Since its inception in 2012, the South Australian Brewing Club (SABC) has swiftly grown to become the largest and most successful brewing club in Adelaide and the country. The club embodies a diverse membership of individuals with a broad range of brewing expertise, all coming together to share knowledge and enhance their homebrewing skills. Central to the club’s calenda is the popular monthly meeting on the third Wednesday of each month, regularly attended by over 30 participants, thanks to the generous support of The Wheatsheaf Hotel. In addition to these gatherings, the club also hosts special events and brewery visits in Adelaide and the surrounding region. Find out more on our About SABC page.
July is the time many memberships lapse because we used to do it manually around this time. Please take a moment to look at your records or login and see if you need to renew before next week’s AGM.
You can easily renew, or join, on our website. You can easily reset your password if you need to. Select the membership item in the shop, login and go to your dashboard. From your account dashboard you can view your recent orders (including the last time you renewed, manage your shipping and billing addresses, and edit your password and account details. sabrew.com/join-us
You can pay by PayPal/ credit card or bank transfer. Proceed throught checkout and at the end it will show you your order number to use as reference in your transfer and the account numbers to pay into. You’ll also receive an email with all this in it within five minutes too. Note, they might be different to a/c numbers you’ve used before. Any questions, please email us.
This year’s winter competition is set to be hot hot hot on a cold cold cold day. Judging is happening this Saturday, July 6 from 12-3 at the Irish Club, 13 Carrington St.
Thanks to everyone who has said they can judge or steward. We always welcome more help, even if it’s just to steward for an hour or so or clean up at the end. We’re going to run this as a SABSOSA dress rehearsal and give experience to new participants.
At the time of writing, there are 55 entries and we’re expecting this to be our biggest competition yet.
Please enter, pay and print your labels before the portal closes on Thursday night. After that, you won’t be able to access your entries. We can’t accept bottles without competition labels. Bottle drop off at BeerBelly, on the day by 1215pm (strictly) or by arrangement.
We’re also doing the prize announcements at the end of judging. Come down for a beer for that. We’re also hoping to broadcast it as a Facebook live event for those who can’t make it.
The prizes for SABC members who win are engraved prize glasses for winners, medals for silver and bronze and Best of Show will receive $100 in cold hard cash (more likely a Visa gift card). Runner up wins $50.
Also this month: July 12-14: Beer n BBQ Festival member’s casual catch-up. All days if you shout out you’re going but Sunday afternoon is likely to be the main day.
July 17: Monthly meeting. SABC AGM and beer and cheese pairing night.
Membership renewals can be done online. Make sure your membership is up to date to vote or join the club committee.
The Annual General Meeting for the SA Brewing Club will be held on Wednesday, July 17 at The Wheatsheaf Hotel, George St Thebarton from 7pm.
All financial members of the club are invited to attend. The agenda can be downloaded here. Nominations for all positions can be submitted by email in advance.
Here we go again. June club meeting is on this Wednesday, June 19 from 7 pm at The Wheaty. Our guest will be Dermott from BeerCo. He’s making the trip over from Melbourne with a suitcase full of samples to guide the theme of the night which is, where is homebrewing going and how does the Australian market fit into the worldwide picture when it comes to getting new and fresh ingredients and the latest brewing equipment.
Have your questions ready about how you get your hands on all the stuff you read about and what are the trends at the moment.
A few weeks ago BeerCo also supplied us with one of their all grain porter kits with a new variety of hop that’s just hit the market that is purported to impart coconut flavours. We’ve got that beer brewed and ready for tasting.
If anyone else has a beer they’d like to share, let us know. If you’ve just got one bottle, bring it along for beer bingo and leave with someone else’s beer.
We’re also welcoming your friends this month, so if you’ve got a friend who’d be interested in coming along please invite them.
Winter competition The entry portal for our All Things American winter comp is open now. Judging is on Saturday, July 6 but the entry page will close on July 4th, two days before. You won’t be able to enter, pay or print labels after that time so make sure you get it all done now.
