FORT SILL, Okla. -- Adults interested in making home brewed beer can learn about creating more than 100 varieties of ale at the Impact Zone Beer Club meeting April 16 at 7 p.m.
Since the Impact Zone, located next to the Sheridan Theater on Crane Road, is the only micro brewery in Southwest Oklahoma a beer club is a natural fit, said Billy Wortman, brew master at the IZ.
According to Wortman, Staff Sgt. Lucas Lunsmann, a drill sergeant, contacted Patricia Arnold, IZ manager, about starting a beer club on post. After discussing the possibility and finding there was interest locally, it was all systems go.
"We met with Lunsmann to discuss what it entails and set the date for the first monthly meeting on April 16 at the club," said Wortman, who has been the brew master at the IZ for about eight months.
"I'm excited to learn more about home brewing and Lunsmann is very knowledgeable about all aspects of it," he said. "I make the micro brew in 155 gallon vats but the method is the same whether it's five gallons or 155."
Wortman currently brews three varieties of beer for patrons of the Impact Zone, which can be purchased by the glass, pitcher or jug.
"I'll probably learn how to make some different varieties that are popular with home brewing," he said.
Wortman is brewing a batch of Red leg beer, the most popular of the micro brewery beers, which will be ready to sample in time for the meeting.
Lunsmann is also excited to start a beer club locally.
"I was a member of a beer club at Fort Lewis for over a year and a half, and we had a large group of home brewers. We had competitions which involved judging the beers and lots of beer sampling," he said. "We had monthly meetings and were part of the Beer Judging Certification Program."
Lunsmann said the intent of the free monthly beer club meetings is to teach members about the process and allow them to taste different beers. Anyone sampling beer will be asked for an ID card proving they are age 21 or older.
"For the first meeting, there will be three beers on tap and hopefully in the future we will be able to critique other draft beers," he said. "There are over 100 beer styles out there -- everything from a lager to India pale ale and from reds to amber. We'll have plenty to talk about for group discussions."
There will be free snack foods available at the meeting. For more information on the IZ Brew Club, e-mail Lunsmann at lucas.lunsmann@gmail.com.
Beer brewing aficionados met earlier this year to create an Impact Zone Beer Club. Adults interested in making home brewed beer can learn about it at the club's first meeting April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Impact Zone, next to Sheridan Theater.
Social Sharing