I'm planning on bringing a small cooler with about a dozen beers in it.
NHC 2014- Grand Rapids Who's going?
- Thread starter Yooper
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Amway rooms have a fridge in them. I've stayed on both the old Pantlin side and in the glass tower, as well as the JW. They have fridges. That being said, bring your cooler so you can take your beer to the convention center. It's a block or so across the Skyway from each hotel.
Wife and I will both be there this year. Looking forward to it. 
Beerwaukee
Member
This will be my first year attending NHC also, looking forward to seeing and talking with everyone about their beers.
Also signed up as a volunteer for a couple of expo/social club time slots- not sure what to expect, hauling kegs, pouring beers? Anyone do this in years past
Also signed up as a volunteer for a couple of expo/social club time slots- not sure what to expect, hauling kegs, pouring beers? Anyone do this in years past
Just an FYI, someone on the forum has a ticket they need to get rid of. I'm posting here because I'm hoping someone will buy it and not want the hotel reservation. I want to change hotels so I'm closer.
He is asking $150 for the ticket. No banquet ticket, but I think they are still available to purchase from the AHA.
Check the For Sale forum if you are interested.
He is asking $150 for the ticket. No banquet ticket, but I think they are still available to purchase from the AHA.
Check the For Sale forum if you are interested.
wpshadowens
Member
I'll be there and will have 3 beers & a cider on tap with CRAFT Homebrew Club.
CRAFT also brewed a collaboration beer with White Flame Brewing Company. FlameCRAFT is an 8.8% ABV Imperial Brown and is now on tap at White Flame! They open at 4:00 today! If you are in Grand Rapids for the conference make sure to visit White Flame Brewing Co. and try a pint!
CRAFT also brewed a collaboration beer with White Flame Brewing Company. FlameCRAFT is an 8.8% ABV Imperial Brown and is now on tap at White Flame! They open at 4:00 today! If you are in Grand Rapids for the conference make sure to visit White Flame Brewing Co. and try a pint!
OP
OP
Yes, there are lots of people randomly sharing beer all over the place. Each venue, due to state and local laws, may restrict certain places. Like in Cincinatti, there was beer EVERYWHERE, including the elevators (the "Vertical Tasting Suite"), while in Philadelphia, there was no beer allowed on the skywalk due to a law about public consumption.
But everyone will have a glass, and you can share at will in general.
Look for me- I will be more than happy to give you a review of any samples provided.
I'm afraid there will be too much beer!
Will do.Look for me- I will be more than happy to give you a review of any samples provided.
I'm flying in tomorrow and staying at the Amway. I also bought a ticket for Brewery Vivant's Rare Beer & Food event tomorrow (Weds) night, BNA9 on Thursday, and the Banquet on Sat.
I don't know anyone else attending the Vivant event, so feel free to shoot me a message if you're up for chatting all things beer with someone at that event or any others.
Just a few more hours to go. Cheers!
I don't know anyone else attending the Vivant event, so feel free to shoot me a message if you're up for chatting all things beer with someone at that event or any others.
Just a few more hours to go. Cheers!
Headed up on Wed. Dropping off some cuttings from last year's seedlings to a guy in Zeeland and bringing a bunch of candy (we'll have a couple kegs also). Stop by the Freshops booth and try some of the new varieties, lots of fruit in these! Sorry for the folks who couldn't make it.
AWESOME! I loved the candy. Looking forward to finding it again.
Hope to see you and Dave there, Bob.
I'm here
Can someone give me a link to the Official NHC Thread? On mobile, having trouble finding it.
B-Happy, the New Cascade candy rocks!
So... Many... Beers.
Where is you? I'm here too. Going on SoperTour tonight?
Here as well. Sitting in the yeast session. Look for the guy with a beer...
Chriso
Broken Robot Brewing Co.
It was wicked awesome meeting up with ally'all, eh?
(I think I got all the accents represented there! And thanks Yooper for taking the picture!)
(Edit: an image doubled up. I'll fix it from a real computer later.)
(I think I got all the accents represented there! And thanks Yooper for taking the picture!)
(Edit: an image doubled up. I'll fix it from a real computer later.)
What a great time! I met SOOOO many people, sat in on a few seminars, rode a party bus to a few local breweries, watched someone get Sopered, and drank a lot of beer.
Not necessarily in that order.
