Home Brewers' Wife Jailed for Assault.

* Utah Beer Satire* Provo, Utah (UB) - A Provo woman is in jail tonight for assaulting her 31 year old husband after she allegedly became fed-up with his apparent lack of Home brewing prowess.

Wanita Conchita Bavario, broke a glass carboy over the head of Husband Clay Bavario after his latest home brew creation came up short - once again. "Every few weeks, he'd make a big production about his latest - greatest 'Imperial Oak-aged Uber hop bomb'. Every one of his Goddamn beers tastes exactly the same—like really thick, shitty beer. I'm fed up!"

Clay Bavario is recovering at Utah County Regional Hospital, with cuts and a minor concussion. Provo Police aren't commenting on the assault, but are looking into filing charges against the Provo home brewer for "daring to go against community standards". Provo Police Lt. Grover Green said. "Assault is one thing, but when you try to be different in Provo, that's a whole different enchilada".

Police confiscated the remaining home brew in the household and placed it into the Police Cheif's fishing boat for "safe Keepin".

Cheers!

2009 Beehive Brew-Off

If your thinking about entering your special beer in Utah's very first homebrew competition, here's all the info you'll need.

The Beehive Brew-off is an AHA & BJCP sanctioned event.

Entries will be accepted from July 5 through July 20. Homebrew entry form, fee & beer deadline is Monday, July 20 .

Entry fees are $6.00 for the first entry and $3.00 for each additional entry. (Checks should be made payable to The Beer Nut) All entries must include the entry form and payment, and all bottles must have labels attached with rubber bands only. Improperly submitted entries, or entries received after July 20, may be disqualified. Entry forms can be found here and labels can be found here.

One entry consists of three (2) bottles. To assure the anonymity of brewer, bottles must be standardized to the current AHA competition requirements: 10-14 oz bottles with no paper or inked labels, raised glass brand-name designs or any identifying or distinguishing marks on the bottle or cap identifying the brewer. Be sure that you enter your beer into the proper style category. Styles accepted include all styles listed in 2008 AHA Category Descriptions. Entries become property of The Beer Nut and will not be returned.

The Beehive Brew-Off is open to all recognized beer categories. The 2008 edition of the BJCP Style Guidelines will be used to judge entries. It is the brewer's responsibility to determine the correct category/subcategory to enter their beers, and to provide additional information where required.

Depending on the number of entries and category distribution, categories and subcategories may be combined or separated for judging and awards purposes. These judging table breakdowns will not be available prior to the competition and will be determined by the competition committee once all the entries have been processed.

Entries will be received at The Beer Nut 1200 South State St. Salt Lake City, Utah 84111

Please contact The Beer Nut for any questions at (801) 531-8182 or jamie@beernut.com.

Now, I know people have loyalties to their specific home brew shops. Don't let this stop you from
competing. Even though this is one home brew supply store organizing this competition, this is a Utah event. Let's make it the best. Cheers!

Brain, Brain, Brain What is Brain???

We need your help! Jamie Burnham from the Beer Nut called the other day to tell me that they're putting together Utah's first Home Brew competition. Yea!

The competition is tentatively scheduled for August 1st, but we'll get into the specifics after the details have been hammered out. But for now what we need is a good name for this annual event.

So I'm putting out the call to every smart-ass, savant, egg-head and nut-job to submit some names for the competition.

There is no prize as far as I know, just the satisfaction of knowing that your brain cells are good for something else other than working on that perfect ass-groove for your mother basement couch.

Just put the name and the name you want to be credited with in the comments section.

Also, I had my first Deschutes beer bought in Utah last night. Go and get 'em! Cheers!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Utah's Gett'n all Grow'd - Up

OK this is the final "it's legal to home brew" post because... well it's finally legal. Throughout the whole damn process of passing the bills - then signing it - brewing-up the tributes and finally national home brew day last week. Today is the day.

So, no more talk about it being legal. Now it's just a part of life. Now all our concerns should be focused toward more home brew clubs, home brew competitions and helping Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Oklahoma make it legal.

Also legal today, serving a drink across the bar in a restaurant. Yep those fucked-up partitions separating you and your children from evil, known as the "Zion Curtains" are no more.

I heard a nice quote from a bartender on Fox13 news this morning "one small step for man, one giant leap for Utah". I guess that says it all. Cheers!

