Rhode Island Brewing Society

Big Brew for National Homebrew Day 2018

By RIBS admin | April 9, 2018

Join RIBS as we celebrate National Homebrew Day!

AHA Big Brew with RIBS
Saturday May 5, 2018
11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Green Acres Farm
51 Farm Street
North Smithfield, RI 02896

We will be hosting our second Big Brew at Green Acres Farm in North Smithfield on Saturday, May 5, 2018. The kegs will be tapped at 11:00 AM and the closing ceremony will begin at 6:00 PM. Throughout the day there will be various brewing demonstrations and other fun events. Check back often as our event schedule is subject to change.

Please RSVP on Facebook

RIBS absolutely LOVES dogs, but unfortunately, NO DOGS ARE ALLOWED AT THIS VENUE. We look forward to seeing your furry friends in June at the Providence Animal Rescue League’s annual Pints for Paws event though!
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Member Spotlight – Fredric Longabard

By RIBS admin | March 14, 2018

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I grew up in Wrentham, MA and went to College at Umass Lowell. I’ve always been looking for better beer choices, at one of the Lowell bars we’d frequent my friends would be downstairs drinking 99 cent Bud Light and I’d be upstairs drinking 1.25 Sam Adams bottles. In 2001 I moved to PA for work and while browsing at a book store I found a homebrewing book by Michael Jackson. I didn’t know where to find the supplies and I was traveling a lot for work, so brewing got put on the back burner. In 2009 I met someone and got married. I moved to Raleigh, NC. In 2011 her dad gave me his old equipment and a book, The Complete Joy of Home Brewing by Charlie Papazian. My first attempt was with a Mr. Beer kit, Englishman’s Nut Brown Ale. It tasted like bad apple juice. In 2013 I found a homebrew supply store in Raleigh and decided to try an extract recipe, Toad Spit Stout. I made it inside on the stove and had my first boil over. My wife got home around midnight took one smell, wondered what I had made for dinner and hoped she didn’t have to eat it. It came out great and I was hooked. I moved my brewing to the garage and the next year went all grain. I moved back to MA in late 2015. In April of 2017 I reached out to RIBS about attending their April meeting. I signed up at that meeting. I’ve been adding knowledge and equipment ever since. I recently started kegging and just ordered an electric brew kettle.

I brew every couple of months. My problem is if I brew a 5 gallon batch it tends to hang around for a while. I started with stouts and brown ales, then shifted toward trying IPA’s. I’m actually heading back to the darker beers. I haven’t re-brewed a lot of recipes, so I don’t really have a favorite yet. Here is the latest beer I brewed, which I plan on doing again:

Draught Dublin-Style Stout (BYO March/April 2017)

5.5 lb. UK Pale Malt
2.25 lb. Flaked Barley
1 lb. 500 L UK Roast Barley – Steeped Separately.
1.75 oz. East Kent Golding (60 Min)
0.5 oz. Challenger (60 Min)
Wyeast 1084

Member Spotlight – Ryan Durgin

By RIBS admin | January 24, 2018

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I grew up in Roxbury, NJ and went to the University of Rhode Island where I enjoyed lots of Yuengling and Natural Ice. A few friends and I talked about brewing for a long time before we did anything. Then after visiting the RIBS booth at the 2014 RI Brewfest John Windle and I finally split the cost of a starter kit and made our first extract beer. It was an Amber Ale TrueBrew kit and we were both hooked. About 6 months after that I switched to kegging instead of bottling and built my first Keezer. Then a month or two later I got a patio burner, mash tun and a larger boil kettle so I could move my brewhouse out of the kitchen and switch from extract to all grain. In January of 2016 John and I went to our first RIBS meeting and joined soon after.

I try to brew approximately every two weeks, usually 5 gallon batches and occasionally 10 gallons. I like to brew a lot’s of different styles however I’ve probably brewed California Commons the most. My favorite commercial beer is either Stone Xocoveza or Goose Island Bourbon County Stout.

Here’s a recipe for a California Common I’ve made a bunch of times:

10 lbs of Wyermann Pale Ale Malt
1 lb of Crystal 80
1 oz Northern Brewer Hops (60 Minutes)
0.5 oz Northern Brewer Hops (15 Minutes)
0.5 oz Northern Brewer Hops (5 Minutes)
1 oz Norther Brewer Hops (0 Minutes / Whirlpool)
White Labs WLP810 San Francisco Lager Yeast

Pints for PKD Update #2

By RIBS admin | November 3, 2017

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Pints for PKD was a true success exceeding all that we had envisioned. The event
was the first charity event the club put on and also the first of its soon to be “Brew
and Hope” charity program. This new program will be a series of charity events that
we put on routinely for different organizations that our members hold dear to their
hearts. We are doing this because we realize that beer has the power to accomplish
incredible things.
The atmosphere was lively with the beer being sampled, the great food being eaten,
and the Mash Holes keeping it turned up how we like it. So good we decided not to
hold the Brewathlon in fear the vibes would be interrupted. We also had an
awesome and expansive line of donated raffle prizes from 22 beer centric
businesses throughout Rhode Island. The top prizes of the day were a large gift
certificate from Long Live Beerworks, a 50 lbs bag of malt from Apponaug Brewing,
and a brew day at Buttonwoods Brewery. All to drool over and drooled over they
were.
We had set our ambitions high for this event with a goal of raising $1k. By the end
we had found ourselves at a $3,300 donation to forward over to the Polycystic
Kidney Disease Foundation. Completely blowing it all out of the water. This is all
thanks to our supporters, you beer and charity lovers.
Thank you again to all for some much love being shown. Cheers!!

