Calendar
Meetings &
Events
2026
Forthcoming
September 28
MONTHLY MEETING
Ninth meeting of the year.
Steven will present on an undisclosed topic. No, really. He doesn’t want to give it away. Curious? Then be there on Monday!
November 23
MONTHLY MEETING
Election time!
We will also discuss plans for our Christmas/Holiday party.
(ScottOctober 26
MONTHLY MEETING
Meeting Topic TBD
We will also hold Round Four of our 4th Annual Last Brewer Standing.
This round’s challenge:
Wood Aging Alternatives
Use wood chips, staves, cubes, spirals, mini-barrels or chunks of oak from trees that have fallen on your property (Scott?) to impart oak or other wood flavors in a short timeframe, simulating barrel aging.
December TBD
CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA
Date and details TBD.
2026
Past Events
August 24
MONTHLY MEETING
We will hold Round Three of our 4th Annual Last Brewer Standing.
This round’s challenge:
Traditional Decoction Mashing
Use the classic decoction method, where a portion of the mash is removed, boiled to gelatinize the starches, then returned to the main mash for enzymatic conversion.
July 27
MONTHLY MEETING
Seventh meeting of the year. TJ and Fred will discuss distilling.
June 22
IPA SMACKDOWN
Congradulations to TJ Markey for taking home the trophy with his West Coast IPA.
June 6
2026 Brewnity Picnic
Still awaiting details on cost, activities and a sign-up sheet from this year’s host club. Stay tuned.
May 18
MONTHLY MEETING
Meeting Topic TBD
And we will hold Round Two of our 4th Annual Last Brewering Standing.
This round’s challenge:
Yeast Mixology — Blending Yeasts for Unique Flavors
Combine two or more distinct yeast strains in a single fermentation to create complex flavor profiles. This can be done in a simultaneous single pitch or in a staggered fermentation.
April 27
MONTHLY MEETING
Ken will present on an historically researched 1740-style porter, along with a structured educational segment covering the development of porter from its early form to modern interpretations.
March 23
MONTHLY MEETING
Meeting Topic TBD.
This will also be Round One of our 4th Annual Last Brewer Standing.
This round’s challenge:
Zero Boil Hops — No-Boil Hop Techniques
Incorporate hops using no-boil methods like whirlpool hopping, dry hopping, or hop teas, emphasizing aroma and flavor. Yes, mash-hopping and hop additions at flameout are options here!
February 23
MONTHLY MEETING
Second meeting of the year. Topic TBD.
February 2
MONTHLY MEETING
Happy Brew Year!
Note: Due to weather, our first meeting of the year has been rescheduled to Monday, February 2.
Ken H. will be doing a workshop on his History of Beer, ‘Single-Dubbel-Tripel’ with no mention of inside-the-park homers.
2025
Past Events
December 17
CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA
The usual festivities, plus the invitational round of Last Brewer Standing!
November 24
MONTHLY MEETING
Election time!
We will also discuss plans for our Christmas/Holiday party and get a recaps from the WHO Brooklyn Outing and WHO’s participation in Captain Lawrence’s Fun in the Fall Festival.
October 27
MONTHLY MEETING
For those of you who were part of the grain buy, this will be an opportunity for you to pick up your grain. If you are unable to attend the meeting, please arrange with someone who is attending to pick up your order.
We will also take some time out to nominante or self-nominate members for the board elections which will take place during our November meeting. Please consider serving on the board if you have not already…or if you have served in the past and are ready to jump back in!
Getting back on track after the “wild” August round, we’re continuing the progression from pale to brown to even darler for October. Round Four of Last Brewer Standing is Black 40+ SRM. See you on the dark side!
September 22
MONTHLY MEETING
We’re going to be doing a Mystery Bottle Swap: Please bring an unmarked bottle of beer (homebrew, or commercial if your homebrew stash is dry). Members blind taste and try to guess the style, ingredients, or brewer(y). If you’re bringing an obvious style, bring a card with some other question, such as yeast, hop or anything else you want us to try and identify.
August 25
MONTHLY MEETING
Round Three of Last Brewer Standing is something wild… as in bring on your wild ales, sours, Gueuzes, lambics, etc… You get the picture!
July 28
MONTHLY MEETING
Hot on the heels of our IPA Smackdown, we will hold a debrief of that mini-competition with the brewers sharing their thoughts on their own entries (as well as each other’s?).
And we will hold a refresher on how to use the BJCP scoresheet as a tool to carefully judge a beer/competition.
