First Friday at Smog City West Feb 7th

/in /by

Greetings,

For First Friday this month we are visiting Smog City’s newest tap room location located at 22755 Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance, CA 90505. We will get started about 7:00 PM.

This is a very busy month! Please mark your calendars for the following:

2/15/2020 25th anniversary bottle share at the 4th Horseman (Hosted by Martin Svab)
2/20/2020 the 25th anniversary (The actual!) club meeting to be held at Neil Saund’s Alla Road party pad!
3/7/2020 The Stuffed Sandwich party!

Cheers,
Ian

It’s Time to Enter LABBC

/in /by

Pacific Gravity’s first homebrew competition for 2020 is now open for business!  Registration is now up and running at http://comp.belgianbrewchallenge.com/  On-line registration will run up until March 6th at 6:00 PM.  Entries can be dropped off at the local homebrew shops, or directly at our host brewery, Los Angeles Ale Works in Hawthorne, starting on February 21st.

Judging for Los Angeles Belgian Brew Challenge will be held this year at Los Angeles Ale Works, on Sunday, March 15, 2020.    Back again are all your favorite Belgian styles as described in the BJCP guidelines, along with the ever-popular Belgian Specialty Category 35A.

A new feature this is is that we will have TWO Pro-Am opportunities for the Best of Show Beer and a second beer to be selected between Los Angeles Ale Works and Smog City Brewing.

In addition to your entries, we need judges and stewards to make this all work.  You can sign up for either at  http://comp.belgianbrewchallenge.com/index.php?section=volunteers .  All volunteers will get a tee shirt, so make sure you enter in your tee shirt size.

Other upcoming events:
Feb. 7, 2020 First Friday at Smog Cites newest taproom, Smog City West
Feb. 15, 2020 25th anniversary bottleshare at 4th Horseman
Feb. 20, 2020 25th Anniversary Club meeting at Neil Saunds
March 7, 2020, 1st Saturday Bus Trip to Stuffed Sandwich

Competition Update – AFC and State Fair

/in /by

Our first competition of the year First up is America’s Finest City, run by QUAFF in San Diego.   Registration is now open at https://quaff.org/AFC-2020/ .  I’ll be heading to San Diego Friday morning 1/31, so if you get you entries to my place no later than Thursday 1/30, they will get personal service.  Or, you can ship them off for arrival by Friday to  AleSmith Brewing Company, 9990 AleSmith Ct, San Diego, CA 92126. 

The next competition is the California State Fair.  This one has been moving earlier in the season each of the last several years.  Registration is already open at http://home.castatefair.beer/.  You can drop off entries at South Bay or Eagle Rock shops, but they must be packed for shipping.  Local drop-off is February 3 – February7, 2020.  I‘ll be heading to Eagle Rock on Thursday morning February 6th, so if you drop them off by Wednesday, Feb 5th, I’ll take them along.  They still need to be packed for shipping. 

Next up is first round of the AHA Nationals.    Placement announcements and payment must be made by February 14.  Entry drop-off then runs from February 20th through March 5th.  Judging will begin on March 13th.  If you can make the trip to San Diego at the end of February of Early march, please let me know.

Carl Townsend
Competition Coordinator

January Club Meeting

/in /by

Greetings and Happy New Beer!

Our January meeting will be held January 16, 2020 at Tortugo Brewing. We will get started about 7:30 pm

Club meeting at Tortugo Brewing
916 W. Hyde Park Blvd. Inglewood CA 90302
7:30 PM

This is our “anything goes” meeting, so bring any type of beer you want to bring!

Our commercial tasting host will be: Dean Sussman who graciously won’t tell us what he is bringing because even he does not know it yet! Surprise!

We will introduce our new Board Members as well as go over some details of upcoming events and get your feedback on our plans!