Learn to Homebrew Day 2017

By RIBS admin | October 18, 2017

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Learn to Homebrew Day
Saturday November 4th, 2017
8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Tessier’s Hardware & Homebrew
837 Central Ave
Pawtucket, RI 02861

Join the Rhode Island Brewing Society (RIBS) and Tessier’s Hardware & Homebrew on Saturday, November 4th from 8AM to 2PM for the AHA’s 19th Annual Learn to Homebrew Day!

Learn to Homebrew Day (LTHD) was established by the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) in 1999 to encourage homebrewers to introduce their non-brewer friends and family to the most rewarding hobby, obsession and lifestyle since the beginning of time!

Featuring:

Live demonstration of the beginning stages of the brewing process.
Knowledgeable homebrewers to talk to and learn from.
Samples of hand crafted homebrewed beer.
Hot dogs and snacks!
Homebrewing and wine making supplies on sale!!!
Raffle for a Home Brewing Starter Set ($69.99 value)

Pints for PKD Update!

By Tim Howard | October 2, 2017

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We are on track for our Pints for PKD fundraiser, which is just around the corner October 14th. We also had some new additions as the Mash Holes Homebrew Club will be joining us in serving up their brews! Come on down and check it out!

If you are unable to make it but would like to donate to the cause please follow the link below, thank you again for all your support!
http://support.pkdcure.org/site/TR/DIY/DIYforPKD?team_id=10000&pg=team&fr_id=1761

Pints for PKD

By RIBS admin | September 11, 2017

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The Rhode Island Brewing Society is hosting its first charity event to support the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation!

Admission is a $10 suggested donation at the door, which will give you a commemorative tasting glass and raffle ticket. A variety of creative and tasty home brewed beer will be available for pours (detailed list to come).

The main event will feature a “Brewathlon.” Participants will be put through an obstacle course full of brewing related tasks to determine the “Best Brewer.” If you are interested, please check our Facebook page or shoot us an email.
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Come out! Have fun! Support a cause! Drink beer!

All proceeds will go to the PKD Foundation
Kid friendly event.
Sadly no pets allowed on event property.
Brewathlon participants will not be exempt from admission costs.
***21+ TO DRINK ALCOHOL***

Mead Day 2017

By RIBS admin | July 26, 2017

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Mead Day
Sunday August 6th, 2017
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Crave Mead
7 Main St
Blackstone, MA 01504

Get ready for an epic Mead-up! On Sunday, August 6, RIBS is teaming up with Crave Mead and Girls Pint Out to celebrate Mead Day! Mead Day is an official American Homebrew Association event created in 2002 to increase mead awareness and foster camaraderie among meadmakers. From noon to evening, come join us in honoring the original fermented beverage with samples of mead and beer, food, games, and a demonstration of actual meadmaking!

Guests are invited to increase their awareness by sampling from Crave’s catalogue of fine meads, then try a selection of the Rhode Island Brewing Society’s homebrewed mead and beers. Food will be provided throughout the day by RIBS and Girls Pint Out. Over half a dozen homebrewing demonstrations will be carried out throughout the event, and we guarantee that you will leave with all the knowledge you need to brew your own at home! No tickets are required for this event, but all guests must be 21 or older.

Newport Craft Brew Race 2017

By RIBS admin | July 18, 2017

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Join us on Saturday, July 22, 2017 from 12:00 to 4:00 as we celebrate another awesome Craft Brew Race in the Ocean State. A fun walk/run 5k in Newport followed by a craft beer festival with more than 40 local craft breweries, including homebrew pours by Rhode Island Brewing Society! All at the gorgeous grounds at Fort Adams State Park. Not into exercise? Pick up a festival only ticket. Online registration closes at midnight on July 21, so grab your tickets now. Cheers!

Pints for Paws 2017

By RIBS admin | June 21, 2017

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Pints for Paws
Sunday June 25th, 2017
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
34 Elbow St
Providence, RI 02903

Beer lovers and dog lovers, unite! The Providence Animal Rescue League’s annual fundraising event is returning in 2017 for its 8th year in a row. Join us at 34 Elbow St in Providence this Sunday to help raise funds for the Providence Animal Rescue League by drinking beer, eating food , and listening to live music!

Many members of the Rhode Island Brewing Society are animal lovers who have had their lives improved with the love of a rescued dog, cat, or other small critter from the Providence Animal Rescue League and are excited to have the opportunity to give back by doing what they do best, brewing beer! While you’re enjoying a lineup of our pet themed beers, your furry friends can enjoy a variety of dog treats made from different batches of spent grain. Spent grain dog treats are made by RIBS members using the grain left over from the brewing process; it’s a great way to reduce waste and dogs LOVE them!

The Pints for Paws Beer Tasting is $25 and entitles you to samples of beer from us as well as breweries from around Rhode Island. Every penny of the ticket price goes directly to support programs to help animals in need. Additionally, for the first time ever Pints for Paws is having a Block Party that’s free to attend and provides access to beer, food trucks, live music, raffles, pet supplies, microchipping, a games area, and doggie pools for cooling off if it gets too hot for your puppers!

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