June 23
IPA SMACKDOWN
Yes, it’s that time again. We will be following the same format as we did in 2024, with entrants serving as stewards and not judging. We will use the same AHA/BJCP Scoresheet as we did last year. A copy was emailed to WHO members so you can familiarize yourself with it. And here is a link to a video that will walk you through the process (AHA/BJCP Scoresheet Refresher). If you are submitting a brew to be judged, please use the Sign-up link within the June 10 email.
UPDATE: The results are in—Steven & Cesar were able to hold onto the coveted plastic trophy, claiming victory with their DIPA. Fred and Mike placed second with their DIPA, followed by Ken’s take on a classic American IPA.
June 21
2025 Brewnity Picnic
Dogs of Wort are hosting this year and they have planned for a Best Homebrew award, family activities for those bringing their children (a soda making station, coloring table, and more). Cost of entry for those 21+ is $7. Check your WHO email for the sign-up sheet to let Dogs of Wort know what you’re bringing beer-wise and food-wise.
May 19
MONTHLY MEETING
Get your brown brews ready for Round Two of Last Brewer Standing! Think brown ales, porters, dunkles, etc.
April 28
MONTHLY MEETING
Ken discussed his experiments brewing with AI. This is a topic that has been floating around for a couple of years now, with plenty of videos on YouTube by channels such as The Brulosophy Show and even Tree House Brewing Co.
March 24
Monthly Meeting
At this meeting, David’s presentation will focus on enzymes, sugars, and the significance of mashing temperature control in lager brewing. He will also bring in his kettle and RIMS tube to demonstrate his experiments with temperature management.
We will also hold Round One of our 3rd Annual Last Brewer Standing challenge. So bring in your pale brews for this one and check your email for a link to the sign up sheet.
February 24
MONTHLY MEETING
Join us for this month’s meeting, where we delve into a common yet often overlooked issue faced by many home brewers: stuck keg lines. If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of a keg that won’t pour, you’ll want to be part of this discussion!
Steven will lead us through an informative session on the various types of floating dip tubes available in the market. He’ll share his personal experience and explain why he ultimately chose the innovative FLOTit 2.0 for his brewing setup. We’ll explore the advantages of different dip tube designs, how they function, and how they can help prevent stuck lines.
This is a great opportunity to ask questions, share your own experiences, and learn from fellow members about troubleshooting keg issues.
And of course, bring along your favorite home brew to showcase!
January 27
Monthly Meeting
Happy New Year, fellow brewers!
First, let’s congratulate Mike Katz for his come -from-behind victory in our 2nd Annual Last Brewer Standing challenge!
We’re excited to kick off our first meeting of the year and share our vision for the club’s activities in 2025. In addition to discussing events that will be coming up in the new year and the challenges planned for our 3rd Annual Last Brewer Standing, Scott will provide a comprehensive comparison on six different stainless steel conical fermenters on the market, ranging in price from $250 to $1000. This is your chance to get involved, ask questions, and provide feedback.
So mark your calendars and join us for a night of brewing camaraderie, as we dive into a new year and don’t forget to bring your latest creations to share!
2024
Past Events
December 9
CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY PARTY
The normal festivities and the Last Brewer Standing Final Invitational Round.
November 25
MONTHLY MEETING / BOARD ELECTIONS
Nominated at our last meeting and running unopposed:
- President – Steven DeRosa
- Vice President – Fred Childs
- Secretary – Scott Hirsch
- Treasurer – Pat Byrne
- Member at Large – Cesar Millan
- Member at Large – David Todd
- Member at Large – Brendan Harris
November 16
Fun in the Fall Festival
Westchester’s longest standing home brew club will be represented at Captain Lawrence Brewing Co’s 1st Annual Fun in the Fall Beer Festival! The event is Saturday, November 16, 2024 (1 PM for VIP admission; 2 PM for general).
Members Scott, Ken, Cesar and Steven will be pouring some of our beers, including the latest imperial stout brewed by Cesar and myself. And come check out Bottle Share—The Craft Beer Game. Hope to see you there!
November 4
MONTHLY MEETING
Round Four of Last Brewer Standing 2024! It’s autumn, so think about those Roasty flavors for this round—your brew must contain at least one of the following ingredients: coffee, chocolate, or smoked grain.
September 23
MONTHLY MEETING
No formal topic. Open discussion and updates.
August 26
MONTHLY MEETING
Drum roll… It’s Round Three of Last Brewer Standing 2024! We’re calling this round “Attack of the Clones.” Your objective is to clone a commercially produced beer and you do not have to bring in the commercial product for comparison, but at the least bring in a description of the beer from the brewery or a source such as Beer Advocate.