HB51 Home Brew Recipe

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that a hand full of Utah brewpubs were brewing up a special collaboration beer to commemorate the passage of HB51: The legalization of Home brewing beer and wine in Utah.

Each brewpub will put their own special spin on this brew and encourage Utah's home brew community to participate in making it as well. If your interested in making the HB51 beer here is the recipe.

5 Gallon Batch All Grain

6.25# Pale Malt 2-row
1.25# Munich Malt Weyermann
.75 # Cara Munich II Weyermann
Gravity 1.045 Plato 11.08
Hops
.25 oz Columbus 12% for 60 Minutes
.25 oz. Columbus 12% for 35 Minutes
.25 oz. Centennial 9% for 5 Minutes
Total IBUs 25.9
------------------------------------------

Extract with grains 5 gallon Batch

1.25# Briess Gold DME
3.3# Coopers Light LME
1# Munich Malt Weyermann
.5# Cara Munich II Weyermann
Gravity 1.045 Plato 11.12
Hops
.25 oz Columbus 12% for 60 Minutes
.25 oz. Columbus 12% for 35 Minutes
.25 oz. Centennial 9% for 5 Minutes
Total IBUs 25.9
-------------------------------------------

6 Gallon Batch all-grain

7.75# Pale Malt 2-row
1.50# Munich Malt Weyermann
.75 # Cara Munich II Weyermann
Gravity 1.045 Plato 11.19
Hops
.25 oz Columbus 12% for 60 Minutes
.50 oz. Columbus 12% for 30 Minutes
.25 oz. Centennial 9% for 5 Minutes
Total IBUs 26.4

Use your Favorite ale yeast on any of these. You can buy your ingredients at the Beer Nut (thanks for the recipe Jamie!) or your closest home brew supply shop. Happy Brewing!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Home Brewing in Utah is Finally Legal!

I mentioned this briefly yesterday, but Utah finally became the the 46th state to legalize homebrewing. Now all but four states; Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Oklahoma have made homebrewing legal.

Yesterday, Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. of Utah signed into law legislation that makes homebrewing beer legal. The "Exemption for Alcoholic Beverage Manufacturing License" was sponsored by Representative Christine A. Johnson.

Squatters Pub Brewery's brewmaster Jennifer Talley says the relationship between professional and amateur brewers has always been a tight one and legalizing homebrewing will allow this relationship in Utah to evolve and grow.

"Homebrewing is truly an art and most professional brewers I know were once homebrewing in their kitchen. Utah beer enthusiast will now have the freedom to express their deepest beer desires through perfecting the craft of homebrewing in their own kitchens," says Talley.

There are currently three exciting home brew clubs in Utah, that number is expected to grow now that home brewers are no longer deviants, fraught with mischief.

So go home and celebrate with a pint of your favorite homebrew and if you have none, get ass out to your nearest homebrew supply store(links are to the right) and get it in gear. Your basic kit will run you about seventy bucks, and in a few weeks you'll be sucking down something special.

-"Give a man a beer and he can waste an hour. Teach a man to brew and he can waste a lifetime". Cheers!

Home Brew Bill Moves Passes Utah Senate

After a brief meeting to work out differences with the House, the Senate gave final approval yesterday to allowing home brewing of beer and wine without a license.

HB51, sponsored by Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake, would allow anyone over the age of 21 to brew up to 100 gallons of beer or wine at home per year, or up to 200 gallons in a household with more than one adult.

The bill was amended in the Senate to restrict the amounts of beer and wine allowed for personal consumption or for entry into brewing competitions. The House refused to concur with the Senate amendment and a conference committee was appointed to reach a compromise.

Three Republican senators voted against the compromise version of the bill, including Senate Majority Assistant Whip Gregory Bell, R-Fruit Heights.
"I'm not comfortable with home brewing," Bell said. "It seems fraught with mischief to me. Maybe I don't understand it."

The proposal will now head to the governor's desk for final action. He is expected to sign the bill.

On KSL radio this morning I heard reporter Andrew Adams say "It's now legal to make moonshine". Which is beyond incorrect. It's no wonder people like Senator Bell are "uncomfortable" with homebrewing when supposed reputable news outlets are spewing such blatant and uninformed information.

Oh well. Congratulations are still premature, but nicely done everyone!

