Beer Church is doing great lately. We’ve made 3 beers so far – 2 stouts and a spiced pumpkin ale. We just racked the spiced pumpinkin ale last night. We’re not sure how good it is yet, having only tasted it warm and halfway through the ferment, but it’s quite unique and we look forward to kegging it in a few weeks.

We served both our stouts on October 20th, at Locktoberfest Chicago 2012, alongside Cross of Gold beer from Revolution Brewery. Good times had by all, and all the beer poured out into waiting cups at a spirited pace. We look forward to seeing what happens with Locktoberfest 2013. We served out of our brand new taps built by Ryan Pierce!

More developments are… developing, on the bar! It’ll be even cooler later, when we’ll post a full writeup with pictures.

This Sunday, we’ll have a standard Beer Church event; with the addition of a random chance of whether we’ll be making Wine or Mead. Depending on when we hear back from participants, it’ll go either way – this post may be updated in a few days.

For those new to Beer Church, we hold pot-luck beer tastings, where everyone brings their favorite unusual beer and we taste them. We discuss the state of technology, brewing, and science in an informal midday Sunday setting at Pumping Station: One.

Once we’ve satisfied palates and our conversational avenues, we’ll either make wine, or mead! That depends on whether our winemaking correspondent is able to make it. Either way, we’ll be learning something new and making a delicious beverage. Come on down – both ends of the beverage cycle will be covered!

Details

* Date/Time: 12:30 PM, 11/11/2012
* Location: Pumping Station: One, 3519 N Elston Chicago IL
* Attendance: Public, no RSVP required, must be 21 or over

Hello! We had a good time today – moved the bar, planned out the draft tower design, figured out which parts to order. However, the interesting part is on the brewing front. We picked up another keg and cleaned/redid the hardware on 2 kegs, then kegged our two stouts.

Boiling priming sugar

Ryan Pierce kegging the Anise Stout

Kegged beers set to condition for a few weeks

We’ll definitely be ready for Locktoberfest on the 20th and possibly an upcoming party!

Oh come all ye faithful! Beer Church has 3 beers in the fermenter, and some of them are just about ready to go in a keg to get all carbonated and cold and… we don’t have any taps on our bar, or a fridge with lines! This Sunday, we’ll fix that (or get started on it, anyway)! Come help us turn our bar (thanks Greg for building it) into a real bar, with taps!

Beer Church’s first 3 beers

We’ll start off with a quick introduction to Pumping Station: One for newbies (you don’t have to be a member to attend Beer Church), with beers in hand. Bring your favorite unusual beer to share, and we’ll all get to try something new and exciting. We’ll check out the Raspberry Pi powered computerized brewing system that we’ve got going and go over our last few successful brews. The focus for project work will be on improving our dispensing and keg system, but if we have enough people we might go nuts and brew something!

The Meat

• When: 12PM Noon, Sunday 10/7/2012
• Where: 3519 N Elston, Chicago IL
• What: Potluck beer tasting, brewing discussion, and fridge/taps buildout!
• Why: Because you like beer and people who build things.

EDIT: this is on 9/23, not 9/20.

Taken on our last brew day – why not use the hydraulic jack to siphon? You would if you could.

I never expected Beer Church to be as popular as it is! You’re all great. We now have 2 beers in the Brewing Station: One fermentation chamber under the patient temperature control of chillmon. We aren’t sure which of them is going to rejuvenate TOOOL during Locktoberfest on October 20th, but one these is it!

I don’t know if we’ll brew on Sunday, but the great thing is that we’ve got a Brew & Grow a quick saunter around the corner and all the gear we could need right on hand. If you want to brew this weekend, hit up the comments or the thread on the public mailing list and we might get something going!

Beer tasting: bring a few bottles of something you like that you think others may not know. We will do a potluck beer tasting. Tiny beer steins (for tiny beers) will be provided but bring your own chalice/mug/other drink receptacle if you prefer. Homebrews are highly esteemed, and you will get some beer peer review from your peers in beer! Neither of our brews are ready to rock yet, so we’ll have to wait for tasting our own creations.

You are of course welcome to come even if you do not consume beer or other alcoholic beverages! You must be 21 to drink at beer church. Come on down to 3519 N Elston at 12:00 PM on 9/23!

We’ve been doing this for a while! I guess people enjoy alcoholic mixtures of grains, hops, and other flavorings!