To be honest, though, I took my time with the beer. There was a LOT of beer to be had. Display booths often had samples. The exhibition room had a row of club booths set up serving most of the time. Then there was Club Night. I drank small samples and managed to not get buzzed and therefore not feel bad the next day.
I will try to recount who I met from HBT while I was there. Forgive me if I do not include your name. My memory is not great and it's even worse when bombarded with lots of new names and a fair amount of beer... In no particular order:
Randar
Pappers_
Yooper
Bob (Including him because he and Yooper go together...)
Soperbrew
Saccharomyces
mmb
bsdx
AZ_IPA
pjj2ba
Met someone else at Perrin, but for the life of me I can't recall their handle. I apologize.
Some of the "celebrities" I met from the homebrewing world include:
Randy Mosher (Who gave me a sneak peek his new book coming out later this year. More detail coming.)
Denny Conn
James Spencer and his friend Steve
Charlie Papazian (only saw, did not get a chance to say hi He got me started with his book back in the day.)
Gary Glass
Martin Brungard
Gordon Strong
Drew Beechum
Brad Smith
Actually, there were more, I can't recall off the top of my head. I was told I saw John Palmer, but I really can't claim that I noticed him. People said he was there and I had to have seen him, so I guess I'll take their word for it. I'm not sure I'd recognize him to be honest. He was probably at the BN booth in the very least. I know those guys more by voice than by picture!
There were plenty of others I'd know from this and that, like Niko from Nikobrew, who was proudly displaying the young person's clothing with the slogan I offered a while back "Microbrewer". I got a bag of Hop Candy from B-Hoppy to share with the club members at the next meeting.
Saw lots of equipment and got a ton of swag.
I really want to give a shout out to our local Homebrew store Siciliano's Market, who sponsored a bunch of things, including the keynote address (which I did not attend, due to other commitments, but I heard was pretty nice). Steve and the people there are really great and have helped quite a few local homebrewers get their start in their professional brewing jobs over the past many years.
The conference got me re-interested in brewing again. Especially lagers, which I had kind of turned away from. Sampling some of pjj2ba's excellent lagers gave me hope that I might be able to turn out a decent one with enough practice and the right methods.
I got to also sample a couple of meads from some guys on here. They were VERY good! They are starting a meadery in Texas.
Well, that's about it. That's about all I'm going to post here for now anyway. I have a few pics and a video that I'm not sure I will post. Might have to do some editing first...
Not necessarily in that order.
To be honest, though, I took my time with the beer. There was a LOT of beer to be had. Display booths often had samples. The exhibition room had a row of club booths set up serving most of the time. Then there was Club Night. I drank small samples and managed to not get buzzed and therefore not feel bad the next day.
I will try to recount who I met from HBT while I was there. Forgive me if I do not include your name. My memory is not great and it's even worse when bombarded with lots of new names and a fair amount of beer... In no particular order:
Randar
Pappers_
Yooper
Bob (Including him because he and Yooper go together...)
Soperbrew
Saccharomyces
mmb
bsdx
AZ_IPA
pjj2ba
Met someone else at Perrin, but for the life of me I can't recall their handle. I apologize.
Some of the "celebrities" I met from the homebrewing world include:
Randy Mosher (Who gave me a sneak peek his new book coming out later this year. More detail coming.)
Denny Conn
James Spencer and his friend Steve
Charlie Papazian (only saw, did not get a chance to say hi He got me started with his book back in the day.)
Gary Glass
Martin Brungard
Gordon Strong
Drew Beechum
Brad Smith
Actually, there were more, I can't recall off the top of my head. I was told I saw John Palmer, but I really can't claim that I noticed him. People said he was there and I had to have seen him, so I guess I'll take their word for it. I'm not sure I'd recognize him to be honest. He was probably at the BN booth in the very least. I know those guys more by voice than by picture!
There were plenty of others I'd know from this and that, like Niko from Nikobrew, who was proudly displaying the young person's clothing with the slogan I offered a while back "Microbrewer". I got a bag of Hop Candy from B-Hoppy to share with the club members at the next meeting.
Saw lots of equipment and got a ton of swag.
I really want to give a shout out to our local Homebrew store Siciliano's Market, who sponsored a bunch of things, including the keynote address (which I did not attend, due to other commitments, but I heard was pretty nice). Steve and the people there are really great and have helped quite a few local homebrewers get their start in their professional brewing jobs over the past many years.
