I had to drop off my entry for the Devils Peak Homebrew competition at the Tap Room before I go on a roadtrip next weekend, so I figured I would coincide that trip with a meeting of the Southyeasters and kill two dops with one stone.

I didn't know what to expect, thinking it would be more like a discussion of things homebrewing, but it turned out to be totally different.

Instead, it was a bunch of like-minded brewers, some hobbyists and some commercials, getting together and talking (and drinking) beer in no organised format.

Most of the attendees then gathered around a table and tasted a few brews that the hobbyists had brought in. This was for the People's Choice Award, allowing brewers to get some comments from their peers and mentors. I sat and watched from the bar, enjoying another pint of the DP Kings Blockhouse IPA, purely because I had only attended to see what goes on.

I met a few nice people: JC and Tracy from Devil's Peak, Johan, Wayne and Alex, homebrewers, and Michael, a lonely bloke sitting at the bar getting trollied by himself.

I have a couple of brews in the fermenters at the moment and at the next People's Choice gathering, I will go along and let them critique my brews so that, if for nothing else, I can get some opinions from brewers probably more experienced than myself. I think my brews are not bad and my close friends think so as well, but opinions from others in the industry will probably be more beneficial to my brewing than friends saying "Hell yeah, this is good!"

So, if you plan on visiting the next Southyeaster's gathering, look out for me and my beer. Neither of us are that bad, really...