The June meeting of the North Urban Brewing Society (NUBS) opened with welcomes from the chair and an invitation for newer or infrequent faces to introduce themselves to the group.

NUBS “Years of Beers” Log

A new club log — informally dubbed the NUBS Years of Beers — has been placed at the tap table. The idea, suggested by a member, is for brewers to record a beer they’re especially proud of: what it was, what made it work, and how it was brewed. The goal is to build an informal, dated historical record over time. The board noted this is distinct from the club’s existing online recipe library and plans to discuss how (or whether) the two should connect — entries may eventually be copied into the digital recipe database as well.

Officer Elections Update

Nominations for the 2026–2028 officer slate (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) are open now and several have already come in.

The online nomination link is posted on the club’s homepage and was included in the latest newsletter.
Nominees will be contacted directly to confirm acceptance before being placed on the ballot.
The Vice President race has multiple interested candidates; the board confirmed the role will be capped at two seats.
Voting will be conducted entirely online and anonymously. Nominations close July 6, voting runs July 9–16, and results will be announced at 8:00 PM Central during the July General Meeting.

Mundelein Craft Beer Festival Recap

The club recapped its recent showing at the Mundelein Craft Beer Festival:

NUBS occupied an estimated 50–60% of the homebrew section’s table space — a strong showing.
Jim Williams took third place in the homebrew competition; prize details weren’t discussed at the meeting.
Festival organizers have reached out to NUBS leadership, saying they’d like a bigger club presence at next year’s event, as they feel local breweries haven’t fully bought in.
There was informal discussion about whether the area could support a new brewery, with members noting at least one prior brewery in that location didn’t last, though the building’s current tenants are reportedly doing well.

A club leader who attended a planning follow-up with festival organizers added:

The event drew a bigger crowd and more ticket sales than last year, despite uncertain weather.
Voting participation in the homebrew competition (roughly 136 ballots) was lower than organizers would like; the club will brainstorm ways to boost turnout.
The main piece of organizer feedback was a request for the homebrew section to bring more guests/participants.
Organizers are looking for a festival sponsor for next year (around $1,500), which would include logo placement on event t-shirts and other recognition. Members interested in sponsoring — or who know a business that might be — should reach out.

Beers & Bikes — Part One (June 27)

The first of two Beers & Bikes rides this year is coming up Saturday, June 27, meeting around 11:30 AM in the Mickey Finn’s parking lot (with the adjacent parking garage available for anyone trailering or driving a bike in from farther away). Since the route starts and ends at the same spot, no shuttle is needed to retrieve vehicles.

Members are encouraged to sign up ahead of time on the website so the breweries along the route have a rough headcount. A second Beers & Bikes ride is planned for fall 2026; a date has not yet been set.

Off-Flavors Sensory Training

The club’s planned off-flavors sensory seminar is moving forward, with a member leading the effort to source materials.

The plan is to use a Siebel Institute–style BJCP training kit, which includes about 12 distinct off-flavor compounds (esters, phenols, earthy/musty notes, acetaldehyde, oxidation, and others).
Each compound vial is enough to dose roughly one liter of beer, which works out to enough samples for about 10 students plus one proctor.
Because the kit is costly, this will be run as a paid event to help offset the expense to the club.
No date or venue has been finalized yet — the organizer is targeting late July, pending a venue and a confirmed headcount.
Watch for an email from the club with sign-up and payment details.

Beer of the Quarter

Scott brought a keg of pale ale for this quarter’s Beer of the Quarter tasting (Category 18, Pale American Ale / Category 19, Amber and Brown American Beer). Only four entries were submitted this cycle, with blonde ale and American pale ale being the only styles represented.

Looking ahead, next quarter’s Beer of the Quarter category will be historical beers — styles that haven’t been commonly brewed in a long time. Members are encouraged to research old or discontinued styles and consider entering.

Congratulations to Tim R. for his Galaxy hopped American Pale Ale which won the evening.

Club Work Shirts — New Batch

The next batch of club work shirts is open for ordering via the link on the website.

Orders are placed in batches, not individually, since names are added during manufacturing — the minimum order is 10, and the club currently needs 6 more to hit that minimum.
This round’s color will be a light/petrol blue.
These are the same heavy-duty work-shirt style as past orders; a link to the manufacturer’s sizing guide is available on the order page to help with fit.

Group Brew Day — Arlington Heights (Saturday)

Club W.O.R.T. is organizing a group brew day in Arlington Heights this Saturday, brewing an American pale ale across two back-to-back 40-gallon batches (starting at 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM). The system splits each batch among 8 participants who help out and walk away with their share of beer. The first batch is fully subscribed, but one share of the American pale ale is still open. Follow-up details, including the address, will be sent via club email.

Group Brew — Belgian/Kriek Project

A second group brew is taking shape around a 30-gallon barrel currently sitting in the clubhouse with an unidentified prior batch still inside. The plan is to figure out what’s in it, give it a cleaning, and refill it — potentially with a Belgian-style beer.

Separately, Edward and another member are discussing a traditional kriek brew and are looking to source Michigan pie/sour cherries directly from growers. The seasonal window for those cherries is expected to open in about a week and last roughly 3–4 weeks. As an alternative, members noted that Door County/Michigan cherry juice (no pits or stems) has been available at Costco in the past and could work as a substitute. Members interested in joining the kriek project should reach out to Edward.

New Brewery Watch — Fenton’s Brewing

Fellow club member Ben Fenton is opening his own brewery, Fenton’s Brewing, in the space formerly occupied by Tonality Brewing. The original target was August, but given typical construction and contractor delays, late summer to early fall is considered more realistic.

Adjournment

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Members continued socializing, sampling Beer of the Quarter entries, and discussing upcoming brews and events.