Welcome to The Barley Mob! Below you’ll find answers and info that are helpful for new members and those considering joining.
If you have a question about something that isn’t listed, reach out to one of our officers and they’ll fill you in.
Where can I find information about the Barley Mob?
- Our primary method of communication is our email list. Have something you’d like to discuss with other members? Just send an email to: brewers @ barleymob.com to start the conversation with us.
- You can also connect with us via Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter.
- And of course there is this website, where you can pay your dues, check the club calendar and find out about upcoming homebrew competitions.
What benefits do I receive as a member of the Barley Mob?
Club benefits include (but are not limited to):
- Free shipping of entries to Mid-South Series Competitions (www.midsouthbrewer.com)
- Annual Bulk Grain Buy, the opportunity to order base malts at a significant discount through one of our brewery partners, specifically the Chattanooga Brewing Company.
- Discounts on homebrew ingredients and equipment at Beverage World in Ft. Oglethorpe, GA. 5% off under $50, 10% off over $50.
- Discounted or free attendance to beer events (when you donate beer)
- Ability to participate in Pro-Am events with our local partners.
What in the world is a Fugetaboutit?!?
Fugetaboutit is the annual competition put on and hosted by the Barley Mob. It occurs in September. The competition itself is a simple concept: enter a better beer than the others and win a medal. Once the judging on the day of the event is done we have an awards ceremony, drink a few more beers, and conduct our HUGE raffle. Last year we had literally thousands of dollars of swag and equipment to raffle off.
It is a fantastic event, but it doesn’t happen by pure chance. It happens because of our dedicated members who are willing to volunteer their time to help setup, sort entries, steward, pre-judge, judge, and cleanup. It is an amazing opportunity to increase your knowledge of beer and brewing whether you steward or judge. Participation is highly encouraged.
This is the scope of work: We typically set the cutoff for entries about two weeks before the event. At that time, we have to physically unpack and sort all of the entries and label them. We then try and do as much pre-judging as possible. Pre-judging involves members getting together and judging beers in pairs, filling out a BJCP scoresheet, and recording the score. We try and have several pre-judging events in those two weeks. Competition day starts bright and early at 9am. At that point we judge flights until all of the entries are completed. Then we have the awards ceremony and raffle.