Location:Muddy York Brewing Co. Date: Monday September 12th, 2022 Time: 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET
We swing BACK to the east side this month at Muddy York Brewing Co!!! We’re pleased as punch to have Mary-Beth Keefe and Tim Burnett, from The Granite Brewery and Tied House, to give us a talk on Cask Conditioned Ales (aka “Real Ale”)
As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.
Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Muddy York offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!
In Person again (sort of) at People’s Pint Brewing Company in the Junction!!! This month we’re trying something a bit different for our in-person meeting. Our presenter will NOT be present but will still present! (read on for more information) Chris Tower will be giving a delicious talk on cooking with beer!
As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.
NOTE: Our presenter this month will be virtually joining us – we’ll broadcast the presentation via the big screen and make it a bit easier for those that can’t attend to review the presentation after the fact!
Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! People’s Pint offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!
Recording from the July 2022 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.(NOTE: The club is still figuring out how to best record these in person sessions so please bear with us until we can sort out getting better quality video and audio available)
We were back to IN PERSON meetings at Muddy York Brewing!!! For the East End of the GTA, this was the first time we have been back in person at Muddy York and we were so happy to hearing from our good friends at Escarpment Labs! Jonah Greenbaum-Shinder came to the meeting to give us a talk on Wild Yeast Capture and Testing!
Recording from the July 2022 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada. (NOTE: The club is still figuring out how to best record these in person sessions so please bear with us until we can sort out getting better quality video and audio available)
Emily was in-person for her final “Style Of The Month” presentation for July! If you missed June’s meeting you’d realize that Emily couldn’t make June’s meeting so we’re hopeful she can get to Muddy York for the final category: Mead! Emily looked at the mead style guidelines in more detail. We’ll miss seeing Emily and hearing the various styles!! Thanks for all your hard work on this Emily!
We are back to IN PERSON meetings at Muddy York Brewing!!! For the East End of the GTA, this is the first time we’re back in person at Muddy York and we’re so looking forward to hearing from our good friends at Escarpment Labs! Jonah Greenbaum-Shinder will be coming to the meeting to give us a talk on Wild Yeast Capture and Testing!
As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.
Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! Muddy York offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!
This month we are SUPER excited to be back to IN PERSON meetings!!! And since we haven’t had a proper in person meeting in, oh, about 2+ years it’s going to be exciting since there’s a lot of new stuff to announce! Firstly, our “west” meeting location has changed to be at PEOPLE’S PINT BREWING CO. 90 Cawthra Ave in Toronto. Secondly, we’re stoked to hear People’s Pint’s head brewer and former GTA Brews member Pietro Caira talk to us about all things Mash related (well, almost all things – I don’t think Pietro’s going to talk about the “Monster Mash”. . . . . ) !
As we are now back to in-person meetings, please be respectful of the presenters and keep your chatting to a minimum.
Also, please don’t forget to patronize our hosts!! People’s Pint offers a wide selection of fine beers to go so don’t hesitate to grab some especially if you don’t get out to see them as often as you’d like!
Recipe #2: Betty Blonde by Barley’s Homebrew Supplies
Barley’s Homebrew Supplies from New Westminster, BC was voted as Canadian Homebrew Shop of the year for 2021. To celebrate CHD 2022, owner Curtis supplied his favourite Blond Ale recipe for us to brew!
If you are indeed brewing that day, please take some pictures and share it with our community and beyond by tagging GTA Brews and #CanadianHomebrewDay in your posts!
Recording from the May 2022 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.
This month we were exceptionally excited to have Tariq Ahmed join us from Revel Cider talk to us about cider brewing! His presentation focused on Revel Cider, their cider brewing philosophies and a guided tasting of two of their ciders.
Recording from the April 2022 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.
This month we were exceptionally excited to have Calum and Lauren join us from Sonnen Hill Brewery talk to us about lagers! Their presentation focused on brewing lagers and included a guided tasting of four of their beers
Recording from the April 2022 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.
Emily returned with April’s BJCP Style Of The Month! This month, Emily looked at smoke, wood, and specialty beers (aka the beers that don’t fit nowhere else).
Recording from the March 2022 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.
As we Marched towards spring this month (you see what I did there?) we were excited to have GTA Brews Member Lauren Richard (pronounced akin to “Rocket Richard”) with us to impart her knowledge on something our club has never looked at before – Beer / Food Pairings!!
Date: Monday March 14th, 2022 Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM ET
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
As we March towards spring this month (you see what I did there?) we are excited to have GTA Brews Member Lauren Richard (pronounced akin to “Rocket Richard”) with us to impart her knowledge on something our club has never looked at before – Beer / Food Pairings!!
As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.
Date: Tuesday February 15th, 2022 Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM ET
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
It’s February and this month we are happy to have GTA Brews Member Stephen Rodermond to give us a presentation on opening up a brewery (yes… a legal brewery) in his garage!
