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January 2024 MASH Monthly Update

Join us on Tuesday, January 16th at 7:30 pm at Montclair Brewery in Montclair. Participants of this year’s cider purchase, it’s time to showcase your creations! Bring in your finished cider, and together we can savor the diverse apple-driven paths everyone took.We have two exciting MASH labs lined up for you. Join Chris as he guides us through an exploration of water chemistry, complete with tasting examples! Thanks to Ned for recommending the idea. Additionally, Paul has prepared a beer riddle for us to ponder: What should you do when a beer takes an unexpected turn? 
BJCP Tasting Class
Calling all brewers and beer lovers who are looking to break into the great world of judging beer or increasing your proficiency to up your BJPC rank! We are gearing up for the next installment of the BJCP Tasting Exam prep course.

Classes will be held at Double Tap Brewing each Monday at 6:30 PM from January 22nd until the tasting exam on April 20th. Each week we will cover new styles, hone sensory analysis skills, learn how to write about and discuss beers using a common vocabulary, and generally enjoy a great time tasting, discussing, and writing about great beer.

Costs will be the cost of beer and supplies for each class. Generally, this comes to about $5-10 per person per session. We will supply beer and supplies (cups, sensory analysis kits, etc.) and divide costs by those in attendance each session. The class will be open to all who can participate, up to the about 30 seats capacity of the venue.

The class will be building toward sitting for a BJCP Tasting Exam, however attendance in the class neither obligates you nor guarantees you to sit for the exam. The exam has a hard limit of 12 and attendance in the class is not a condition for sitting at the exam, so reserve your spot in advance if interested. To sit for the exam you will need to already be a ranked BJCP judge or have passed the BJCP online exam within 1 year of the exam date. This RSVP is for the class only, not the BJCP exam in April.

Please use the following link to complete the registration for the tasting class: BJCP Tasting Class RSVP

2024 Board Elections
 The 2024 MASH Board Elections will be held at our monthly meeting on February 20th at Glenbrook Brewery.

Anyone interested in joining the MASH Board must send a statement of interest to mashnewjersey@gmail.com by end of the day on Tuesday, February 6th.

The statement of interest may include a short bio, your homebrewing history, and why you are interested in joining the board. All of MASH’s seven seats are open. Board members attend a monthly board meeting to coordinate our club meetings and events and brainstorm ideas to make MASH the community that it is! Help be part of the team to plan and celebrate!

Questions? Reach out to any current Board member or ask a question in the #general channel on Slack.
Save the Key Dates:
January 16th: MASH Monthly Meeting at Montclair Brewery
February 6th: MASH Board Meeting
February 20th: MASH Monthly Meeting at Glenbrook Brewery
March 19th: MASH Monthly Meeting 

Upcoming homebrew competitions:
February 20: Club-Only-Competition for Barleywines (and other strong beers in BJCP categories 17 and 22)
March 9: Garden State Homebrew Competition
March 19: Club-Only-Competition featuring Fermentis W-34/70