The stakes are high this year. The best of show winner will receive a $100 voucher and the runner up $50. All categories will win engraved trophy glasses. See the last post for more or the competitions page.
Entries can be brought on Wednesday night or dropped off at the usual venues or on the judging day by 12.15pm.
July 6 – Summer comp judging from 12 -3pm. July 12 – 14 Beer n BBQ festival (Sunday club casual meetup) July 19 – Special beer and cheese pairing night and SABC AGM
SABC Competitions director Gary Waters with his wife Lee at the 2018 ANHC.
Congratulations to our competitions director Gary Waters on being accepted into the associate judge program for the Independent Brewer’s Awards for the next year.
The ‘Indies’ is Australia’s largest independent beer competition to showcase the best of the independent brewing industry. Gary will have the opportunity to judge at the Indies in September then follow up with the state comp, Australian International Beer Awards and the world cup.
It doesn’t come without hard work to get there and then with the role that requires compulsory training (ie beer drinking) and a trip to Texas along the way. We’re lucky to have his experience in our club.
The club annual winter competition will be judged on Saturday, July 6 from 12pm at the Irish Club, Carrington St Adelaide. The theme is ‘all things American’ — adherence to style and not just ‘add more hops’ might just separate the winning entries from the rest of the pack.
The entry competition entry portal is open now for entries. If you’re new to SABC or have not entered one of our competitions before, you need to log in to access it. You can easily reset your password or create a new account if you need to.
Important: Please enter early, pay and print labels at the same time. The page will be closed for entries on Thursday, July 4 at 11pm and will not allow you to access your entry after that time for changes, printing or late payments. We need time to organise everything prior to judging. No exceptions.
The categories — All things American(ish) — is limited to 20 beers in seven BJCP 2015 categories.* Ensure you enter the correct category.
1. STANDARD AMERICAN BEER
18. PALE AMERICAN ALE,
19. AMBER AND BROWN AMERICAN BEER
20. AMERICAN PORTER AND STOUT
21A. AMERICAN IPA
22. STRONG AMERICAN ALE
28. AMERICAN WILD ALE
Note: NEIPA is not recognised in the 2015 BJPC categories and will not be judged.
Bottle drop off will be available at the June meeting, BeerBelly, Country Brewer and on the day. Other drop off places possible by request. Email us.
Make it a social occasion.
Everyone is welcome to come along and judge, help or just hang out and have a beer. Winners will be announced at the end of judging and notified by email. Winners not present need to claim their prize on, or before, the next club meeting on July 17.
This week’s club meeting is on Wednesday at the brand spanking new Pirate Life Brewery in Port Adelaide. It’s an awesome investment for beer, brewing and the industry right here in little ol’ Adelaide.
The gang at PL will be conducting a tour for us as well, but numbers are limited to 40 (two groups of 20). Please ensure that you arrive early to sign up for the tours to so you don’t miss out. Facebook event RSVP.
The tour is open for club financial members (join or renew here). There is a small cost of $15 for the tour but this includes a beer. The club will also buy a few jugs of beer so we can also sample some other beers you might not want to buy a pint of.
Casual meet up We’ve not held one this year but our first casual meet-up for a beer and a burger will be on Sunday afternoon, June 9, at the new Sparkke Change brewpub on Whitmore Square. Put it in your diaries and stay tuned for more soon.
Winter competition Judging for SABC’s winter comp with the theme of All Things American will be on Saturday, July 6. Entries open on Saturday, June 1 and bottle drop off will be available at some of the usual venues or at the Irish Club in the CBD on the day. More on our competitions page.
Judging and SABSOSA ‘training’ session SABC will be hosting a series of judge and steward information sessions leading up to the judging weekend for SABSOSA on September 7 – 8. We hope judges with experience and anyone interested in learning will be available to judge SABSOSA on that weekend. If you’ve judged before, check your email for more information.
These sessions will be somewhat formal but will also have a fun and social element to them. For some, it will be going over a well-trodden path but we need your experience to help hone the skills of others to build the quality of judging for our competition and in turn, produce better beer to take to the national competition. We will endeavour to cover as many facets of judging as possible without making these afternoons a chore.
