You guys know the drill for this one. No reimbursement possible for beer donated here, but you will get a free pass to the festival. We don't go through nearly as much beer for this fest as we do for Heritage. In fact, I think we went through a total of 6 or 8 kegs last year. There were also some issues with the number of tickets we required from organizers. So we are going to have to limit the amount that can be donated. I will take the first 8 kegs offered for the festival. I plan on talking to the organizers this year and see what they say and try to get details from them but for now, I think this is the best way to plan it.

Last year, we did hourly releases too. I want to do that again. One thing different though, because the 'special' beers are most more expensive to make, I want to limit the amount donated to 1 gallon. I figure that will do a few things. One, I'm guessing getting a more exotic beer will be easier if people do not have to donate all of thier beer. Two, I want to create a demand for them. So we will need either 4 or 5 of the hourly release beers. An example of the special beers would be an IIPA, Barrel Aged RIS, maybe a mead, barleywine, etc. We want to really surprise people with these. Something they are not going to get at any other tent.

I'll do a pumpkin ale with fresh pumpkin.

I have a keg of the Barrel Aged RIS that I was planning on donating. I can donate a gallon (if you don't want the full keg) of it to ABBF and the rest to Oktoberfest. I was also thinking about doing the oatmeal cookie beer for Augusta.

I can also pour if you are taking volunteers for that.

Yes, I want to pour at ABBF. Most def.

Jeff, I'd reconsider the 8 keg max. One of the cool things about the festival is that we constantly put new things on all the time. Sure we maybe went through a couple gallons at most of each keg but it was great to have that kind of variety for the public to sample. In my eyes, it's hard to change what made us Best Brewery last year. What I'd hate to see is us serving the same 5 or 6 beers the entire time and only switching up a few specialties on the hour. Just let the members know that they may be getting their keg back, mostly full, when the event is over with.

I have a jockey box that we could use which has a couple taps. If that means we could add two more beers to the list then count on using it.

why dont we just put 47 beers on tap with picnic taps like we did the first year we participated?

I am brewing up either my vanilla brown or a Furious clone. Maybe both, I will be doing my first all-grain day soon and I might just do a 10 gallon mash and split the wort.

I guess I will either need to borrow a ball lock or I can bring my pin lock disconnects.

Also, I would REALLY like to pour this year.

Lastly, someone doing a homebrew demo again?

Why don't you SHUT UP?

The reason I said we should limit it is easy. I figure most people don't want their mostly full keg sitting out in the sun all day, the room behind the tent gets really crowded with a bunch of kegs sitting there, we emptied one keg total last year, and I think we'd be better served to have the beer at Oktoberfest. Add the fact that many of us are going to be camping on the grounds that night, I'm going to be limited on the room I have in my car. I plan on camping. I am not going to be able to keep any beer we don't go through cold over night and I can't drop it off at O'Fallon the next day as it will be Sunday and no one will be there.

I suppose I could say that everyone is responsible for their own beers temperature and transportation to and from the festival, but going off my experiances of the last few years we have been there, and they have to do that with a full keg that we will only serve 2 gallons from, that is going to limit the number of kegs anyways.

Although with all of that left over beer it will be one hell of a partay!

You are basing the amount of beer we went through in an off-year. The weather was shitty and it was cold.

I just don't understand why you want to institute a policy that we can only have 8 beers at the festival. Why don't you let us sign up for whatever and deal with what shows up?

The reason I'm so passionate is this is my favorite beer festival and I think variety is the key to our success there. If that means I transport kegs to and from then fine. I won't be camping out so it shouldn't be a problem to keep up to 8 kegs cold at my house until the next day.

Jeff,

Wasn't that for the special "hour" beers though? Didn't you all have like 4-5 taps that were on until the kegs blew and then brought in another beer?

I won't be camping that night, I could take some kegs to O'Fallon after the festival if required. I would offer to store at my house but I only have 1 beer fridge at the moment and can only hold 2 cornies.

8 kegs? I'm not sure I follow (and I wouldn't count on winning 'best brewery' with such a limited variety). I think reason we won last year is because we had a constantly shifting variety of awesome beers.

It wasn't a hassle from a switching/serving standpoint...and if the issue is getting the beer down there or getting us all tickets I will gladly bring my own kegs and pay my own entry fee.

And just in case this policy stands, put me down for a Hoppy wheat beer.

Put me down for 5 gal Key Lime Kölsch or some equally ridiculous concoction.. and I'm pouring.. and I may bring more.

I say lets go for as much variety as we can handle capacity wise, rotate kegs depending on number available, and leave it to brewers to take their 1/2 full kegs home from the festival. After all, it's only one session so they should be there anyway! Those of us staying overnight will figure out SOMETHING to do with the extra.

Same with servers- we can swap them out often depending on how many want to participate. This fest is the most fun to pour at as well so get your name in there!

I may or may not have a malt liquor to donate as well. Or should I call it an imperial american lager?

Why not ramp it up and make an imperial malt liquor. We could hand out the glasses wrapped in little brown bags which they can make use of later.

I'd like to try that. I'll wear a tropical shirt.

Don't forget your grass skirt.

And my coconut bra.

Ok, after speaking with the other officers, they are both siding with the masses and say we should not limit the amount brought to ABBF. So that being said, it'll be open to whatever you want to donate. Just keep in mind that you may bring back 2/3's of a keg. This will also rely upon what the organizers of ABBF say. If they limit us, not much I can do.

As for a brewing demo, if someone wants to volunteer, Id be all about it.

Regarding volunteers, you have to donate beer to volunteer and I will give preference to those that have not poured before that want to. We can swap people out if necessary.

Hopefully this will appease everyone.

There is another factor too that I had forgotten about, and I spoke to Jeff about this today.

ABBF is a SMALL fest compared to Microfest and Heritage. We can not get an unlimited number of free entry passes so if members brew and bring 25 beers that does NOT mean we can get 25 free passes, especially since ABBF has a new owner. This was a major issue last year.

Remember that ABBF is fine with us bringing just 5 beers and giving us a corresponding number of free passes like they do with all the other breweries. WE are the ones that want to bring a big variety but that doesn't obligate the fest to hand over bundles of free tickets.

Jeff will talk to ABBF about how many free tickets we can get and post to this board. We will then have to figure out as a group how to fairly distribute that value.

What is the camping situation for this? I might have some mead to donate (I want some feed back first), but if I just went and purchased a ticket would I still be able to camp there? If so is there an additional fee?

Shawn, I will be bringing my mead as well (4 years old now I think). Last couple years people LOVED mead since we were in wine country. I plan on bringing a larger quantity this time to clean it out (i don't drink it), but I am sure it will all get drank. If you bottled mead, bring at least 4 magnums.

LOL