I’ve been brewing for 20+ years” Carolina BrewMasters meetings welcome all. Our meetings generally have three parts: business meeting, educational session, and homebrew sharing.
When you arrive plan to grab a drink at the bar before taking a seat in the large event space at Blue Blaze, which we have all to ourselves on meeting nights. Sometimes there is a food truck or cart but check the monthly Facebook event to be sure.
Once the meeting gets started we have a brief business portion where we share information about local competitions, upcoming social events, and more. Often we have educational speakers come to share information about beer and brewing with members and guests. We invite new visitors to introduce themselves and share a little about their interest in brewing, but this is completely optional. We also ask members to share the style(s) of beer they’ve recently brewed or brought to the meeting so encourage conversation during the sharing portion.
The final part of the meeting involves members and guests sharing and tasting homebrews and discussing topics of interest informally. Many longtime members are certified beer judges and are happy to provide feedback one on one about homebrewed beers, ciders, meads, etc. but you don’t have to bring beer to share. If you have one, please bring a tasting glass (4-6 oz cup) to try samples from other homebrewers.
We hope to see you at an upcoming meeting. If you have any further questions feel free to reach out to president@carolinabrewmasters.com
What to expect… during a weekend Brew Session
Once a month (usually Saturday or Sunday) members open up their brewing spaces to members/guests and host a brew session. During these sessions, you will get a sneak peek into this member’s brewing process. Hosts will usually announce a style and mash in time (the start of the brewing process after everything is set up and water is to temperature) as well as a lunch menu and a request for sides. While the host brews his/her beer visitors can help out or just watch and ask questions to learn more.
During these brew sessions guests bring homebrews and commercial beers (especially those matching the style the host is brewing) to share with the group. A light lunch and snack is served and visitors are asked to bring food or an appetizer/desert to share.
Visitors are invited to stay for the duration of the brewing process, and sometimes the host or a guest will provide a brief educational demonstration during the brew session.
Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather as most of the brew sessions are outside or in an open garage.
We hope to see you at an upcoming brew session. If you have any further questions feel free to reach out to membership@carolinabrewmasters.com.