As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.
Recording from the January 2022 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.
In January we were happy to have GTA Brews Member (and former club President) Eric Cousineau back to give us a presentation this month on water chemistry!
Recording from the January 2022 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.
This month, Emily looks at Amber and Brown Ales of all types (English AND American) and provides a brief presentation on the styles and offer some prime examples.
Date: Monday January 10th, 2022 Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM ET
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
HOPPY NEW YEAR! This month we are happy to have GTA Brews Member (and former club President) Eric Cousineau back to give us a presentation this month on water chemistry!
As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.
Monday December 13th at 7:00 PM People’s Pint Brewing Company 90 Cawthra Ave, Unit #101, Toronto, Ontario, M6N 3C2 MAP
This month come hang out, swap homebrews, and mingle!
This December we are being hosted by People’s Pint Brewing Company. Thanks for hosting us! We request that everyone spend some money to support our wonderful host. They have plenty of beer-to-go in their bottle shop!
What’s Different From The Last Time We Met?
As we are still within a global Pandemic, and we want to ensure safety for our members and for People’s Pint staff, please note the following:
Capacity Limits: a maximum of 40 fully (aka double) vaccinated members will be allowed to attend. “Purchase” your free ticket at the end of this post to reserve your spot!
Vaccine Passports: Please ensure you have downloaded your Ontario Vaccine Certificate (QR Code) from the Ontario Government’s website as you’ll be required to present it in order to attend.
Physical Distancing: While only fully vaccinated members will be in attendance, please remember to treat others with respect and, if someone’s uncomfortable, provide them the appropriate personal space.
Recording from the November 2021 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.
In November we were exhilarated to have Annie Johnson, an American Homebrewers Association Brewer Of The Year award winner, give us a presentation this month on everything pertaining to Czech (and now Italian) pilsners!
Date: Monday November 8th, 2021 Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM ET
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
This month we are exhilarated to have Annie Johnson, an American Homebrewers Association Brewer Of The Year award winner, give us a presentation this month on everything pertaining to Czech (and now Italian) pilsners!
As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.
Time to announce the sign up for our fifth club barrel fill for this new bourbon barrel! The barrel will stay in its current home at Peoples Pint Brewing Co.
We will be filling the new bourbon barrel with a Russian Imperial Stout. Want in on this fun members-only project? Log in, then click the link below and apply for the barrel. We will randomly pick applicants to participate in the barrel fill.
This content is only available for GTA Brews Members. Please visit our membership page to join today!
If you are already a member, don't forget to Log In!
Recording from the October 2021 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.
In October we were over-the-moon to have Dr. Richard Preiss, co-founder of Escarpment Labs, give us a presentation this month and take a Q&A on all things yeast related!
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
This month we are over-the-moon to have Dr. Richard Preiss, co-founder of Escarpment Labs, give us a presentation this month and take a Q&A on all things yeast related!
As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.
Recording from the September 2021 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.
In September we also had the results of our first club competition in over a year!! It was exciting and we were all appreciative of the time and effort it took to get this competition, that was both adhering to COVID protocols and health guidelines, off the ground!
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
This month we are honoured and excited to have author and brewer Scott Janish give us a presentation this month! He’ll be talking to us about making hoppy beers!
As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.
Recording from the August 2021 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.
This month we were thrilled to have Bebo and Chris from Third Moon Brewing! They spoke to us about a topic we have not yet had tabled at our meetings; Pastry Stouts!
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
This month we are thrilled to have Bebo and Chris from Third Moon Brewing! They’ll be talking to us about a topic we have not yet had tabled at our meetings; Pastry Stouts!
As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.
Recording from the June 2021 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.
This month we were excited to have Nina Houts from Imperial Yeast with us to give us a virtual tour of their propagation process and facilities, discuss best practices for yeast handling and more!
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
This month we are SO excited to have author, brewer and the authority on sour / funky beers, Mr. Michael Tonsmeire as our guest presenter!
As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
This month we have Nina Houts from Imperial Yeast to talk to us about yeast propagation, yeast handling best practices, a virtual tour and more!
As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.
Recording from the February 2021 meeting of GTA Brews Homebrew Club in Toronto, Canada.
This month we had our own member Matt King joining us, to talk about mead! Join us to hear Matt talk about the different types of mead, what the process looks like, how the fermentation differs from beer, some of his recipes, and more!
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
This month we have our own GTA Brews member Matt King joining us, to talk about mead! Join us to hear Matt talk about the different types of mead, what the process looks like, how the fermentation differs from beer, some of his recipes, and more!
As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
This first annual GTA Brews AGM will be conducted from 8:30-10:00 PM on Sunday Feb 21st. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this will be hosted virtually using Zoom, however we hope to make this an exciting annual in-person event in the future. To reach the quorum required to hold the meeting we need 40+ members to attend, so please mark your calendars and plan to attend!
