-
What is the MoB?
Simply put, the MoB is a group of brewers sharing ideas, gadgets, ingredients, recipes and of course, beer. Read more about the MoB in Drew Avis' recent article from Brew Your Own magazine.
-
How do I become a MoBster?
Joining the MoB is easy! Unlike other clubs, we have no membership dues! All you need to do is create a MoB website account and then post a message introducing yourself. Website accounts are screened to reduce the amount of malicious users, so after you've introduced yourself you will be given full member access. It is also recommended to add yourself to our e-mailing list as much of the club discussion takes place there.
-
How do I get started in homebrewing?
Homebrewing is an enjoyable hobby and is easy (and cheap) to get started
in. The MoB maintains an e-mail discussion list where our members would
be more than happy to help you get started.
The Internet is another a great place to start. Hundreds of websites
are dedicated to this hobby and there are endless websites that can help
you get started. The Home Brew Digest (HBD) is another e-mail list that
can provide you with many answers (and likely cause a lot more questions).
John Palmer's excellent book How to
Brew is also available free of charge online in its entirety.
There are also many excellent books about homebrewing that cover everything
from beginning homebrewing to advanced techniques. Many good books can
be found at your local book store, the Internet or through mail order
catalogs.
There are even a few magazines dedicated to homebrewing including Zymurgy
and Brew Your Own.
Your local homebrew supply store (LHBS) or brew on premises (BOP) shop may also be able to provide
you with a starting point.
-
Where can I get homebrewing supplies in Ottawa?
Unfortunately, this region is NOT known for its homebrewing shops. Only
a couple exist in the Ottawa area (see the Vendors page) and they
are geared mainly toward wine making (with very little in the way of homebrewing
supplies). While they may be able to supply you with the basics for kit
brewing and extract brewing, once you have been bitten by the all-grain
brewing bug, you will have to look elsewhere for your supplies. However, you need not start growing barley and hops in your backyard
just yet.
Many excellent online homebrewing shops can supply you with the necessary
supplies and ingredients needed to produce quality homebrew.
But wait, it gets better...
One of the main reasons that the MoB was formed was to initiate group
purchases. Several times during the year, a MoB member will coordinate
a group purchase for homebrewing ingredients and supplies. They may include
online and phone orders or even trips to an out of town store by one of
our members. In fact, at least once a year a trip is made to Montreal
for grain. Find out more about bulk purchases on our CO-OP FAQ page.
-
Where can I get a good pint in Ottawa?
On the plus side, Ottawa boasts a number of excellent pubs where you
can enjoy a good pint with friends (or a fellow MoBster). Check out our Ottawa pub guide to read about them.
Unfortunately, Ottawa has not yet become as refined as Quebec to allow
the sale of alcohol in corner stores but, until it does many excellent
beers can be found at the LCBO and Beer Stores around town. The downtown
LCBO on Rideau (at King Edward) is arguably the best in town, while the
LCBO in Kanata Centrum also carries a fine selection of domestic microbrews
and imported beers.
-
Are there any microbreweries in the Ottawa area?
There are currently three microbreweries in the Ottawa area:
Here is another microbrewery that I thought I would add:
- Church-Key Brewing
- This brewery is closer to Peterborough than Ottawa but, I thought
I'd add it in since I really enjoyed their Northumberland Ale while
traveling along Highway 7.
-
What's required if I want to keg my beer?
At the very least, you'll need one or more kegs, a CO2 tank, CO2 regulator, proper fittings and (unless you like to drink your beer warm), a fridge. Club members in Canada agree that the cheapest place to get kegging parts is Simgo. Here are some prices for common parts at the time of writing.
- CO2 Regulator: 52$
- Quick disconnects for Gas-in and liquid-out: 4.45$ each.
- Aluminum CO2 tank: 92$, 122$ and 145$ for 5, 10 and 20 pound tanks.
- Beer line: 0.30$/ft.
- Gas line: 0.40$/ft.
- Cobra taps: 1.95$
Don't forget applicable taxes and shipping.
Member of Barleyment Alan McKay has a good page on kegging for more detail.