July 22
MONTHLY MEETING
Sensory profile training
July 20
2024 Brewnity Picnic
WHO is hosting this year. Stay tuned for details.
June 24
IPA SMACKDOWN
Sharpen your pencils… Ken H. will be giving a demonstration on beer judging. As for the Smackdown, will Fred and Mike defend their crown? Stay tuned!
EXTRA! THIS JUST IN: After a very informative interactive demonstration of beer judging by Ken H. and Ed G., members in attendance who did not have an IPA in the smackdown made their selections. Steven and Cesar’s 9.2% NEIPA/DIPA hybrid took the trophy, with Fred and Mike’s West Coast DIPA and Nate’s NEIPA rounding out the top three.
May 20
MONTHLY MEETING
Round Two of Last Brewer Standing 2024! This is an open style round with the only criteria being your brew should aim to be either below 4.3% ABV or above 8.5% ABV. Call it “No Middle Ground” or “Aim Low/Aim High” or “David vs. Goliath”…
April 22
MONTHLY MEETING
Steven and Cesar will demonstrate how to set up the TILT Hydrometer to automatically log your fermentation activity to the cloud. Bring beer to showcase!
March 25
MONTHLY MEETING
Drum roll… It’s Round One of Last Brewer Standing 2024! Think Belgian and French styles for entry. Check your email for a link to the Sign-Up sheet. As a bonus, Mike Sell will take us on a narrated tour of the various styles during our tasting.
February 26
MONTHLY MEETING
Wake up and smell the coffee. Cesar and Steven will discuss ways to incorporate coffee into your beer and will be sharing their latest stout in which they used a homemade cold brewed espresso concentrate. Scott will discuss his latest side-by-side experimenting with drop hopping. Bring beer to showcase!
January 22
Monthly Meeting
Our first meeting of the new year! We will discuss the club outlook for 2024 and the events that are planned. We will go over the refined rules for our 2nd Annual Last Brewer Standing challenge, as well as the styles for the individual rounds. Come ready to dive into a new year of home brewing… and as always, bring your home brew to share and enjoy!
2023
Past Events
December 18
HOLIDAY PARTY
The WHO Holiday party is at Soul Brewing Co. (41 Wheeler Avenue in Pleasantville) on Monday 12/18 from 7-9:30. $30/person covers food and a couple of Soul beers.
Mike from Barrels and BBQ will be smoking meat, and we’ll have some sides as well. Bring homebrew or commercial beers to share. If you want to bring food, we suggest appetizers or desserts—you can also note this on the sign up page.
We will also be holding the final invitational round of Last Brewer Standing…so we’re looking forward to crowning a winner and celebrating a great year of WHO activities!
7:00- 9:30 PM Soul Brewing Co., Pleasantville
October 23
Monthly Meeting
Round 4 of the 2023 Last Brewer Standing challenge. This go around we featured German styles and Vlad took the day with his Helles Lager, earning the highest individual score of the four rounds.
And with this last open round of our challenge, Vlad, Mike K, Cesar & Steven, Scott, Brian & Dan, and Dave & Ed advance to the final round at our annual Christmas/Holiday party where we will crown this year’s Last Brewer Standing!
August 28
Monthly Meeting/IPA Smackdown
Fred and Mike came away with the top beer of the night, successfully bringing the trophy back to WHO!
June 26
Brew Day/Monthly Meeting
We have been invited by CLBC Experimental Brewer, Adam Calderone, to brew a batch on their pilot system. We are getting a pitch of Omega Yeast Labs’ Helio Gazer, which is their supercharged version of Cosmic Punch. We will be starting at 4 pm, but if you cannot arrive that early, that is fine. Since it’s our regular meeting date as well, feel free to bring some home brew to share!
March 27
Monthly Meeting
Adam Calderone of Captain Lawrence Brewing Company will be on hand to discuss brewing high gravity beers.
We will also be holding Round 1 of our Last Brewer Standing challenge. For this first round, participants will be brewing British or Irish styles. Attendees will also vote on the criteria for Round 2 of Last Brewer Standing.
Any homebrew you bring that is not for the challenge, will be shared in the showcase format after the Last Brewer Standing scoring.
January 16
Monthly Meeting
Welcome to a new year of WHO! This month’s meeting is a week earlier than our regular fourth Monday.
Steven will talk about the club outlook for 2023 and events that are being planned. There will be some new ideas introduced. so stay tuned! We’re continuing the showcase format, so if you can say a couple of things about your homebrew that would be great!
