For some reason October seems to be THE time to drink beer. Maybe it’s the Germans we have to thank for their Octoberfest tradition. In any event some of the best beer drinking to be had in this town will occur this month. There’s the Renfaire on Oct. 10 and the Las Vegas Brew Ha Ha on Oct. 24 as well as several Octoberfest events at local casinos. Full details of the Renfaire and Las Vegas Brew Ha Ha are provided in this issue of Monthly Mash.........................We also have another sharing of Linda Warburton’s pub crawling during her travels out of state in Encinitas...............And Linda’s counterpart, Rick Duseck provides us with some real pearls of wisdom on the goodness of beer in Beer Words of Wisdom...................Our guest author this month is Ralph Barker of the Borderline Brewers out of El Paso, Texas. His In the Beginning is a piece with answers to questions about brewing you’ve always wanted to know but may have been afraid to ask.

LAS VEGAS BREW HA HA

By Alex Shelton

Las Vegas’ next big beer festival will be The Las Vegas Brew Ha Ha at Sunset Station on October 24 from 1 - 8 PM. The event will be headlined by top 80's bands The Untouchables and Tone Loc and stand up comics will be emceeing. Expect again, over 120 beers poured at the event. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. It is a 21 and older event. Tickets can be purchased through Elmore Sports by calling 798-0000. They will be available at Sunset Station and other locations in the coming weeks. We anticipate that this beer festival will surprise everyone with the attendance expected to surpass our June event. An ad in the Celebrator Beer News will be featured in their next issue. SNAFU is again invited to pour homebrews at the festival.

Editor’s Note: I attended Alex’s beer festival last June and it was without question the most beers I’d ever seen at one time in our fair city-and not a Bud in sight. This one promises to be just as good if not better. And at our next SNAFU meeting we will be raffling off 4 tickets to the Brew Ha Ha!

ALE TO THE CHIEF

by Bob Barnes

Coming up this month our club has two events in which we can preach the gospel of homebrew. At both the Renfaire on Oct. 10 and the Las Vegas Brew Ha Ha on Oct. 24 we will have a booth to not only talk to people about what homebrewing and our club is all about, but they’ll be able to sample some of the best homebrew in town. If you are willing to donate any of your beer (in bottles or kegs) please let me know. We can’t have too much beer. If you donate a whole batch we will reimburse you for the cost of your supplies. Typically at these events we get several new members of whom a few always turn out to be very productive and helpful members. So whether you can donate some beer or not, try to make it to either or both of these events. The Renfaire is a cool way to experience the lifestyles and culture of life before any of today’s modern conveniences had even been thought about. And we’ll be unveiling the new tent covering that Ralph Goodman made for us. The Las Vegas Brew Ha Ha is a not to be missed happening if you care anything about drinking good beer. Alex Shelton does a phenomenal job organizing a beer festival that features more beer than any other event in Southern Nevada. Where else can you have your choice of tasting over 120 different beers and all for only $20. I want to thank the Inland Empire Brewers club of Riverside, California for offering to provide our club with a Best of Show trophy/plaque to honor Sheldon Jackson’s memory. Our two clubs have had very close ties and have shared friendships for several years now and Sheldon was certainly known and loved by many of their members. We appreciate their generous gesture. This trophy/plaque will be made for our first annual Sheldon Jackson Memorial Members Only Competition. Read on for more details about this event. I also want to thank Jeff Crisman for purchasing chairs for our club meetings. Jeff also rearranged the store for our meeting so we could have an open space to hold our meeting. And Jeff is donating a jockey box for the Best of Show prize for our Winterfest. Jeff in a very short time has already shown himself to be a class act. And anyone who has spent any time with him can see that he is very knowledgeable about brewing. I’m very pleased to announce that SNAFU member Sara Doersam has agreed to help me with this newsletter. For now she will be taking over the job of printing, folding, stapling, labeling, stamping, and mailing. She may in the future take over the writing as well, but for now I am very grateful for her help. We have four new members to welcome into the fold. They are: Steve Schur, Dick Cristy, Don Levesque, and Mike Brew. I think Mike was destined to become a brewer with a last name like that. Club membership is now up to 78. Welcome to SNAFU! At our officers’ meeting last month we discussed holding a club members only homebrew competition. This is something we’ve been talking about doing for years but never have. It’s only fitting that it should be named after Sheldon Jackson who did more than anyone to promote beer judging in our club. It will be on Dec. 4 which will be a good warm up for Winterfest in Jan. It will also give some newer members an opportunity to get their feet wet in a homebrew competition. I know a lot of new brewers feel intimidated by a homebrew judging event and think their beer isn’t good enough, but on several occasions first ever batch of beers have won awards. And it’s only a buck so go for it. Read Steve’s column for more details. We’ll have entry forms in the November Monthly Mash. Also discussed at our officers’ meeting was a beer and pizza night at Barleys some time in November. We would like to propose using some club funds for this. Reid commented that if we get much more in our fund we may have to start thinking about a 401K. I say what’s the point of having raffles and raising money if not to spend it on the membership as well as for things of use to the whole club. By the time you read this our new SNAFU voice mail hotline should be in operation. The number is 585-5427. You will be able to hear a recording of upcoming club events and also leave a message. We were unable to get a number that spelled out anything easy to remember, so write it down someplace where you won’t lose it. Also at our last meeting I suggested having a tasting portion of our meeting during which someone would volunteer to bring in about 4 bottles for everyone to taste after said person describes its flavors and beer style characteristics. If you’re willing to do this and don’t mind parting with 4 bottles of your best brew let us know. This is a way to educate all of us on different beer styles and what they should taste like. Here’s an acknowledgment to all who donated to our raffle last month: Jasbo-a 22 ounce bottle of Regulator Coffee Stout, Mike Carter-a 6-pack of Samuel Smith Pale Ale, Bob Barnes-a bottle of Samuel Smith India Pale Ale and a bottle of Edelweiss Weissbier, Steve MacMillan-a bottle of Sam Adams Triple Bock, Kent Bolton-a 6-pack of Sam Adams White Ale, a Hoptown Pub Glass, and a 4-pack of his son Jack’s pale ale, Keith Perrault-Guiness Stout, Dave Miller-2 bottles of his Carob Stout, Bob Hall-a tape cassette of The Irish Rovers, Roy of Screwballs Pub-4 Screwballs shot glasses and a hat, and our grand prize was donated by Tom O’Leary-rubber stamps of every major beer style. Hope to see you all on October 9th. Cheers!