The meeting will be chaired by outgoing President, Eric Cousineau (message from Eric).
The GTA Brews Board of Directors consists of 5 seats, each elected by the members for a 2 year term. Our current Board of Directors (Eric Cousineau, Bear Alberico, Jim Bruce, David Larocque, Rob Towle) were installed at incorporation in December 2019, and are now at the end of their terms.
Our Founding President, Eric Cousineau, has opted not to seek re-election as President this term, and will instead seek election as an At-Large Director. See his message to members here.
Board Positions
President
The President is an Executive Director, Chair of the Board, and has general supervision over all affairs of the club. Along with the rest of Board, they are responsible for setting the vision/direction/priorities of the organization, and making sure things get done.
Vice-President
The Vice-President is an Executive Director, Vice-Chair of the Board, and is responsible for assisting the President in managing the club.
Treasurer
The Treasurer is an Executive Director, and responsible for managing the finances and transactions of the club. They also make sure that the club complies with our annual filing requirement as a non-profit corporation.
At-Large Directors (Two Seats)
The Board also consists of two non-Executive At-Large Directors. These individuals are full Board members that participate in setting the vision/direction/priorities of the organization. They may have other duties as designated by the Board.
Election Process
The next Board of Directors shall be elected by the voting members represented at the GTA Brews AGM on Feb 21st.
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
This month we have renowned beer author and Certified Cicerone/BJCP Jordan St. John joining us, to talk about collaborating with local breweries to re-create historical beer styles! Jordan wears many hats in the Toronto beer scene and we are thrilled to have him join us.
As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.
GTA Brews Members: You must login to see the link and password. If you have logged in and cannot see them, please refresh the page.
This month, we have famous homebrew author John Palmer sharing his knowledge about Brewing Water, followed by a Q&A session! This time last year John joined us as a special guest at Brew Slam, and we are very excited to have him back.
For this meeting we will open up attendance to both members and non-members. Members will have first rights to join using the link above between 7:30 – 8:00 PM. At 8:00 PM we will share the public link on our social media to welcome in non-members (up to 100 people total).
As with any conference call, please mute your microphone if you aren’t speaking, this really helps cut down on background noise. During Q&A segments we will make use of the “Raise Hand” feature.
Exchange Date: Sat. November 28th, 2020Exchange Location(s): James' House (Riverdale)Participation Fee: $10
The Annual GTA Brews Advent Calendar is back for the 7th year in a row! On Saturday ...
This content is only available for GTA Brews Members. Please visit our membership page to join today! If you are already a member, don't forget to Log In!
Over the years, GTA Brews hasn’t really taken an active role in advocating for diversity in the homebrewing community. We’ve mostly taken a passive approach by trying to remove barriers that may hinder a feeling of inclusion for women and racial minorities. The vast majority of our club leadership is composed of white men, and in the past we didn’t feel like it was our place to speak out.
After witnessing the racial injustices that have been brought to light over the past few weeks, we have decided we can no longer be passive on this matter. We are ready to help in the fight for real change.
Black is Beautiful is an initiative founded by Weathered Souls Brewing in San Antonio, TX. This initiative is mainly focused at craft breweries and beer drinkers, and encourages them to collaborate in raising awareness and funds for local charities fighting against racial injustice. The initiative is centered around a single stout base recipe, and each participant is encouraged to put their own creative spin on it.
Chosen Charity: CAFCAN
CAFCAN is a registered charitable organization whose primary focus is on building and strengthening the service framework for African Canadian children, youth and families through culturally safe individual and group counselling supports, case management services, employment services, youth mentorship, and youth outreach programs.
As a homebrew club, we don’t sell beer, so we aren’t able to dedicate a certain portion of each bottle sold. Instead, we will do the following:
Raise awareness for a local charity (CAFCAN) focused on the black community
GTA Brews will donate $10 for each member that brews the Black is Beautiful recipe
GTA Brews will match member donations to CafCan, up to $1000 total
As a small, non-profit, membership based organization, we don’t have deep pockets, so this $1000 is a considerable part of our bank account. Brew and/or donate before July 31st to qualify!
Update: Our good friend Toronto Brewing has joined the initiative, and will match what the club donates. This means that for every dollar donated, it gets multiplied by 3!
Final Amount Raised:
$2965
Batches Brewed by Members: 16
Member Donations: $965
Club Donation: $1000
Toronto Brewing Donation: $1000
How to Participate
To make a difference, we need the help of you, our club members! We need you to brew the beer, and we need you to consider making a monetary donation if you are able.
Donation: Please email proof to info@gtabrews.ca, the club will match your donation
Brew the Beer: Please notify info@gtabrews.ca after brew day, and we will donate $10