The first session and SABSOSA 2019 launch is this Saturday, 25th May from 2 pm – 3.30 pm at the West Thebby. Lots of beers to taste to train your palette and we’re asking for a small contribution of $10.
New judges and interested helpers, please email info@sabsosa.com.au or talk to Gary Waters. Forward events June 19 – Monthly meeting at The Wheaty with BeerCo July 6 – Summer comp judging July 12 – 14 Beer n BBQ festival July 19 – SABC AGM and a special event at the Wheaty
Thank you to the 60 members and their friends who came to our BeerBQ on Saturday night. It was a fantastic night again this year filled with friends and great beers and food. It couldn’t be done without the support of our cooks, organisers and brewers.
**SOLD OUT ***
Good Beer Wheaty is on again from Thursday at the Wheatsheaf Hotel. This Fixation IPA Masterclass is one session not to miss. It’s this Thursday night, 9th May from 6 – 8 pm. SABC members who are going can get a free fancy of beer thanks to our great supporter The Wheaty.
You need to either email us or comment on the Facebook group post that you’re definitely going and have a ticket by 12 pm Thursday and we’ll get your name on the list. We’ll also have a SABC table reserved for us.
It’s fair to say, Fixation knows how to make an IPA and Tom Delmont has a one track mind. What makes a good IPA? What are the best hopping techniques to deliver massive aroma? Flowers or pellets? Fresh is best. Or is it? Do IBUs matter? Hazy, milkshake, brett, brut or tart — what’s the next big thing in IPAs? Will we ever reach peak IPA? There’s a tasting of a clutch of Incubator IPA’s rarely, if ever, seen outside the Melbourne venue, alongside some Fixation classics. http://wheatsheafhotel.com.au/…/ar…/fixation_ipa_masterclass
Next club meeting is May 22 at Pirate Life, Port Adelaide for a tour. 7 pm sharp and its capped at 40 people only. Cost is $15. More to come soon.
New SABC forum is in beta. Please go to https://talk.sabrew.com/ – your SABC website login should get you in via SSO.
Forward events — See what’s coming up in the club calendar.
BeerBQ is the club’s biggest annual event. It’s free for members and it’s on this Saturday, May 4 from 6pm, at the Reade Park Bowling Club (Colonel Light Gardens).
To plan for numbers so no one goes hungry, we really need your RSVP. It’s a quick click and you’re done.
If you’re new to the club or haven’t had the chance to come in the past, it’s all about sharing our homebrew and some excellent BBQ cooking – not some sad old bunnings snags. We’ve got slow cooked brisket, snapper, pulled pork and tasty salads, unique condiments.
Everyone attending is welcome to bring some homebrew to share. Kegs or bottles are fine. Your entry gets you a club engraved glass and the night runs like one long beer tasting with food around 7.30pm.
We’ve also got some raffle prizes and a vote for best beer of the night voted by you. Toss your bottle caps in the cup of your two favourite beers.
You need to log in to access it, it’s the same account you used to join or renew. You can reset your password then keep it handy for future use. Check your spam folders if you don’t get the response email.
If you’re not a member or your membership has lapsed, join first and then log in to get the free ticket at sabrew.com.au/join-us
We also need helping hands to set up and pack up too. Let us know if you can help … or just help!
Reminder May meeting – Pirate Life tour Our May meeting is going to be on the 22nd, which is the fourth Wednesday of the month and we’re going to Pirate Life for a tour of their new facility at Port Adelaide. Be aware — the tour is capped at 40 people and starts at 7pm sharp. Check in when you arrive to get on the list. The cost is $15 and that includes a beer.
New SABC forum It’s in beta but please go to https://talk.sabrew.com/ – your SABC website login should get you in via SSO.
Forward events > See what’s coming up in the club calendar.
