BrewCamp 2009
What Is BrewCamp?
BrewCamp is a 4-day brewing and camping extravaganza for members and friends of the Midnight Homebrewers’ League who enjoy brewing, camping, or both. So, what is it that we actually DO at BrewCamp?
· Relaxing, camping, snoozing, horse-shoes, campfire sitting. Whittle a twig…chop some wood…count the stars (or the bubbles in your beer).
· Hiking or biking around the park for those who want to expend all that energy;
· Brewing if you wish to do so;
· Preparing and eating one excellent meal after another;
· Drinking and sharing adult beverages…yes, alcohol is permitted in the campground;
· Playing and/or listening to live acoustic music…fiddle, guitar, mandolin, flute, banjo, harmonica, spoons, washboard, jug…etc., all abiding by the campground’s Quiet Hours of 11 PM – 7 AM.
Past BrewCamps have drawn between 10-25 people. You can enjoy BrewCamp for all or part of the weekend, or if you’re not about camping, you can just come to the park for a day to brew or hang out with other club members, to drink good beer and take in a meal with us.
When Is BrewCamp?
BrewCamp 2009 will be held from October 8 - 11 (Thursday thru Sunday)
Where Is BrewCamp?
BrewCamp
will be held in Cunningham Falls State Park, located in Thurmont (Frederick
County), Maryland (not to be confused with Catoctin Mountain Park which is a
national park right next door). It is a
45-minute straight shot out
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/cunninghamfalls.html
Camping Accomodations At BrewCamp
Campsites cost $30 per night, and you are responsible for reserving your own site. You can do it directly online, or call the reservation number found at the web site above. If you are planning to attend and need your own campsite, you are strongly urged to reserve your site early. Go to the web site above, and reserve the lowest-available numbered sites (1-2-3-4-5, etc.) if you want to camp close to the rest of the group. Keep in mind, however, that the whole loop can be walked in five minutes or less, so your site number is really no big deal. As a paid camper, you also get free admission into Cunningham Falls State Park.
UPDATE (12/14/08): Campsites are going fast!!
As of this date there are only nine (9) sites which remain
available. If you are interested in
attending BrewCamp, we recommend making your
reservations now and not putting it off.
Every year the campground sells out, and it will sell out even earlier
in 2009 because BrewCamp is two weeks earlier in
October than it has been in the past.
The campsites are generally spacious, wooded, and private. They have gravel “pads”, will accommodate one or two cars in addition to your camper or tent, and can accommodate anything from tents to travel trailers & big RVs. Each site in the Addison Run loop has a fire ring with grill, a large picnic table, a lantern post, and electricity. There are public water faucets located throughout the loop, including one right on site #4 where we do most of our brewing and dining. In the center of the loop is a well-maintained (i.e. clean) permanent bath house with hot showers. There is also a camp store, but in the fall its hours and selection are limited…if provisions are needed, the town of Thurmont is only minutes away.
Please be aware that no dogs are allowed
in the campground.
Brewing at BrewCamp
This year, the Club is paying for a separate site which will serve as a central brewing and dining facility, complete with a large tarp/canopy in case it rains. It will be Site #4, which has a convenient water faucet right there.
You can either bring your own outdoor propane burner if you have one, or borrow one from another brewer (you are responsible for arranging this in advance). As for keeping your fermenters comfortably warm after brewing, whether you tent camp or share a camper with someone else, there will be plenty of room inside someone’s heated camper to keep your beer warm until you leave BrewCamp.
Sometimes, we have to deal with
rainy weather at BrewCamp. If that is the case, we set up a large dry
area under massive canopies and tarps.
It has always worked before, and we have always brewed dry. BrewCamp happens
rain or shine.
What About
Weather…What To Bring?
BrewCamp 2009 will be two weeks earlier in October than previous BrewCamps, so maybe the weather will be a little more reliable. That said, the weather in October can run the gamut of warm-to-cold. In the mountains it tends to be cool. Nights can get downright cold. Think: layers. The up-side to cooler temperatures is that there aren’t any irritating, biting insects. We seem to have a mix of dry and wet weather during BrewCamp, so come prepared for rain.
But What If I’m Not A Camper?
If you have little or no experience camping and would like to give it a shot, you have several options. The first is to contact Steve Kranz to see if someone has available space in their camper they are willing to share…along with sharing the cost of the site with you.
Your second option is to borrow or buy a tent and give it a go yourself…there will be experienced campers on hand who are eager to help you set up and show you the way. Other than a tent and sleeping bags, your camping equipment needs would be minimal. You won’t need to bring any cooking gear, as we have plenty of food preparation equipment, or you can simply grill over an open fire or charcoal using the grill at each site.
Meals At BrewCamp
One of the hallmarks of past BrewCamps has been our fabulous gourmet dinners on Friday and Saturday nights. Other meals are basically on your own, though we still tend to combine and share food and preparation chores. We have enjoyed a wide variety of dinners from smoked goose and duck, to seafood feasts, and almost everything in between. We also include excellent non-meat options when we know that is an issue for someone.
Each year’s plan starts coming together a month or so in advance, once we get a fix on how many people will be attending. We collaborate on the menu for Friday and Saturday dinners, and everyone brings part of it.
Are Kids Welcome At BrewCamp?
Absolutely. There are plenty of woods to explore right in
the camping loop. We see plenty of
chipmunks, and an occasional raccoon or skunk, but I haven’t come across any
snakes or bears :o . If
your children are younger (or even if they are older), entertaining and
supervising them will be up to you…there are no playgrounds in the immediate
area, and there aren’t separate places to ride bicycles in the camping loop
other than on the road (which is still a pretty safe place to ride or
skate). But
Any Questions Not
Answered Here? For More Information:
Email Steve Kranz or call 410-848-6695