May 2026

Big Brew Day

• Date: May 2nd

• Time: 10 am - 4 pm

Joshua K. is hosting the Big Brew Day this year. Stop by and help brew the Dark Cellar Imperial Stout, this beer will be entered later this year in a competition hosted by the Weiz Guys where it will compete with other clubs Big Brew Day beers. One of the best perks of a brew day is the possibility of grilled or smoked meats. If you haven’t filled out the RSVP form yet, make sure you do so we can send you Joshua’s address.

Monthly Meeting

• Date: May 16th

• Start Time: 11 am – 12 pm

• Location: Old 121 Brewhouse

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

Guest Speaker Alert: Join us in May as Ashley from Denver Water talks all things H2O! We'll learn about our local water sources and the importance of water quality for homebrewing!

Quarterly Happy Hour

• Date: May 20th

• Time: 6pm - 8 pm

• Location: Zymos Brewing

• Address: 5180 S Lowell Blvd, Littleton, CO 80123

Save the date for our quarterly happy hour on Wednesday, May 20th at Zymos Brewing.

June Quarterly Challenge

Our next quarterly challenge is going to be Non-Beer. This category is wide open, think about cider, wine, mead, seltzer, hot sauce, or sour dough-but the list doesn't stop there. As long as it is fermented and isn’t beer, it fits this challenge. Looking forward to what everyone comes up with!.

Up Coming Competitions

Orpheus MeadFest

• Registration opens 05/04/2026, register here

• Entries are due 06/05/2026

Liquid Poetry Slam

• Registration opens 07/11/2026, register here

• Entries are due 08/12/2026

Up Coming Events

Vail Craft Beer Classic - June 12th & 13th 2026

Returning for its 10th year is the Vail Craft Beer Classic, located in Vail Village. Take in the scenic mountain views while you immerse yourself in hop-culture. More details can be found here.

Lake Dillon Beer Festival - June 13th 2026

The Lake Dillon Beer Festival is a really fun event at the Dillon Amphitheater. If you haven’t been, the views from the amphitheater are amazing. A great venue for drinking great beer! More details can be found here.

Education Corner

Mash Efficiency — Where Sugars Are Won or Lost

Mash efficiency measures how much of the potential sugar in your malt actually makes it into the wort. You can think of it as the percentage of the grain’s extract you successfully dissolved and collected. Most homebrewers land somewhere between 65–75% efficiency, though anything consistent is more important than chasing high numbers. If your efficiency is low, check your crush (usually the biggest factor), mash temperature stability, and your sparging process.

Knowing your mash efficiency lets you adjust grain bills with confidence. If you consistently hit 70% efficiency and a recipe is written assuming 75%, you can simply bump the grain amounts by a few percent to match the target OG. Tracking this number also makes troubleshooting easier: a sudden drop usually means either a process change or equipment issue. In short, efficiency isn’t about bragging rights—it’s about predictable, repeatable brewing.