Happy Easter — made even hoppier because we have our meeting this Wednesday night at The Wheaty. Our main subject is: All you need to know about kegging your beer with Lachlan. If you ever wanted to get into kegging and wasn’t sure what was involved, tonight is the night to bring all your questions or if you only keg, help share some of your experience.
Don’t forget bottle bingo — bring a bottle and leave with someone else’s beer.
Also this week, Tagocha is the food truck on site and are really keen for us to try their food and have prepared a special menu for us of what they think we’ll like. See their menu or on the Facebook event. Please support this local food truck and come by a bit earlier to grab some dinner before the meeting. You’re welcome to pre-order too via 0474163111 and tell them you’re SABC.
SABC BeerBQ May 4 is the date, Reade Park Bowling Club (Colonel Light Gardens) is the venue. Food and homebrew are what happens. We’ll be opening up the ticketing to members soon (it’s free!). Friends and non-members will be $30 and available to be bought only via members at a date after that. Stay tuned.
May meeting – Pirate Life tour Our May meeting is going to be on the 22nd at 6 pm, which is the fourth Wednesday of the month. The Wheaty is booked on the 15th so we’re going to Pirate Life for a tour of their new facility at Port Adelaide. Be aware — The tour is at 7 pm and cost is $15 and that includes a beer.
Collab brew day success A couple of weekends ago, twenty or so members met at Glen and Jo’s house for a collaborative brew day. Awesome wood fire pizzas were eaten and some beers enjoyed. The beers that were brewed will be ready for our BeerBQ on May 4. We’ll be doing it again on a Sunday sometime.
SABC Brew day
Winter Comp The ‘everything American’ winter comp categories are available on the competitions page. Judging is on July 6 at the Irish Club. Entries open soon. https://sabrew.com/competitions/
New SABC forum The club has set up a new discussion forum to help share club information, meeting notes (and audio), as well as help to keep conversations together and archivable. SABC was formed by contributors to the Brew Adelaide forum and the thought is to create something different to Facebook for members and friends that don’t use Facebook and has better topic management. It’s in beta but please go to https://talk.sabrew.com/ – your SABC website login should get you in via SSO.
Forward dates from the club online calendar May 4: BeerBQ at Reade Park Bowling Club (Colonel Light Gardens) May 9-11 Good Beer Wheaty (Fixation/Incubator masterclass on Thurs 9) May 22: Pirate Life Brewery tour ( 7 pm tour) June 19: TBC July 6-7. Judging winter comp (entries open in June). July 17: AGM and special guest. August 21: Cheese and beer pairing September 7-8: SABSOSA Judging (14th prize presentations)
Not a member or has your membership lapsed? Details on joining available at sabrew.com.au and you can do it online valid for 12 months from the date of joining.
Judging will be on July 6-7. Entry portal open in June. Categories — All things American – but limited to 20 beers in seven BJCP 2015 categories.
1. STANDARD AMERICAN BEER 18. PALE AMERICAN ALE, 19. AMBER AND BROWN AMERICAN BEER 20. AMERICAN PORTER AND STOUT, 21A. AMERICAN IPA 22. STRONG AMERICAN ALE 28. AMERICAN WILD ALE
This is a final reminder of our club brew day this Saturday, April 6. If you want to join in, either bringing your own gear or just joining in with another team, please let us know now. Either comment on the Facebook post or send us an email and we’ll invite you to the private event or send an email the details of the location (that we’re withholding for privacy).
Even if you can only drop in, don’t miss out.
There will a number of breweries in action along with a wood fire pizza oven. The club is putting on the pizzas and buying a batch of ingredients for everyone to brew but bring along any hops, leftovers or special ingredients to make a beer to, ideally, have ready to drink at the club’s BeerBQ on May 4. So low risk, easy drinking max community enjoyment and knowledge sharing.
What a way to spend the last night of daylight saving time!
Forward dates: April 17: Everything you need to know about kegging and Tilt demo May 4: BeerBQ at Reade Park Bowling Club (Colonel Light Gardens) May 22: Pirate Life Brewery tour (TBC) June 19: AGM and winter comp.
