Pre-2012 Seattle/Bellevue National Homebrewers Conference Video from WAHA on Vimeo.

Post from SBN contributor and homebrewer extraordinaire Colin Lenfesty.

There is no denying that a good majority of Washington’s great brewers got their start making beer at home. Many pro brewers are familiar with using brew kettles on stove tops, turkey burners in the garage, or jockeying bubbling carboys from one end of the house to the other, trying to find that perfect room or closet to dial in the best possible ferment temperature. That same creative passion and drive for excellence can be tasted in the pint that your are sipping on at you favorite local pub today.That “do it yourself” mentality is an important part of the equation as to why we have such a strong and vibrant homebrewing and beer culture  in the Puget Sound.

The American Homebrewers Association National Homebrewers Conference, which will be in its 34th year in 2012, will host well over a thousand homebrewers, beer enthusiasts and craft brewers. Taking place June 21st-23rd at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue, seminars and speakers will help you hone in your brewing or understanding of beer, featuring tried and true info from amateurs and pros. The events will feature pre-conference brewery tours, special brewery events, the great Pro Brewers Night, which is a beer festival in itself, and the always insane and liver punishing Club Night, where homebrew clubs from all over the country will set up themed booths and try to out do one another with the most extreme beers and extreme ways to serve them . If you’ve never had a Flanders-style Red served from a toilet, then you have to check it out. In case you get thirstybetween all of these events,  The Hospitality Suite will be open from early until late throughout the entire conference, with clubs taking turns serving their beer. The conference wraps up with an awards banquet, which is a sit-down dinner where the winners of the National Homebrew Competition are announced.

As you read this, the 2011 Conference is just getting underway in San Diego, and a large group of Washington Homebrewers have converged upon it to reperesent the brewing community. The Washington Homebrewers Association has already been working hard at getting things rolling and will no doubt throw one hell of a party. Check out the American Homebrewers Association, Washington Homebrewers Association and the 2012 conference website for further information for tickets, events, and other information as it becomes available.