What are the Bay Area Mashtronauts?
The Bay Area Mashtronauts (BAM) is a homebrewing club based in the Clear Lake area. Members share a passion for making and drinking homecrafted adult beverages. While the majority of members specialize in beer, the club also includes mead-makers, wine-makers, cider-makers, liqueur-makers, and even the occasional soda maker. This is a club of hobbyists. We do this for FUN. Our attitude is roughly stated by the saying, “Relax, don’t worry, have a homebrew.” Or mead. Or cider. Or, well, you should get the idea by now.
Where and when does BAM meet?
Monthly meetings are held at 6:30 pm on the second Tuesday of every month at:
Hoppin’ Grape Homebrew Supply Shop
17062 Highway 3
Webster, TX 77598
Brewers start showing up around 6:15 pm with announcements occurring around 6:45-7:00 pm
Do I need to be a homebrewer to join?
Absolutely not! You do not need to a homebrewer to be a member of BAM. This is a club of people that share a passion for drinking homecrafted beer. While the vast majority of members are homebrewers it is not required. Be warned though, chances are once you get around the hobby, you’ll want to give it a try too.
What if I am just starting homebrewing, will I be out of place?
BAM has members with a variety of different experience levels ranging from “still thinking about their first brew” to those that are competitive at a national level. The goal of this club is to enjoy each other’s company while helping to educate each other about making beer. Experienced members remember what that first batch was like and are more than happy to offer suggestions if asked.
What does BAM do?
We are a club of hobbyists centered on all things homebrewing. BAM sponsors an annual homebrew competition/party – the Lunar Rendezbrew. This traditionally takes place in April or May. BAM also hosts brew-ins, FARTs (What? Keep reading.), pub crawls, and countless other social engagements. Members have been known to meet for a good bike ride (the club includes several avid bikers) or head off to a sporting event.
How much are the dues?
Dues are paid yearly and are $20 per person and $30 per family.
How do I join?
Well, you can join BAM online through our online store. All the information is contained on the membership page.
Who is in charge of this operation?
BAM holds an election every November to determine the officers for the following calendar year. The Current Officers can be found in the Cockpit.
What is a fart? Ok I know what a fart is… but what is a F.A.R.T.?
FART stands for Friday Afternoon Revival Time. When you are sitting around on a Friday night preparing to watch mind numbing television, FART is the alternative. Come hang out with some BAM members enjoying a frosty adult beverage at a local drinking establishment. The bar usually changes each week so be sure to check our calendar to find the location for that week.
What is Rendezbrew?
The Lunar Rendezbrew is the Bay Area Mashtronauts annual celebration of all things beer occurring in April or May. A big part of the Lunar Rendezbrew is a homebrew competition. This competition is associated with the Lone Star Circuit, a series of homebrew competitions occurring throughout Texas. Beyond the homebrew competition, the Lunar Rendezbrew is an eat-lots-of-food and drink-all-the-beer-you-can-safely party complete with live music and games. Details about the latest one are HERE.
I went to a meeting and they keep asking for help with judges and stewards at Rendezbrew. I’ve never done anything like it before. Would I be able to help?
There is no better way to learn about beer than to help at the Lunar Rendezbrew. There is absolutely no experience required to steward. The job of a steward is to pour each judge a sample of beer (and of course one for the steward). The judge’s will evaluate the beer and give it a score. The steward records those scores. Many stewards have indicated that they learned more from being a steward than anything else.
Judges are usually a bit more experienced than stewards. The most experienced judges are often certified by the BJCP. Ideally, every judging session includes at least one BJCP judge and a couple of amateur judges. Traditionally, people who have stewarded several times feel comfortable enough to participate as an amateur judge.
Ok, so then what the heck is the Nuts & Bolts competition?
The Nuts and Bolts competition is the Bay Area Mashtronauts intra-club competition. While not officially sanctioned by the AHA, this competition gives the winners bragging rights for the whole year. The competition typically pairs beginning brewers with more experienced brewers. Its a great way to learn and even more fun.
Where can I go to learn more?
Come to the next monthly meeting, or check out the calendar and find out where the next FART is. Aside from the monthly meetings, our Facebook group is the next best place to communicate and get together with other members.