SECRETARY-TREASURER’S REPORT: 9-98

By Steve Mac Millan

September’s meeting was the first one that I had attended in the last two months. What a surprise for me- a new and improved clean shop with a club friendly brewer for an owner. I do believe we have us a real homebrew shop in town. Not only was Jeff very accommodating to us, but he provided a user friendly shop for the meeting including chairs. Some of the important subjects included the upcoming Renfaire on October 10th. We need your ales to give as samples to those in attendance. This is an excellent opportunity for the club to showcase our talents. As in the last two years we will be dressed as monks. If you have some brown material you can make a pretty nice robe. Those wearing costume gain free admittance, so come join us or come by for the festivities. In other news the IEB club from Riverside, California has graciously donated a Sheldon Jackson memorial trophy in his memory. After much discussion SNAFU will hold an annual club members only competition with the winner’s name placed on the trophy which will be on display at the shop. This contest will be held on Friday December 4th. The location is in the works and will be announced when those details are worked out. Like other homebrew contests this will be BJCP sanctioned and judged accordingly. This is great chance for interested judges to get some experience, as you will be paired up with veteran SNAFU judges. Entry requirements are two bottles per entry with one entry per sub-category. The cost will be one dollar per entry. As in all SNAFU competitions awards will be given for all first, second, and third place entries scoring 25 points or better .Additionally best of show, runner up, third place and best mead or cider awards will be given. If you have any questions contact event organizer Ralph Goodman at 642-9215. Our club treasury currently has $1345.00 in the bank, $138.00 cash on hand from raffle contributions, and $200.00 petty cash. Expenses include $245.52. used to pay newsletter costs, food for the Spring Mountain Ranch picnic, and Sheldon’s memorial service. Of the remaining moneys $100.00 from petty cash was used for deposit money to secure the Elks lodge for Winterfest, and $140.00 will be used to purchase the canopy from Ralph. Our total club balance is $1443.00. At the recent officers meeting a proposal was made to use club funds to purchase brewing equipment including fermenters, brewpot, tools and kegs. By purchasing this equipment club beer classes would not be hampered by teachers having to bring their own equipment. We would be able to keep the equipment at the shop and use it for both classes and for brewing club beers.