Dues for 2023 remain $25 for the year, $40 for couples. You can either pay with cash at the meeting, or via paypal.me/WHO914 or venmo P-Byrne.
November 27
Monthly Meeting / WHO BOARD ELECTION
CLBC’s executive chef, Drew Tomasulo will be preparing a food & beer pairing for us. We will also hold the election for 2024 board positions. And we will be showcasing home brew—so if you got something to share, please bring it along!
Election results:
- President – Steven DeRosa
- Vice President – Fred Childs
- Secretary – Scott Hirsch
- Treasurer – Pat Byrne
- Member at Large – Cesar Millan
- Member at Large – David Todd
- Member at Large – Mike Sell
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
September 25
Monthly Meeting
Since many of us will be picking up purchases from our grain buy at this meeting, David Todd thought this would be a good opportunity to discuss ways to use up odds and ends from your grain bins or any random hops you may have when getting ready order fresh supplies.
July 24
Monthly Meeting
Poppets and valves and posts. Oh my! Mike Katz will discuss cleaning and maintaining kegs and keg components. Additionally, we will be holding Round 3 of the Last Brewer Standing challenge. This one is open style but your beer must contain fruit. Keep an eye out for the sign up sheet email.
July 15
2023 Brewnity Picnic
Croton Point Park, 11 AM-9 PM
May 22
Monthly Meeting
Steven will give a quick demonstration of how to etch volume markers onto your brew kettle or other stainless products. This will be especially brief since we will be holding Round 2 of the Last Brewer Standing challenge.
April 24
Monthly Meeting
Kyle will be discussing experimental hops and alternatives to give your IPAs that extra punch!
February 27
Monthly Meeting
Slight change of plans due to weather…
2022
Past Events
December 20
HOLIDAY PARTY
The WHO Holiday party is at Soul Brewing Co. (41 Wheeler Avenue in Pleasantville) on Tuesday 12/20 from 7-9:30. Sign up here $25/person covers food and a couple of Soul beers.
There will be trivia, an ugly sweater competition, and more! Mike from Barrels and BBQ will be smoking meat, and we’ll have some sides as well. Bring homebrew or commercial beers to share. If you want to bring food, we suggest appetizers or desserts—you can also note this on the sign up page.
Look forward to celebrating a great year of WHO activities!
7:00- 9:30 PM Soul Brewing Co., Pleasantville
October 24
Monthly Meeting
Casey and Dave will be talking about their trip to Oktoberfest 2022. We’re expecting this to be nothing like the old-fashioned family vacation slide-show.
We will open the floor to nominations to open board positions. If you are interested in taking a more active role in club events, here’s your chance to step up or nominate someone.
Also, don’t forget to bring in your home brew made with Mike and Fred’s smoked grain… We’re eager to see what everyone comes up with, so get brewing!
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
August 22
Monthly Meeting / IPA SMACKDOWN
In addition to the annual IPA tasting and judging, Mike Katz will begin a discussion on using carb stones, and we will be distributing smoked grain to expressed interest at the July meeting.
Details about the IPA Smackdown and the entry sheet can be found HERE. Good luck!
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
July 25
Monthly Meeting
Mike Katz will discuss pH meters and will demonstrate their calibration and use.
And for anyone interested in using smoked grain in a future brew, we will be organizing a grain buy so that Mike Colvin can smoke grain to be picked up (hopefully) at our August meeting. Details to come.
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
June 27
Monthly Meeting / IPA SMACKDOWN
Well, it looks like the IPA Smackdown will be kicked to August. Not by the choice of WHO membership (do I smell a forfeit?). So stay tuned for details about that.
And since it will be a regular meeting, it is looking like Scott and Vlad will be discussing water adjustments.
Also, if you ordered hop plants, Donna and John will be bringing them along for you to pick up. Hoppy planting!
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
April 25
Monthly Meeting
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
November 28
Monthly Meeting / WHO BOARD ELECTION
Ken Hettinger will discuss brewing on his Anvil all-in-one system. We will also hold the election for 2023 board positions. And we will be showcasing home brew—so if you got something to share, please bring it along!
Election results:
- President – Steven DeRosa
- Vice President – Fred Childs
- Secretary – Scott Hirsch
- Treasurer – Pat Byrne
- Member at Large – David Todd
- Member at Large – Mike Sell
- Member at Large – Cesar Recca
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
September 26
Monthly Meeting
Mike Sinko will be discussing all things related to at-home kegging—kegerators, keezers, beer lines, including taps, cleaning, etc.