Dates to Remember:
Feb. 7, 2020 First Friday at Smog Cites newest taproom, Smog City West
Feb. 15, 2020 25th anniversary bottleshare at 4th Horseman
Feb. 20, 2020 25th Anniversary Club meeting at Neil Saunds
March 7, 2020, 1st Saturday Bus Trip to Stuffed Sandwich

Cheers,

Ian
President

Foam on the brain from the President

/in /by

by Ian Fraser

Happy New Year!

We are starting out a new year with some changes to the P.G. Board.  I would like to thank our outgoing officers, Eli Barone and Terry Malloy for their work on behalf of the club; and welcome in the new board:

Ian Fraser – President
Parker Waechter – Vice-President
Derek Marshall – Secretary/Communications
Craig Corley – Treasurer
Carl – Competition Coordinator
Brian Watson – IT
Dean Sussman – Activity Director

This year is Pacific Gravity’s 25th Anniversary Year and we are planning some fun events and trips to commemorate this milestone!

February is the actual anniversary month and we hope to make that particular meeting memorable!

We are planning a 25th anniversary bottle share on Saturday, February 15 at The 4th Horseman in Long Beach…any of you who went last year will know that Martin pulls out some crazy beers for this event.

We also plan to do an actual 25th anniversary party at Tomm Carroll’s TruxStop Bar and Grill much like the 20th anniversary we held there 5 years ago!  The date of this event is not settled but most likely will not be in February or March.  April has been suggested.

For March’s First Friday (on Saturday March 7, 2020) we are planning to arrange a bus trip to the Stuffed Sandwich, Marlene has promised to put together something special for us to celebrate our year.

The LABBC will be held in March also, so get brewing and enter that competition!

There will be much more big brews, pub crawls, and road trips!  So stay tuned to the social media pages and email notifications! 

Competition Corner – January 2020

/in /by

As a new year dawns upon us, now is the time to brew!  We have a bunch of competitions front-loaded this year.

First of all, there is a series of BJCP Mead series of three judging classes starting Wednesday, January 8th, 3 classes Wednesday nights (7PM) lead by John Kaufman of the Maltose Falcons. Classes will be at the Woodland Hills shop.  The class will lead up to BJCP Mead judging exam on Saturday, Feb. 1,  2020.  Contact John at  john@lacitylive.com if you are interested.

Last year, Craig Corley walked away with the coveted Pacific Gravity Homebrewer of the Year award. Who will win this year?   Here is a rundown of the competitions eligible for point awards in 2020:

Our first competition of the year First up is America’s Finest City, run by QUAFF in San Diego.   Registration is now open at https://quaff.org/AFC-2020/ .  Beers need to be dropped-off any time up through January 31, 9:00 PM at AleSmith Brewing Company, 9990 AleSmith Ct, San Diego, CA 92126.  If anyone is interested in making the trip to drop off entries, please let me know and the club can reimburse you with gas money. Read more →

First First Friday of 2020!

/in /by

Happy New Year Pacific Gravity!

Let’s welcome a new year with a new beer! Our first First Friday is this Friday, January 3rd, 2020 and we are going to visit a new brewery in El Segundo called Surfridge Brewing Co.

First Friday: January 3, 2020
Where: Surfridge Brewing Co.  137 Nevada St. El Segundo, CA 90245
Time: 7:00 PM

I hope to see you all there!

Cheers,

Ian Fraser
President

AHA / Stone Rally Bus to San Diego!

/in , /by

Road trip January 11, 2020.

This just in from the AHA and California Homebrewers Association.    Please read carefully; the procedure is a bit complicated.
If you are not already a member of CHA, you will need to join.

In addition to getting a bus ticket, you need to respond to the AHA Rally RSVP at:

Rally RSVP

If you are not already a an AHA member, you will need to join.

Carl

California Homebrewers Association
December 10, 2019
Hello!
The American Homebrewers Association / Stone Brewing Co. Homebrew Brew Competition and AHA Rally is on Saturday January 11, 2020, at the Stone Liberty Station location. The CHA has chartered a coach bus to take members from the LA area to San Diego and back.
Bus tickets are for sale in our online shop at calhomebrewers.org. 2019 and 2020 Members can purchase tickets; 2020 Memberships are now available and cards will ship in January. A direct link is here:
See the sales page for more details.