Beer tasting: bring a few bottles of something you like that you think others may not know. We will do a potluck beer tasting. Tiny beer steins (for tiny beers) will be provided but bring your own chalice/mug/other drink receptacle if you prefer. Homebrews are highly esteemed, and you will get some beer peer review from your peers in beer!

We’ll keep on discussing brewing, and even have a few guests coming who have brewed on a pretty large scale before!

You are of course welcome to come even if you do not consume beer or other alcoholic beverages! You must be 21 to drink at beer church. Come on down to 3519 N Elston at 12:00 PM on 8/12!

Pumping Station: One is one of the main driving forces behind Mini Maker Faire Evanston which runs tonight and all day tomorrow (10AM-6PM tomorrow). Electric car races, the TARDIS, tons of makers and hackers, people from far afield coming to Evanston to show what they can do and what they can offer you! Makerbot, Makerslide, Photoboop, Power Racing Series, and tons more! Check out the Maker Faire Evanston site for more information, and come on down tonight, tomorrow, or both! We would love to see you.

Beer Church returns! Do you like science, doing things rather than buying them already done, and beer? Then this event is for you!

Beer tasting: bring a few bottles of something you like that you think others may not know. We will do a potluck beer tasting. Tiny beer steins (for tiny beers) will be provided but bring your own chalice/mug/other drink receptacle if you prefer. Homebrews are highly esteemed, and you will get some beer peer review from your peers in beer!

After (and during) the tasting, we’ll discuss the science of beer brewing and other scientific questions and pursuits. Peer review of projects will happen if people have something to show; 300 seconds of non-fame with frequent interruptions.

For this Beer Church event, we’ll be exploring homebrewing at the space further. Last time we broached the subject and had some homebrews brought down from the Evanston Homebrewing club – this week we have a fridge that could get modded to be set up as environmental control for brewing and we’ll look at the possibility of using the safe room as a cold storage location. An unknown (to me at least) benefactor has also deposited a carboy and a corking machine on premesis! I’m not sure whether we can use those (holler if they’re yours) but I’m hoping so.

You are of course welcome to come even if you do not consume beer or other alcoholic beverages! You must be 21 to drink at beer church. Come on down to 3519 N Elston at 12:00 PM on 7/22!

Do you need a midday Sunday social gathering? Do you like science, doing things rather than buying them already done, and beer? Then this event is for you!

Beer tasting: bring a few bottles of something you like that you think others may not know. We will do a potluck beer tasting. Tiny beer steins (for tiny beers) will be provided but bring your own chalice/mug/other drink receptacle if you prefer. Homebrews are highly esteemed, and you will get some beer peer review from your peers in beer!

After (and during) the tasting, we’ll discuss the science of beer brewing and other scientific questions and pursuits. Peer review of projects will happen if people have something to show; 300 seconds of non-fame with frequent interruptions.

For this Beer Church event, bring all the homebrewing equipment/supplies you have if you can, and are willing to let other people perhaps use! We’ll do a show and tell, and plan some home brewing events. If we’re feeling up to it and have enough gear and willing brewers, we’ll make it a brewing party! We have enough space now to brew! Make sure to bring a turkey fryer or propane based stove if you have one, as we don’t currently have a stove at the space.

You are of course welcome to come even if you do not consume beer or other alcoholic beverages! You must be 21 to drink at beer church. Come on down to 3519 N Elston for beer, peers, and brewers.

It’s hot out. So very hot out. Jewel was selling watermelons. That’s a no-brainer right there.

Except… I couldn’t find a large knife at PS:One to cut it! Oh no! However, belt sanders are pretty good at sharpening metal… and we had this practice sword lying around (not sharp by any remote stretch). Fix that, boom!

Now to put on my war face. Watermelon, I will sup on your flesh tonight! Today is a good day to die. Kaplah.

P.S. we’ve got some watermelon left, come and get it!

Do you like beers and peers and find that your Sundays need more structure, such as drinking and doing science? If so, this event is for you.

Beer tasting: bring a few bottles of something you like that you think others may not know. We will do a potluck beer tasting. Tiny beer steins (for tiny beers) will be provided but bring your own if you prefer. Homebrews are highly esteemed, and you will get some beer peer review from your peers in beer!

After (and during) the tasting, we’ll discuss the science of beer brewing and other scientific questions and pursuits. Peer review of projects will happen if people have something to show; 300 seconds of non-fame with frequent interruptions.

You are of course welcome to come even if you do not consume beer or other alcoholic beverages! You must be 21 to drink at beer church.