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
July 16, 2022
2022 BREWNITY PICNIC
Croton Point Park, 11 AM-9 PM
May 23
Monthly Meeting
Fred Childs will be giving a presentation about proper glassware for given beer styles. Knowing Fred, he will certainly dive into the background and history of the various vessels that we use to partake in our favorite beverages.
As always, there will be home brew to share and showcase!
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
March 28
Monthly Meeting
Scott and Steven will discuss the use of Thiolized yeast strains and how mash hopping with a strain such as Omega Yeast Lab’s Cosmic Punch can release high levels of tropical aromas. We will sample their independent first efforts which used different hops. And of course, please bring your own home brew to showcase!
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
January 24
Monthly Meeting
Our first club meeting of the new year! David will be discussing how to brew non-alcaholic beer. And of course, you are invited to bring plenty of home brew to share. We’re continuing the showcase format, so if you can say a couple of things about your homebrew that would be great!
Dues for 2022 remain $25 for the year, $40 for couples. You can either pay with cash at the meeting, or via paypal.me/WHO914 or venmo P-Byrne.
February 28
Monthly Meeting
We’re getting close to hop rhizome season, so John and Donna Kaiser will discuss growing your own hops. Bring homebrew to share. We’re continuing the showcase format. Please let us know on the way in if you’d like to say a few words about your homebrew to the group.
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
2021
Past Events
January 25
MONTHLY MEETING
The primary topic of the evening will be yeast starters. There will be a discussion on yeast re-pitching and washing/rinsing. And there will be a show and tell of on a home-built and designed fermentation chamber.
7:30 PM via Zoom
February 12-22
Homebrew Alley Drop-off
CLBC is a local drop-off for this competition.
February 22
Monthly Meeting
Competition brewing will be the main topic of the meeting. There will also be a facilitated discussion on adjusting water pH.
7:30 PM via Zoom
March 13
Homebrew Alley Best-in-Show Judging
This will be a virtual event.
March 29
Monthly Meeting
This will be a hybrid meeting: We’re back at CLBC for in-person and we will have Zoom for those who choose to attend remotely.
Topics will include: the 2021 Brewnity Picnic at Croton Point Park on July 17th; a picnic committee will be formed at the meeting; there will be a sensory panel where we will taste a base beer and the same beer with additional calcium and with additional sulfate; lastly, there be a demonstration of the Blichmann quick carb. Hopefully we’ll have plenty of homebrew to share.
7:30-9:00 PM at CLBC and via Zoom
April 26
Monthly Meeting
We’re back at CLBC for an in-person meeting outdoors.
The main topic will be all-in-one brewing systems. We have assembled a panel of four brewers who will walk through their systems and answer questions on the whys and what-fors about how they chose their systems, what they like, etc.
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
May 25
Monthly Meeting
Please note, this meeting has been moved to TUESDAY, May 25. It will be outdoors at Captain Lawrence. Topics and further details to come.
7:00-9:00 PM at CLBC
June 28
Monthly Meeting / IPA SMACK DOWN
The mid-year event you’ve been waiting for—the IPA smack down versus Northern Westchester. They are bringing the trophy they won 2 years ago, and surely bringing some good beer to defend it. If you have an entry, we request either two 12 oz bottles, or one 16oz or larger bottle. Kegged entries are acceptable. Check in until 7:15pm. Absolutely no entries accepted after 7:15. Please let us know which category your IPA falls into:
July 17
2021 Brewnity Picnic
Hosted this year by The W.H.O. (Westchester Homebrewers Organization).
Croton Point Park (Pavilion 2)
September 27
Monthly Meeting
November 22
Monthly Meeting
This month we have a guest speaker. Ryan Alcala from Five Star Chemicals will join us to discuss Five Star’s product line up. This is also our annual board elections meeting. The list of nominations is as follows:
-
- President – Mike Katz
- Vice President – Steven DeRosa
- Secretary – Scott Hirsch
- Treasurer – Pat Byrne
- Member at Large – David Todd
- Member at Large – Fred Childs
- Member at Large – Mike Sell
We will also reserve time for beer showcase. If you’ve brewed, bring it. Mike Katz will be sharing his latest brew—a clone of Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale—and will be bringing a few cans of the actual product for comparison!
July 26
Monthly Meeting
August 23
Monthly Meeting
October 25
Monthly Meeting
Dave will discuss brewing non-alcoholic beer.
Mike will have a new Five Star product for sampling for those interested.
Don’t forget to bring homebrew to showcase and share!
December 21
HOLIDAY PARTY