A New Amendment to the Homebrew Bill

There has been an amendment made to House Bill 51, the homebrew bill. The amendment limits the amount of homebrewed beverages allowed to be transported from home.
The amendment made on Feb. 23 by Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, would limit the amount allowed to be transported out of the home for personal or family use to one liter of wine or 72 ounces of beer per person age 21 or over.

The amendment also would limit the amount that may be transported from home for judging on taste and quality to one ounce of wine or two ounces of beer per judge.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Christine Johnson, approved of the changes.

The amended bill was approved by the Senate 25-2 and will be sent back to the House floor for approval.

Utah's Home Brew Bill: Latest

The Senate Business and Labor Committee hearing on House Bill HB51 to legalize homebrewing in the state of Utah has been rescheduled for Thursday, February 12 at 8:30 AM in room 215 of the Senate Building, Utah State Capitol Complex.

Check the committee schedule, which should be updated with the new date shortly, to confirm the time and room number. You can help to ensure passage of this bill by attending the committee hearing and showing your support for the bill. AHA Director Gary Glass will be flying to Salt Lake City to attend the hearing. Cheers!

Home Brew Bill Clears Latest Hurdle

House Bill 51, legislation to make it "officially" legal to home brew in Utah passed Unanimously in the House Business and Labor Committee yesterday.

At least a dozen or so home brew advocates attended the meeting (myself included) and faced surprisingly no opposition to the legislation's third time on the hill. The Bill will now move to both the House& Senate floors for official votes.

This should be a slam dunk. Through both committees the proposed legislation only met with one "No" vote. Keep-on your lawmakers back, and make sure he or she votes "yes" when it comes up.

Besides making home brewing legal the passage of this legislation could open the door to all kinds of home brew activities including home brew competitions and a category for it at the State Fair. Thanks to all who show'd-up and spoke in support. Cheers!

Utah Home Brew Legislation

Well here we go again. One more try to get home brewing officially legalized in the state. Big, big thanks go to Rep. Christine Johnson for proposing this bill again. Last year the bill passed in both the house and the senate but died due to lack of time left in the session. If you have any interest in following the bills progress I'll post updates as often as possible. Starting today.

Yesterday the bill made it out of the Business and Labor Interim Committee and will go back to the house and senate to be voted on. Below is a link to a copy of the legislation and also an .mp3 of the committee meeting. If you want to listen it hits at 1:45:20 - 1:54:28 on the podcast. I'd chop it up and post it, but I just don't have the damn time. Cheers!

link to copy of legislationhttp://www.le.state.ut.us/interim/2008/html/00001845.htm

mp3 audio at 1:45:20 - 1:54:28http://recordings.le.state.ut.us/mp3/committee/rw025-1119081.mp3

D'oh!!!

I owe everyone an apology. I reported yesterday that hb 425s01, legislation to legalize home brewing in Utah passed the house. When in fact it did not. Apparently, it went before the senate and was sent back to the rules committee, the legislative session ended before the bill could make it back to the senate for its final vote. Hopefully Rep. Christine Johnson will attempt to reintroduce the bill next year. Sorry for the misinformation.

Home Brew & You Too

(When this post was originally written Homebrewing was illegal. It was made legal in 2009)In Utah home brewing beer is technically against the law. Even though home brewing has been recognized as a legal activity by the Federal Government since 1978. Yesterday Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake City, carves out an exemption in Utah law which currently requires any person who manufactures an alcoholic beverage to obtain a license to do so from the state, including a requisite $10,000 bond.
Johnson's bill will allow the home manufacture of "fermented beverages" up to a limit of 100 gallons a year per person, with a 200 gallons a year limit, per household.

Mark Alston, owner of the Salt Lake City home brewing store, The Beer Nut, testified on behalf of HB425.
"People who are doing it are an amazing cross-section of Utah culture," Alston said.
Alston also noted that home brewed beer is not a "binge drinking product" since brewers devote too much time, energy and care to brewing a batch, which is typically about five gallons.
HB425 was passed out favorably by the committee and now moves to the House for further action.

Contact your local representative and let him or her know it time to join the 20th Century.

Hopefully, socially bigoted, State Senator Chris Butters (R) will be busy drowning kittens when the vote goes to the floor. For the record... I like kittens.