A FEW WORDS FROM OUR SPONSOR

By Jeff Crisman

Hello Everyone. We have now passed our first 30 day anniversary of taking possession of the brew shop. We have met a lot of really nice people since coming here and we appreciate your input with suggestions and comments. We want and encourage your input, so if you have a comment please ‘give it to us’. Remember, this is your store and we want to carry the products that you need to make your own ‘locally brewed classics’. New products are arriving weekly, so if you get a chance to drop by, we would love to see you and say Hi. Beer & Brew Gear will be sponsoring the ‘Best Of Show’ at the Winterfest. We will be donating a commercial Jockey Box for the prize (you know the one with the 120 feet of stainless steel tubing). It is great for those picnics and overnight excursions. So start brewing and hopefully one of our local brewers will win this great prize. We will still have all of the kits that the previous ownership sold, but we will in the weeks that come do a few changes in the ingredients, all for the better. We now have all four types of bulk extract syrup: Pale, Amber, Dark, and Wheat. So if you have a combination need that doesn’t come in a can, we can make it. Have a great month and remember, ‘It’s Always A Great Day To Brew’. Great Brewing, Jeff

In my An Interview With Jeff Crisman article last month I mistakenly touted the new price of specialty grain at .45 cents a pound. It is actually $1.45 a pound (still a very good price and considerably less than what we were used to paying). Sorry, Jeff.

NEW BREWPUB?

According to a recent ad I saw in the paper a new brewpub called the Chicago Brewpub will be opening soon at Fort Apache and Sahara in the Act III Theaters complex. No other details are known at this time, but finally a brewpub for those like me who live in the far west end of the valley.

MEMBERSHIP LISTING FOR ALL MEMBERS

Joe Sutton is still waiting to hear from most of you regarding the club directory. This directory will only be given to club members but we require your permission before including your name and number in it. If giving out your name and number to other members is okay with you, contact Joe Sutton at 243-7668 (home) or 229-6161 (work), or e-mail him at GAJOE@AOL.com

IN THE BEGINNING

By Ralph Barker

What we will talk about this month is general questions and answers. These are some of the most frequently asked questions we get at the store and some others you may be curious about but too shy to ask. "Why can’t I use my mouth to start my syphon?" Well my question to you would be "Why not have your dog start it with his mouth?" After all his is a lot more sanitary than yours. For starting syphons you really need to prefill the syphon rig with sanitizing agent and use that to start it. This method will produce a really good steady syphon with very few air bubbles. "What is steeping?" Steeping is simply the process of steeping grains in warm water to get their sugars, colors, and dextrins. With steeping you don’t convert starches which you do with mashing. Think of steeping as using a tea bag. The principle is exactly the same. "Why should I boil?" Gee where to start on this one? Okay, here goes-boiling sanitizes the wort, removes chlorine from the water, and helps coagulate the proteins for less hazy beer. It also is a safety net against infection. "I don’t have a wort chiller so what is the best way to chill my wort?" For those who are not blessed with a chiller, the easiest way is to place the brew pot in an ice bath in the sink. This will take about 30 minutes to cool (depending on boil volume) but is the easiest to do. "Is it important that I aerate the wort prior to pitching?" Well, actually it doesn’t matter whether you aerate prior to pitching or when you pitch. Just make sure you do it. The yeast needs the added oxygen for cell generation. Just make sure the wort is chilled first. Most brewers do it just prior to pitching to ensure proper wort temperature. After your yeast has started its joyous work, make sure you DO NOT get any excess air in the wort/beer. This will cause oxidation. "How much yeast should I pitch?" Usually it is recommended that you pitch 7-11 grams of rehydrated dry yeast or pitch a "Ready to Pitch" yeast such as White Labs. You can also make a yeast starter and use that . Realistically it is almost (key word ALMOST) impossible to overpitch a homebrew. You would really have to try to do it. So "Relax Don’t Worry..." ooops...god I hate that saying. "How can I tell if my beer has fermented in the primary since I didn’t see any bubbles?" Truth is it probably did. Sometimes yeast will do its initial rapid fermentation quickly in the course of a night. If it has been say 1 1/2 to 2 days and you still have not seen any airlock activity then check. The easiest way to tell is to pry up one side of the fermenting bucket and look. If you see a brownish crusty looking ring above the surface of the liquid, it fermented. If not you may have used dead yeast. This last is very common when using the yeast that comes with most canned kits. A new yeast is a cheap insurance policy for your beer.

