Meeting of the minds took place once again at the ever so reputable, Fifth Ward Brewing Company.
There were not a lot of new faces this month but man-o-man we sure had a hearty number of SOBs in attendance.
WHACHABREWIN
Plenty of brewing activity above and beyond the recent AHA Big Brew Day
Dave has not been brewing however his well-stocked inventory of winning 38 cases of craft brew at the recent Mayville (Rock River Bierfest) event is still going strong.
Seth has a clone Wheat brew in the making.
Lee continues his repetitious brewing habits with a Dunkel .
Kurt is awaiting optimal condition of his local conifer trees to produce yet another Spruce Tip Brew.
Travis has combined a hulking 38 lbs. of grain to make a Belgian Quad.
Chuck implemented recent learnings in chilling the ferment of a Cz Lager as well as a “small batch” of a favorite UK clone: Young’s Dirty Dick’s Ale.
Jacob is diving into his 1st Homebrew: California Common. Congrats Jacob!!!
Time to share some drinks
Jeff initiated the monthly sharing practice with his Amber Ale. Unique to what is deemed typical, Jeff produced a nearly NA beer. This dry-hopped Vienna mix was procedurally diluted down to a an estimated 0.5% ABV.
Jeff subsequently shared an Alt Bier which hinted a taste of honey via the combinations of his German Ale malt and Vienna Malt.
Lee entertained us with a Schwarzbier …………..a roasty 4.7 ABV Lager using combos of Munich malt, Vienna Malt, Black Prince Chocolate malt, and some rye. A 10th running of the same yeast yielded a tasty product.
Chuck brought a sampling of tablet fermented brew which was an extended use of the “whiskey mash” used for our club’s distilling event…..Hmmmmmmmmm
Seth poured a 2-month young Mango IPA. 5 lbs of mango slices in the secondary did a very pleasant blend to the Centennial & Simco hops.
Travis shared a Belgian and Mark finished things off with a Pilzen malted brew which utilized Cluster Hops as well as the ever available Walejko hops. Bullwork was performed via White Labs WLP351.
Sturgeon Spirits Craft Distillery
AND NOW WE WAIT, AND WAIT, AND WAIT.
On May 13th a spirited group of SOBs successfully distilled the 2nd round of brew which filled our 10-gallon barrel with 110 proof virgin whiskey. The aging process has now begun and plans will be to conduct a sampling in as soon as 6 months.
BOOKLET – Classic Oshkosh Beers.
Lee has generously volunteered to compose an educational booklet which will honor some history of local brewing as well as feature a host of old and memorable recipes.
The club will cover printing costs of the estimated 30-40 page booklet.
Plan is to kick off this task in the upcoming fall for a hopeful completion by year’s end.
These will be made available thru some of our favorite local venues as well as being provided at various club events.
Big Brew Day
Mother nature was not a total friend however a couple diehards weathered conditions to make for a memorable event producing 8 various batches of brew.
After a host of brew-talk-chatter it becomes obvious the club is very much looking forward to some tastings with some being at our annual July club competition.
Big thanks to the German Ginger’s Gastro team as well as the Cellar for not only the provision of this event but also the walloping 15% sale to SOBs.
Mark your calendars for next year – May The Force Be With You. (May 04, 2024)
Education
Big thanks to Matt (you too, Lee) for the extensive sharing of Beer History.
Totally amazing to hear of the extensive variants former brewers experimented with above/beyond “German Purity” to bring us this beverage we’ve all come to love.
“Bitter as death on the Gallows” should probably go on a hat.
Upcoming Events
- June meeting on the 21st at 5th Ward. Hopefully the weather aligns for a Beer Garden meeting
- July 12th – Brews on the Bay
- July 19th – Club competition meeting at Bare Bones. Craig from Emprize Brew Mill has offered to commercially brew the selected winner. An anonymous type sign-up will soon be provided.
- August 2nd – Brews on the Bay
- August 16th – Annual Picnic. NEW LOCATION – Abe Rochlin Park. Members encouraged to bring dish/beverage to pass. Sign-up sheet pending.
- Sept 6th – Final Brews on the Bay for SOBs
- Sept 20th – Rushford Winery – Wine/Mead competition
- Oct 18th – Oktoberfest Beer at Neenah’s Lion’s Tail
Brews on the Bay
Still plenty of opportunity to spend some quality time mingling with SOBs, the Oshkosh community, and listen to some pleasant bands. A reminder that no glass containers will be allowed and provisions you share must be 6%ABV or lower.
Dates available and sign-up opportunity linked in club emails.
A little humor to part with…
A former employee of a nameless local brewery traveled home for the Memorial Day holiday only to discover some horrendous news.
Current Brew Master – ‘I’m so sorry Mary, but our dear friend Keith died at the brewery today’.
‘Oh my god!’ replied Mary, ‘What happened?!’
Current Brew Master – ‘He drown in a vat of Chief Oshkosh said the worker, sadly.
‘That’s terrible! Was it a quick death at least?’ asked Mary.
Current Brew Master – ‘I’m afraid not, He got out twice to pee’
Upholding Oshkosh’s Brewing Traditions 