BrewCamp 2008
What Is BrewCamp?
BrewCamp
is a 4-day brewing and camping event for members and friends of the
· 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.
Past BrewCamps have drawn between 10-18 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 2008 will be held from October 23-26 (Thursday thru Sunday)
Where Is BrewCamp?
BrewCamp
will be held in
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/cunninghamfalls.html
If you are interested in attending BrewCamp, we recommend making your reservations now and not
putting it off. Last year, the
campground SOLD OUT.
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 it is
a fairly small camping loop and all sites are probably less than a minute’s
walk from any other site. As a paid
camper, you also get free admission into
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 & mobile
homes. 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 at or near one of the sites where we
usually congregate our camp sites. In
the loop is a conveniently-located and well-maintained (i.e. clean) permanent
bath house with showers. There is a camp
store but its hours and selection are limited…if provisions are needed, the
town of
Please be aware that no dogs are allowed
in the campground.
Brewing at BrewCamp
NEW! 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. 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 while brewing. If that is
the case, we set up a large dry area under a massive tarp. It has always worked before, and we have always
brewed dry.
What About
Weather…What To Bring?
The weather in mid-late October can run the gamut of warm-to-cold, though in the mountains it tends to be pretty 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 (I have a very nice, large one to lend) 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 meals. We’ve prepared a wide variety of dinners from smoked goose and duck to seafood feasts, and almost everything in between. This year’s plans will start coming together a month or so in advance, once we get a fix on how many people will be attending.
Are Kids Welcome At BrewCamp?
Absolutely. There are plenty of woods to explore right in
the camping loop. I’ve seen plenty of
chipmunks, 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