Inquisition Update:  The 18th Annual Austin Zealots Inquisition for 2021 has been postponed.  Stay tuned for updates on an alternative competition.

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The SEPTEMBER 2021 MEETING will be SAT., SEPT. 25 at Willard's Brewing from 2-4 p.m.   Address: 2400 Patterson Industrial Dr, Pflugerville, TX 78660.   Style of the month is Pilsners & other lagers.  BUT as always, bring what you have to share.  :-)    Please bring a tasting glass (but we will have plastic cups if needed).   How much to bring?  Two 12 ounce bottles or more.

New followers:  We don't bite!  We are pretty laid back but will certainly answer any questions you may have about brewing beer, mead or cider.   Just show up at this meeting and meet some of us.  We have no dues so you are a member if you choose to be one.  The style of the month is sort of a joke - bring whatever you want.  If you are so new that you haven't brewed yet, come to the meeting anyway.  We will have plenty - and you can buy Willard's beer as well to support them.  Cheers!

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AUGUST MEETING - Sat., Aug. 14 from morning to 9:30 p.m. at Emma Long Park for our annual Picnic. Style of the month is Lawnmower beers and a free-for-all so bring anything. No food contest this year. We will just do a fun potluck so bring anything tasty to share!! We usually eat around 2 p.m. (they lock the park gate at 10 pm)

PICNIC Location: Emma Long City Park at 1706 City Park Rd. Buy a pass into the park from the website. You can buy them starting 14 days before. I have no idea if tickets will still be available on Aug. 14. There is pretty much no way to know this. The price is per vehicle.

FYI - if the city shuts down the park or something, needless to say that is out of our control.

Some people spend the night on Friday as well if you are so inclined. You can purchase campsite tickets on the Emma Long website but do that soon as those are already on sale.

Exact location inside the park? We will be a little ways down (about 0.2 miles from the entry booth) on the left.....look for a ZEALOTS flag or a bunch of laughing.

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Speaking of beer, please bring beer or cider or mead!! Bring a keg if you want but be prepared to serve it with your own equipment as we won't have the big trough and serving board. Bring CO2 if needed. Some people will have a CO2 tank with more than one hose so that may work for you. If you don't keg you can still bring your bottles, just keep it on the down low as glass containers are technically not allowed in the park. Bring ice if you need to keep your beer cold. This is a potluck so bring anything that is tasty!! We will provide the plates, cups, napkins and utensils.

WHAT TO BRING: a ticket to enter the park, a swimsuit, SUNSCREEN, WATER , floats, sunglasses, lawn chairs, pop-ups for shade, beer (or cider or mead), food to share - (even if it's just a bag of chips), a safe ride home (or spend the night) and a fun attitude!! Kids are welcome. (We will collect canned goods at the December meeting for the food banks so please don't bring those to the park).

Many people stay the night at the park, so you are more than welcome to join. Some folks will even be spending Friday night at the park. Click on the Emma Long link to reserve a campsite (bring a tent). The park closes at 10 p.m. and they lock the gate. If you aren't outside the gate, you WILL be spending the night.

https://austintexas.gov/depar.../emma-long-metropolitan-park

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The JULY 2021 MEETING will be SAT., JULY 17 at Batch Brewing from 2-4 p.m.   Address: 3220 Manor Rd., Austin, TX 78723.   Style of the month is Wheat beers and Meads.  BUT as always, bring what you have to share.  :-)    Please bring a tasting glass (but we will have plastic cups if needed).   How much to bring?  Two 12 ounce bottles or more.

1st Runner up was Bradley Janowski with Boris the Lager!

2nd Runner up was Wes and Nancy Sampson with Weiss Bock from Hell!        

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Chris Colby has also written a homebrewing book!!!  "Home Brew Recipe Bible"  LINK TO PURCHASE      "Chris Colby from Beer & Wine Journal serves as the brewmaster for this collection of 100 recipes for home brewing!  Chris’ Vienna Lager won silver in the 2004 National Homebrew Competition, as well as a Best of Show in 2004 and several lesser ribbons from his contest days. Here, he’ll show you how to take the freshest ingredients and create a lot of different and fantastic beers to choose from."    Beer and Wine Journal

Dan Ironside (Austin ZEALOTS member) has written "Idiot's Guide: Homebrewing".  Purchase a copy now or download on your device.  LINK TO PURCHASE       "Idiot's Guides: Homebrewing breaks the brewing process down step-by-step and helps you understand how to minimize the risk of a bad batch, maximize your success, and foster the passion and pride that every homebrewer experiences when they brew the perfect beer. The author teaches readers the fundamentals -- from home brewery setup and equipment sanitization, to the proper techniques for nearly any style of beer, to bottling and aging their brews. You will learn how to select ingredients, taste beer the right way, and experiment from over 60 recipes ranging from German lagers to IPAs."    Dan's Apartment Homebrewer Blog

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NEWS FLASH: MARK SCHOPPE WINS the 2015 NINKASI AWARD for earning the most points in the National Homebrew Competition!  Congratulations to Mark!  What an effort!  He was the Ninkasi winner in 2012 as well! 

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The Austin ZEALOTS is a loose group of members that have a common interest in brewing and/or drinking great beer. "ZEALOTS" stands for Zymurgic Enthusiasts of Austin Loosely Organized Through Suds. The club has been around since about 1990 and was started by some of Austin's homebrewers, the owners of Live Oak Brewing Co., the early owners of Austin Homebrew Supply, and employees at Celis Brewery. There is a weekly roaming happy hour at the various breweries in and around Austin (sign up for the forum, the yahoo email group for details or check Facebook).  No dues or office of the CEO exist. However, we do ­have pseudo officials: Primary Fermenter, Secondary Fermenter and Conditioning Tank(s), just for grins.  Monthly meetings are the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of the month at a location and time announced here, on the email group, and on Facebook.   Our meetings usually consist of about 40 or more people who share their creations (bring a tasting glass please). We have a style of the month, but if you have homebrew that isn't in that style, bring it on! ­If you don't have any homebrew handy, feel free to bring a commercial example of the style of the month that you enjoy. Bear in mind that to give each person a sample, you will need to bring at least 2 twelve ounce bottles. Each year we host a Homebrew Competition called the Inquisition.  It is certified and sanctioned by no one. It is unique in that judging is not to determine if you can emulate a particular classic style, but can you make quality beer.   In 2012, the ZEALOTS finished 3rd in the AHA's National Homebrew Conference and Mark Schoppe finished in first place overall and became the Ninkasi Award winner (plus he won the Ninkasi in 2015!)!  The ZEALOTS won the Lone Star Circuit Trophy in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 & 2016!