Important Notes:

1) 21+ Only On Bus! You will be carded before entering the bus. Please being valid ID (in-date Driver’s License, Passport, Military ID)
2) Pricing: December, $40 (CHA Members Only), January: $50 (Open to all)
2) Bus ticket is non-refundable but is transferable.
3) Your bus ticket is NOT admission to the Rally! See our FAQ.

The bus schedule is as follows:

Saturday January 11, 2020:

Passenger Pickups:
8AM: Leave LA Union Station (800 N Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA)
9AM: Leave Willow Blue Line Station (200 E 27th St, Long Beach, CA 90806)
9:30AM: Leave South Coast Plaza (3333 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626)

11:00AM-2PM: Stone Brewing Liberty Station (2816 Historic Decatur Rd, San Diego, CA 92106)

2PM Depart Liberty Station
2-5PM: Brewery Stop (Location TBD)
5PM Depart TBD Brewery

Passenger Dropoffs:
South Coast Plaza (3333 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626)
Willow Blue Line Station (200 E 27th St, Long Beach, CA 90806)
No later than 8PM: LA Union Station (800 N Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA)
Cheers,
Andy Carter
President, California Homebrewers Association
847-881-6204
Be sure to check out our new social media accounts on Twitter and Instagram, @calhomebrewers, for the most up-to-date information about the festival and Southern California homebrew.

Like us on Facebook      Follow us on Twitter        View on Instagram

Pacific Gravity Holiday Party Saturday Dec 7th

/in , /by

Greetings!

It is time for the Pacific Gravity annual holiday event. Mark your calendars! This year the party is happening on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at Neil Saund’s duplex – at: 12966 Rubens Ave, Los Angeles, CA (at Alla Road).

The party will kick off about 5:00 P.M. If you have not attended one of the past holiday events, let us tell you this is one party not to be missed!

We really, really need your help with the following:

FOOD:
Although the club will be providing some of the main dishes, this is still a potluck party and YOUR favorite party dish will be greatly appreciated! The menu should mostly reflect past holiday parties featuring Carbonnades ala Flamandes, deep fried turkeys, spiced ham and much more!

Suggestions of what to bring would include any kind of main dish but especially all side dishes, veggie dishes, salads, desserts and appetizers. So, if you have a favorite family holiday recipe and want to share it with the rest of us, this is your chance. Please let us know what you will bring. If you have any questions about what to bring, please contact Club Chef Ian (masterchef@pacificgravity.org).

The dinner portion of the event will be ongoing beginning at approximately 7pm. Please note that there will be very little space available for reheating food, so please bring your food ready to serve, not ready to cook.

Crockpots and chafing dishes with sterno fuel would be a great idea of how to bring something and keep it hot.

Also, don’t forget to label your containers or anything you want back.

BEER:
Got beer? We need all types of beer, meads, cider and sodas for this event. Pull out your favorite holiday beverage, dust off the bottle or keg and bring it down! We’ll have the Wave of Beer set up to help dispense your holiday homebrews. If you plan to bring beer, soda or other seasonally festive beverage, please contact Carl (competitions@pacificgravity.org) and let him know what you will bring. Everyone who signs up in advance will have a colorful tap tag.

VOLUNTEERS needed for setup & cleanup
On Saturday, Dec 7th from approximately 10am to 12noon, we need help with final setup at Neil’s.

On Sunday, Dec 8th, starting at 10am, we need lots of people to help with clean up. The more we get the faster it goes. (probably ending around 12noon-1pm).

If you’d like to volunteer for set up or clean up contact us: PG Board at president@pacificgravity.org.

EQUIPMENT:
We need a few more heat lamps and fire pits so please donate them if you can.

We NEED lot & lots FIREWOOD! If you can bring wood please do so. December evenings can be cold so please help bring some wood so we can all stay warm.

