Come learn how to spot spruce tips, forage them, and use them in your brewing. We’ll explore the sensory side of spruce tips and taste them in beer. From mash, to boil, to dry hop additions, see how they can affect beer’s flavor.

Take a virtual tour of Bohemia with this month’s education topic: Czech Dark Lager. Some may call it Tmavé Pivo. Some may call it Dark Beer. I bet you will call it tasty!
Stop by the LOWER LEVEL of East Side Neighborhood Services on Thursday, February 16 7:00-9:00pm for some club business and sharing beers.
See you there!
Waste not, want not. After brew day, what do you do with your spent grains? One option is to use them in baking! That is the education topic for the January meeting.
Swing by East Side Neighborhood Services on Thursday, January 19 for a discussion on baking with brewing ingredients. All are welcome!
Thank you to all the participants, judges, and stewards who made this competition a great success again! With 195 entries, this was our biggest competition to date! Look for our next competition in about six months with the return of Sour Times — and for the all-category competition again this time next year. Cheers!
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Caleb Meinke | Len’s | 1A: American Light Lager | Madison Homebrewers & Tasters |
2nd | Steve Ristau | Rock Pile Porter | 20A: American Porter | |
3rd | Metts Potter | Adjacent | 3C: Czech Amber Lager | Bloatarian Brewing League |
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Caleb Meinke | Len’s | 1A: American Light Lager | Madison Homebrewers & Tasters |
2nd | Metts Potter | Little Buddy | 1B: American Lager | Bloatarian Brewing League |
3rd | Caleb Meinke | Duster | 1B: American Lager | Madison Homebrewers & Tasters |
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Metts Potter | Strike Two | 8A: Munich Dunkel | Bloatarian Brewing League |
2nd | Greg Sayler Co-Brewer: Dustin Lee | Dark Lager | 3D: Czech Dark Lager | |
3rd | Adam Joyce | Danish Winter Lager | 2C: International Dark Lager | Sun Prairie Worthogs |
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Colby Reineke | Cultivate | 5D: German Pils | Minnesota Home Brewers Association |
2nd | Bill Gavin Co-Brewer: Roy Ventullo | Dortmunder the Great | 5C: German Helles Exportbier | CRAZE |
3rd | Charlie Madison | Kolsch | 5B: Kölsch | Northern Brewer Fermentation Brigade |
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Metts Potter | Adjacent | 3C: Czech Amber Lager | Bloatarian Brewing League |
2nd | Steve Ristau | Supercaliamberlicious! | 2B: International Amber Lager | |
3rd | Metts Potter | Fall Weissbier | 10B: Dunkels Weissbier | Bloatarian Brewing League |
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Patrick Ramsey Co-Brewer: Karla Grauberger | Jefe de Pista | 2A: International Pale Lager | |
2nd | Timothy Wicklund | Hamster Style | 2A: International Pale Lager | Keepers of Craft |
3rd | Tyler Bye | Fast Lager | 2A: International Pale Lager | Nordeast Brewers Alliance |
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Adam Skjefstad | What the Helles Brian! | 4A: Munich Helles | River City Brewers [MN] |
2nd | Steve Towey | Maineck Maibock | 4C: Helles Bock | Nordeast Brewers Alliance |
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Jeremy Glowicki | Days Are Dark | 17C: Wee Heavy | Jordan Homebrewers |
2nd | Joseph Belevender | Cuts You Up | 13B: British Brown Ale | Pontiac Brewing Tribe |
3rd | Kevin Olson | Saloot To Mamoot | 13A: Dark Mild | ZZHops Homebrewing Club |
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | David Fetty | Scottish Export | 14C: Scottish Export | Brixie’s Brewers |
2nd | Divesh Lakhi | Blood Of My Blood | 15A: Irish Red Ale | Cedar Rapids Brewing Society |
3rd | Metts Potter | Don’t Call It A Comeback | 15B: Irish Stout | Bloatarian Brewing League |
HM | Divesh Lakhi | Dark Sister | 15C: Irish Extra Stout | Cedar Rapids Brewing Society |
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Steve Ristau | Rock Pile Porter | 20A: American Porter | |
2nd | Eric Sanders | For Richer Or Porter II | 20A: American Porter | Rochester Area Zymurgy Enthusiasts (RAZE) |
3rd | Dan Ullsperger | Ullsperger Brewing – Hello Life Blonde Ale | 18A: Blonde Ale |
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Dean Muldoon | Sooty Foot | 9C: Baltic Porter | Chop & Brew |
2nd | Michael Andrea | I’ve Got The Golden Ticket | 16A: Sweet Stout | |
3rd | Andrew Lockwood | Quaker’s Blood | 16B: Oatmeal Stout | Nordeast Brewers Alliance |
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Brandon Pflipsen | Ddh Olive Street IPA | 21A: American IPA | Northern Brewer Fermentation Brigade |
2nd | Brandon Edwards | Cold Seas | 21A: American IPA | Keepers of Craft |
3rd | Colby Reineke | Golden Fall IPA | 21A: American IPA | Minnesota Home Brewers Association |
Place | Brewer | Entry Name | Style | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Metts Potter | Thirsty Monk | 26A: Belgian Single | Bloatarian Brewing League |
2nd | Rick Gruye | A Ghost Is Born | 24A: Witbier | |
3rd | Steve Ristau | All-Day B P A | 24B: Belgian Pale Ale |
The next education topic will be sweet: brewing sugars! The education for Thu Dec 15 7-9pm will cover this sticky topic. Brewers of all levels are encouraged to join and try some batches across traditional styles.
See you there! Cheers! 🍻
It’s that time of year, to test your best beer against your neighbors from near and far.
We are back in person @ ESNS for the judging, you only need to send 2 bottles, and the entry fee is $8, it’s like the old days!
Check out all of the details on our website: https://nbabrewcomp.com/
Belgian quad? Good.
FOUR Belgian quads? GREAT!
A few NBA members split a batch and finished their beers four different ways. The education topic at the monthly meeting will be to talk about what they did and how they are different. Bring some tasting glasses and stop by the meeting on Thursday, September 15 7:00 PM at East Side Neighborhood Services to try some yourself.
Schol! 🍻
What happens when you ferment lager yeast above the normal temperature range?
This month’s education topic will explore just that! We will talk about traditional lager styles and how this works for the new Cold IPA style. Get your tasting glasses ready and join us next week for the monthly meeting!