BEER WORDS OF WISDOM

Submitted by Rick Duseck

All right, brain, I don't like you and you don't like me - so let's just do this and I'll get back to killing you with beer.-Homer Simpson

ENCINITAS

By Linda Warburton

Recently we went to stay with some friends in Encinitas (just north of San Diego) so Rick could attend several didgeridoo workshops/concerts by Australian aborigines. Not wanting to disrupt their family routine and due to our irregular schedule, we informed them we would eat out and inquired where are the local brew pubs? There were no proper breweries in the area but we happened to stumble across 2 local eateries that brewed their own beer on the premises. While checking out local surf shops, we came across Pizza Port Brewery on Hwy. 101 in Solana Beach. This was a local pizza shop that originally carried generic American beer on tap. The owners began brewing their own beer then sharing it with their customers. Soon their customers seemed to prefer the home brew over MGD and Bud. The local demand grew to the point they decided to brew larger quantities. They set up a small brewery in their restaurant to supply their customers with pints or kegs. With a dozen different brews to sample it was a good thing 4 samples only cost $2.75! Every beer was top quality however, and our favorites were their pale ale (close to Sierra Nevada) and an IPA that had enough hops to satisfy even SNAFU members. The only disappointing thing occurred when we eagerly asked the guy pouring the beer if he was one of the brewers. He replied that he was merely a surfer pulling the taps between waves. While sipping our last stout we recalled a sign close to our friends’ house that read-GRAND OPENING!!! STUFT PIZZA & BREWERY. We had intended to stop by on our way home later that evening from the concert, but now that we realized good brews could be found in pizza shops we decided...what the hay??? Why wait till nighttime?? It was time for lunch any rate so we headed to Stuft Pizza & Brewery on the corner of Encinitas Blvd & Hwy. 5. We sat down for lunch and promptly ordered the sampler. What arrived was a large tray containing 6 half pints of beer, including their freshly tapped IPA, which was one of our favorites. Although all their beers were interesting and enjoyable they didn’t have the quality of the other place. As we were leaving we asked what time they closed (unlike Las Vegas, places in California have early closing times). We were happy to learn that the bar stayed open until midnight (perfect timing for after our concert) AND they also had happy hour from 10 pm - midnight. We were grinning from ear to ear when we left. After the concert, we rushed back to the bar and arrived before 12:00. We ordered our IPA’s and were amazed to find it was all sold out. Seeing the disappointment on our faces they offered to tap their new keg of Scottish Ale. After tasting a free sample and being pleasantly surprised with the beer, we ordered 2 pints. Half way through pouring one pint the bartender stopped, looked at us and asked, Would you prefer a pitcher? What’s the cost? 2 pints $4.00, 1 pitcher $5.00. We looked at each other and Rick said, What the hell, we have 35 minutes, pour the pitcher! The bartender set down a pitcher, the 1/2 filled pint, 1 empty glass and collected his $5.00 (plus tip of course). After the second warning from the manager that it was past closing time, we finished the last of our pitcher and thanked them for their patience. Although we never found a fancy micro brewery, we did taste great homebrew in small restaurants. Let’s hope this indicates that the recent micro brewery trend is having a positive effect on producing good beer on a smaller but still enjoyable scale.

Football season seems to be the time to get great deals on food and beer at our three favorite brewpubs-Triple 7, Holy Cow, and Barleys. Why not watch the games someplace where you can enjoy great beer. Here are their football specials. At the Triple 7 Brewpub at Main Street Station they are celebrating National Pizza month by offering personal pizzas for $2.99 during football games. And every Tuesday is Bluesday Tuesday with the Shuffleaires, a blues band, performing from 8-12. During their performances shots of Aftershock and Avalaunche are $2. Naturally, Eddie Kuehne’s special beer this month is an Octoberfest Lager. At the Holy Cow during the NFL games you can get 10 wings for $1, a bratwurst for $1.50 and a pint of Holy Cow beer for only $2. And Dan Rogers will have his pumpkin ale on tap in time to get you in the mood for Halloween. Barleys has the same specials I told you about last month so I’ll reprint them here. All during football season at Barley’s you can get a huge slice of pizza for a buck, or a hot dog for a buck, or nachos for a buck. And you can get a 22 oz. Barley’s draft for only $1.99. These special deals apply on Saturdays from 9-6, Sundays from 9-9, and Mondays from 4:40-9:30. Also on Monday nights during the game there’s "Funky Football" in which a prize is given away during every commercial. You can also enter your name to win the "Couch Potato" prize which gets you and a friend FREE beer and food during the game.