We need more TABLES, e-z ups (canopies), and power strips.

We also need jockey boxes and CO2 cylinders and Sanke taps to help make sure all the beverages flow cold with perfect carbonation. We have more kegs than taps on the Wave, and the jockey boxes help out big time.

If at all possible, please bring your kegs and heavy stuff to setup on Friday evening or between 10am – 12noon on Saturday. This makes the last minute activities at party time go much more smoothly. The early kegs get the best slots on the Wave. Make sure all your kegs, coolers, tanks taps, and other equipment are well labeled so they all return to their rightful owners Sunday morning.

Note, if you can’t deliver beer kegs to the Neil’s house at setup on Friday evening or Saturday afternoon, then please email Carl Townsend at Competitions@pacificgravity.org to make arrangements to drop off your kegs at his house.

4th Annual Holiday CLOTHING CHARITY DRIVE:
It’s time to clean out your closets…Pacific Gravity is having our 4th annual Holiday CLOTHING DRIVE!

We will have boxes for any donations you can bring to the party.
For clothes & other items, please see the list below which will be donated to The People Concern (formerly, OPCC). They are mostly in need of men’s clothing in large sizes. Clothing can be “gently used” and should be clean.
Monetary donations will also be accepted – checks or cash. Special donation envelopes will be available at the party. Tax receipts for monetary donations will be sent to you by mail.

Below is a list of items that we can always use:

Clothing
Sweat socks – for men, women and children
Sweat shirts and pants for adults – all sizes especially larger sizes
New underwear – men’s, women and children
Flannel and long sleeve shirts for adults

Personal & Household items
Hygiene Items: toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, shampoo, disposable razors, bar soap, hand & body lotion,etc.
Blankets (preferably wool)
Sleeping bags for adults

Final Party Details:

Dress warm for our winter party, bring food and bring beer!

Highlighting the evening will be the crowning of the Pacific Gravity Club Member of the Year, and awarding of the trophy for Brewer of the Year.

Santa is sure to make an appearance to give away lots of great door prizes (prize donations welcome).
All club members and their guests are welcome, so plan on joining us…Celebrate the season, good beer, good food and friends the Pacific Gravity way!

Cheers,
Ian Fraser
President, Pacific Gravity

Club Meeting, Chili Cook-off and Elections Saturday Nov 9th

/in /by

Greetings,

This coming Saturday is our November meeting, packed with activities and events!

The meeting is two weeks early this month, so don’t miss out!  The Molloys were generous enough to host us (again) and this weekend was the best fit for their schedule. Remember, it’s a private residence so carry-in & carry-out and be on your best behavior!

Event:  November Club Meetings; Elections and Chili Cook-Off!
Where:  Casa Malloy:  6738 W. 87th Place, Westchester, CA 90045  (Please note, it is PLACE, not Street!)
Time:  12:00 Noon until 7:00 PM

We will be conducting our annual chili cook off and all members are invited to bring a crock pot of homemade chili to enter.  The club will provide toppings, rice and corn bread.  All members are welcome to bring any side they wish as well!

We will also be conducting our elections for next years Board and member of the year!   We will accept nominations right up to the day of the event.  Currently we show:

MEMBER OF THE YEAR:
Dean Sussman
Neil Saund
Rives Borland
Ian Fraser

And nominations for next year’s BOARD looks like this so far:
Ian Fraser – President
Parker Waechter – Vice President
Craig Corley – Treasurer
Casey Bond- Secretary
Derek Marshall – Secretary

Our style of the month is:  Sour Ale, Wild Ale, and Mead, hosted by Peter Moran & Robert Wilkinson.

Cheers,
Ian Fraser
President,
Pacific Gravity Homebrewers

Upcoming Dates to remember:
December 1, 2019 First Friday (on a Sunday!)  Set up and bottle share at Neil’s duplex.
December 7, 2019 Pacific Gravity Holiday party!