February 2026

The Winter Olympics are here, who doesn’t like watching premier athletes perform, while having a fermented beverage in hand. Not only that but it is also Stout Month, and we have the Big Game this weekend. It’s a month packed with reasons to visit your local brewery!

Monthly Meeting

• Date: February 21st

• Start Time: 11 am – 12 pm

• Location: Old 121 Brewhouse

• Address: 2010 S Oak St, Lakewood, CO 80227

This month we will have a guest speaker. Chris Kirk from Paramount Beerwerks is going to come talk to the club about fermented hot sauce. We will be able to learn about Chris’ process and ask questions. If anyone has their own fermented sauces, you’re always welcome to bring some to club meetings. I know I’m always happy to try any kind of fermentation.

Quarterly Happy Hour

• Date: February 17th

• Time: 6pm - 8 pm

• Location: The Werks

• Address: 2625 Kipling St, Wheat Ridge, CO  80215

Mark your calendar and join us at The Werks. Let’s have a pint or two together at this really fun location. Who knows, maybe even play a round of bowling.

White Elephant Quarterly Challenge

If you were unable to attend our December meeting and would like to participate, email lakewoodfermentationclub@gmail.com, we will randomly assign you an ingredient that you have to incorporate into your fermentation. Full challenge details can be found here.

Up Coming Competitions

• Collard Lizard Classic

  • Registration opens 12/01/2025, register here

  • Entries are due 03/06/2026

• Peterson Homebrew Competition

  • Registration opens 02/01/2026, register here

  • Entries are due 03/14/2026

• Peak-to-Peak Pro-Am

  • Registration opens 01/11/2026, register here

  • Entries are due 02/26/2026

• Reggale and Dredhop

  • Registration opens 01/15/2026, register here

  • Entries are due 03/22/2026

• Eight Seconds of Froth

  • Registration opens 02/01/2026, register here

  • Entries are due 04/11/2026

• Liquid Poetry Slam

  • Registration opens 07/11/2026, register here

  • Entries are due 08/12/2026

Education Corner

Pickles!

Lacto-fermented pickles are one of the easiest and most rewarding ferments. Instead of vinegar, they rely on salt brine and naturally occurring lactobacillus bacteria to create acidity and preserve the cucumbers. For crunchy results, use fresh pickling cucumbers, keep them fully submerged, and ferment. A 2–3% salt brine is standard. Meaning 2-3% the total weight of the cucumbers and water. Strong enough to suppress unwanted microbes while allowing lactic acid bacteria to thrive. Within a few days, the brine becomes cloudy and gently fizzy as fermentation kicks in.

It’s a pretty easy process, on a kitchen scale pack your sliced cucumbers tightly into a jar with garlic and dill. Pour water over them until fully submerged, then add 2-3% the weight of the contents of salt. Make sure everything is submerged in the brine. Cover with a cloth or fermentation lid and let ferment at room temperature for 5–10 days, you can start tasting from day 3 onward. When the flavor is pleasantly sour and the texture still crisp, move the pickles to the refrigerator to slow fermentation.

Try different salts, spices, vegetables, or fermentation temperatures to see how flavor and crunch change.