Meeting Minutes – December 2014

Miami Area Society of Homebrewers
Minutes of the Monthly Meeting of the Officers 
December 13, 2014

Location of Meeting:
Daddy Brews
4427 SW 74th Avenue
Miami, Florida 33155

Officers Present at Meeting: Bob Billany (President), Dan Barrett (Vice President), Denise Graham (Treasurer), David Kirsten (Secretary), Tony Hernandez (Librarian)

Others Present at Meeting: Matt Waldron (Competition Organizer)

The regular meeting of the Officers of the Miami Area Society of Homebrewers was called to order at (approximately) 1:00 PM on December 13, 2014 at Daddy Brews by Bob Billany.

I.    Review of Previous Minutes

Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting was waived.

II.  Old Business

1.  Coconut Cup

Important Dates

Entry Window Opens:                               January 15, 2015
Entry Window Closes:                               February 13, 2015
Entries Must Be Received By:                  February 14, 2105
Organize & Label Entries:                         February 15-16, 2105
Pre-Judging:                                             TBD
Final Judging & Awards Ceremony:          March 6-7, 2015

David Kirsten will update the club’s website and communicate with the other clubs in the Florida Circuit.

Location

For consistency, we will return to the American Legion Post in South Miami for Final Judging.  Bob Billany will reserve the space.  To ensure that we do not experience a repeat of last year’s disruption, the space will be reserved for the entire day on March 7^th.  That will give us the opportunity to host an after-party (TBD).

Medals

It was agreed to utilize the same medal format as last year’s competition.  Bob Billany will order medals from same vendor.  Anticipated turnaround time is 2 weeks.  Dan Barrett has volunteered to carve another tap handle to be awarded to the winner of the keg competition.

Committee

Volunteers were solicited to assist in the preparation/execution of this year’s competition.  Committee members will include:

– Scott Graham (Head Judge)
– Bob Billany (Competition Organizer)
– Rachel Billany (Cellar Mistress)
– Matt Waldron (Schwagmeister)
– Denise Graham (Competition Goddess)
– Jhirley & Kari Fonte
– Dan & Melissa Barrett
– Jorge “Moe” Molina
– Patrick Whiteside
– David Kirsten

 2.  New Officers

Bob Billany was re-elected as President of the club at the November meeting.  He introduced the new Board members (see above) to the club and reviewed the responsibilities assigned to each officer.  Denise Graham will provide read-only access to the club’s Google Drive to each new officer.  Scott Graham will add new officers to the club’s email distribution list.

 III. New Business

 1.   Member Survey

An online survey soliciting feedback from club members was posted on the website last month.  Responses were received 13 individuals.  David Kirsten will prepare a summary of the results for distribution to the Board.  One recurring theme was that meetings should include more education focusing on brewing vs. styles.

 2.  Membership Dues

Dues for 2015 are now payable.  David Kirsten will update the PayPal link on the club’s website.  Denise Graham will review the club roster and send email reminders to those who have not yet paid.

 3.  Officers Meetings

The Board has agreed to meet as a group at 7:45 p.m. on the Mondays preceding each regular club meeting.  This gathering will be held at a site in the West Kendall area (Bob’s house, WOB, Devon, etc.)

4.  Competition Railroads

Tony Hernandez has volunteered to coordinate entry drop-off and delivery with the other homebrew clubs in the Florida Circuit.  The first competition of the 2105 season is Florida’s Best Beer in Tampa.  The entry window closes on January 24, 2015.

5.  Brew Caddy

Bob Billany has received several inquiries from members about the brew caddy he wears around his neck to hold his sampling glass. He will reach out to the vendor to obtain pricing quotes for MASH -branded caddies. These can be made available for sale to club members, as well as the public at club events. They can also be utilized as gifts to guest judges at the Coconut Cup.

6.  Meeting Site

The Board feels it is important to have a consistent and convenient meeting site for regular club meetings.  It was agreed that Daddy Brews is optimal for this purpose.  We have offered the proprietor, Jacob Lindsay, compensation of $100 for each meeting held at his shop.  He has agreed to grant the club access to his facility.

7.  Brewer of the Year (BotY)

Although most club members are happy entering their homebrew in our intra-club competition, a number of individuals do not wish to participate in external competitions.  This skews the results of our BotY competition.  It was suggested that we track the results of both internal and external competitions separately and announce a winner in each sub-category. The two categories can then be combined to determine an overall Brewer of the Year. The new format was approved and will be implemented immediately.

In an effort to streamline the competition process, Jorge “Moe” Molina will be assisting Matt Waldron with the monthly competition logistics.  David Kirsten will work to develop a system allowing entrants to pre-register their entry on the club’s website.

The brew team of Dave Kirsten & Bob Billany was awarded the 2014 BotY championship – their third consecutive victory.

The first BotY Competition of 2015 was conducted. The BJCP style for the month was Stout.  The winners were . . .

First Place:                 Matt Waldron (Dry Stout)
Second Place:            Michael Moussa (Russian Imperial Stout)
Third Place:               Tony Hernandez (American Stout)

The BotY style for January will be German Wheat & Rye.

IV.  Time of Next Meeting

The next Board meeting will be held at 7:45 PM on Monday, January 19, 2015. Location: TBD

The next regular club meeting will be held at 7:00 PM on January 22, 2015 at:

Daddy Brews
4427 SW 74th Avenue
Miami, Florida 33155

Minutes submitted by:  David Kirsten, Secretary

Minutes approved by:   Bob Billany, President