The conference got me re-interested in brewing again. Especially lagers, which I had kind of turned away from. Sampling some of pjj2ba's excellent lagers gave me hope that I might be able to turn out a decent one with enough practice and the right methods.
I got to also sample a couple of meads from some guys on here. They were VERY good! They are starting a meadery in Texas.
Well, that's about it. That's about all I'm going to post here for now anyway. I have a few pics and a video that I'm not sure I will post. Might have to do some editing first...
Palmer was a lot of places, so you probably at least saw him several times. This pic is pretty much what he looks like, although I assume he had contacts because I don't remember seeing him with glasses.
http://www.brewerspublications.com/authors/john-palmer/
I unfortunately did not meet up with anyone from the forums that I'm aware of except for Michael (practically in the center of both those pictures) who I ran into at several BJCP events.
I had a great time! Drank tons of really good beer. Saw Palmer's seminar on water chemistry/pH - it was good. Took in some other seminars that were pretty informative. Got an autograph from Papazian on a 1st edition of "The Joy of Homebrewing". He was actually impressed on the age of the book. Expo was great. Drank tons of really good beer. Welcome reception was awesome. Club night was awesome. Also, B-Hoppy gave me a "Le Hood/La Hood" hop hybrid plant (planted yesterday). Drank tons of really good beer. Definitely worth the 5 hour drive to attend. My wife actually enjoyed it too. Oh yeah, one more thing, drank tons of really good beer!
Homercidal & brewtus, thanks for stopping! Met lots of great folks and Michigan ROCKS! (probably because it's next to OHIO, but that's another story). That LéHood is thanks to Lynn from GreatLakesHops as he cleaned her up for me and I hope she does well for you! Hoppy Trails~
You may have mentioned it and I didn't notice it, but did you get to try any really good beer while you were there?
I wanted to say thanks for the hp candy! It's sitting on the kitchen table tempting me, but I wanted to save it for my next homebrew club meeting so I can share it.
I'm betting it will be pretty popular, but when I handed some out at work last year, there was a definite mix reaction from people. Most spit it out pretty quickly. LOL!
BMC drinkers...
Thanks for the help Homer! After a few years at it, I seem to think that folks are expecting bitterness but get kinda freaked out when they don't really taste any? It is what it is, and it's all good in my book! Hop On brother, Hop On~
Most of the people I handed the candy to last time had no idea what hops were supposed to taste like! BMC drinkers...
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I think I had fun too! Not quite sure though.
OP
OP
You're just sobering up now?
Weird, but I had a whole bunch of people I was looking forward to meeting. But this year was different, and without a ProBrewer's night, I didn't meet nearly as many people from this forum as I thought I would.
Bob loved hanging with Soper, though! It seemed like we got to spend quite a bit of time with Homercidal and Pappers, too, which was great because Bob already knew them.
There really needs to be an HBT club booth at one of these, just so there is a centralized place to run into people. Club night was crazy trying to find anyone.
OP
OP
That definitely would have been nice! I spent a LOT of time looking for HBT members and I know I missed at least a few.
There are logistics to overcome, considering HBT is spread out over the US and the world. We aren't centralized like TBN (Morebeer, california, mostly) and it would be up to a few members to organize it.
If the NHC happens to be close enough, I will attend and woudl consider setting up a spot for people to meet, but it would be up to TxBrew to work out the official considerations. I think it costs money and without a "proper" representation it might not be worth it.
But having a posted "Go-to" location might work out.
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Apparently. It was one of the seminar rooms across from the vendor showcase during a lunch break from what I understand. I think it was primarily the AHA forum, but it was open to any other forums also.There was a forum meet up spot?
OP
OP
Yep. And very few appeared. There were some of us mods (me, Homer, Pappers), some 'old timers' like Denny and pjj2ba and some friends like mabrungard and FSR402. There were some AHA forum folks, and some (like Denny and Martin) who are active on both. It was a very small group, though.
Unfortunately, it wasn't well promoted. I saw it was in the program, but it slipped my mind after that.
Yeah, I remembered seeing pictures after the fact but couldn't remember where (I should have scrolled up to post 57 in this thread). It was Michael (udubdawg) that I bumped into several times during the course of the conference that told me about it afterwards.
There was a forum meet up spot?
It was the soper bus.
