January, 2017 General Meeting Recap

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by Terry Molloy, Vice President
Our January meeting marked the beginning of what is sure to be a fun and educational 2017.  It also marked the debut of the Pacific Gravity Communications Board at Culver City Homebrew Supply.  Be sure to check it when you are picking up ingredients for your next brew.
Our Homebrew Style of the Month was “anything goes”.  These kegs were in attendance:
Tim & Ian’s Jacked Up Cider;
Parker Waechter’s Sage Cider;
Michael Patterson’s Cider; and
Andrew Whittle’s Holiday Spiced Ale.
Bottles included:
Michael Musgrave’s Belgian Trippel;
Simon Ford’s tasty sours; and
Honest Abe Cider courtesy of Paul Bobadilla.
There were a few others floating around that I did not get to sample; thanks to all that brought beer to share.
Education Corner: Michael Patterson led a Hop Aroma and Taste Test, where participants graphed their impressions of the hop itself and a single hop beer.  It was interesting to see the different graphs reflecting different palates.  Who was “right”? Only Michael knows for sure.
Commercial Tasting:  Michael M. led a tasting of English Ales that included Well’s Bombardier (English Premium Bitter), Fuller’s ESB, Fuller’s London Pride, Boddington’s Pub Ale, and, for our Metal fans, the Iron maiden Trooper Ale from Robinson’s Family Brewers in the UK.   Reference these when you brew your next English style ale.
Raffle swag included hops from the Corley Cellar, hop rhizomes from Carl Townsend’s impressive hop garden, a rare t-shirt, and some classic PG Glass-&-A-Beer specials.
Welcome New Members:
Kevin Cooke
Keith Edie
Zachary Goode
Brian Pfeiffer
SCHBF news:  Save your registration fee by working a volunteer shift at Vail lake.  Sign up on the SCHBF registration page.
Our next meeting is Thursday, February 16, 7:30pm at Culver City Homebrew Supply.  See you there!

Reminders, updates, and invites…

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Hey PG!

I thought it best I send a few reminders, updates. and invites as we roll into February here. I hope this message finds you well, with a glass of beer and some friends and family nearby. 🙂

THIS WEEK

The team at LA Ale Works cordially invites us to check out their taproom during the soft-launch this Wednesday February 1st from 7pm – 10pm.  We are so proud of our friends at LAAW and I can’t wait for Wednesday!

Looking further ahead toward the weekend, our friend Drew and the crew at Santa Monica Brew Works invites us into their taproom as well for February’s First Friday. Drew and I had a blast floating FOUR 1/6 bbl kegs of SMBW beer at Surfas this past Thursday night and I’m looking forward to trying the other styles they have, especially the taproom only stuff.

Reminders…

First: Remember, we’ve got our 3rd Annual Los Angeles Belgian Brew Challenge coming up quickly and registration and submissions are due sooner than you’d think. Get those Belgian’s brewing and visit belgianbrewchallenge.com for more info.

Also, we’ve got the VERY fun CHA Southern California Homebrew Fest coming up in May. For more info and to reserve a spot for you and your PG camping party, fill out our sign up form here:  http://pacificgravity.com/schf

Finally, a brief update regarding the Anchor California Homebrew Club of The Year trip too: President’s weekend created a scheduling conflict for the team at Anchor so they are rescheduling with us on another weekend. As soon as the date is known, I’ll post a sign up with info for those of you who are looking to attend.

I had hoped to be brief but truthfully we have a lot going on. 🙂

Looking forward to seeing you all this week!  Reach out if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Michael

1feb7:00 pm- 10:00 pmLA Ale Works Soft Launch7:00 pm - 10:00 pm LA Ale Works

3feb7:00 pmFirst Friday - Santa Monica Brew Works7:00 pm Santa Monica Brew Works

AFC Entry Deadline January 25th

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Homebrew entries for America’s Finest City (AFC) Homebrew Competition are due at Alesmith Brewery by Wednesday, January 25th.   We do not have a driver this year, so you will need to ship your entries.   Do NOT leave them at the Culver City shop.  Registration can be found at https://quaff.org/AFC-2017/ .

Shipping Address:
9990 AleSmith Court
San Diego, CA 92126

 

January Third Thursday Meeting

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Hey PG!

Just a quick reminder that our January Third Thursday club meeting at Culver City Home Brew Supply Shop is this coming Thursday night starting at 7:30pm!

We’ll firm up some details about our trip to Anchor coming up in February and discuss some other things coming up here in quarter one of 2017. We’ll share some home brewed beers and partake in the commercial tasting brought to you this month by yours truly. Also, Michael P. mentioned that he has a single hop IPA to taste and the cone hops to check out and evaluate with some spider graph action. 🙂

The commercial tasting style for the month is English Bitters & Commonwealth Ales

The Best Beer of the Meeting competition style is any just like last January. Bring whatever you’ve got on tap! 

So if you are interested in attending the Anchor party and you enjoy great beer… I’ll see you there!

Happy Friday!

Michael

 

19jan7:30 pmJanuary Club Meeting7:30 pm Culver City Home Brew Supply

 

3rd Annual Los Angeles Belgian Brew Challenge

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Calling all members and home brewers! Our 3rd Annual Los Angeles Belgian Brew Challenge is coming up fast and I’m excited to announce the details here today!

LA Ale Works has signed on to host judging at their location in Hawthorne and they’ll brew a Pro-Am version of the Best of Show winner. We’re beyond stoked to have them on-board; as you may already know there are three PG alumni in the ranks at LAAW and working with them during their first few months after launch is a HUGE honor.

Think about it this way: That Belgian inspired beer you’ve got bubbling away in the fermenter? Or those bottles you squirreled away? Could go Pro-Am with the LAAW! 😀    How cool is that?!

We’ll begin accepting registrations and online submissions on February 1st and drop off starting March 1st through March 17th so you’ve got some time to get over to Culver City Home Brewing Supply to grab ingredients and brew your entries.

Judging will occur on Sunday March 26th at 9am. We’ll need plenty of volunteer stewards and judges so please make sure you opt-in appropriately if interested, while registering.

For more details navigate to http://belgianbrewchallenge.com  and if you have any questions please email labbc@pacificgravity.com.

26mar9:00 am3rd Annual Los Angeles Belgian Brew Challenge9:00 am LA Aleworks

Competition Corner – January 2017

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2016 WinnerWell, a new year is upon us as well as a fresh brewing competition season.  I hope you took advantage of the cool weather over the holiday season to get some batches fermenting.  I did!   We have a couple of competitions coming up right away, but you still have plenty of cool weather to brew for some of the later upcoming competitions.  Each year, Pacific Gravity honors the brewer (or team) with the most homebrew competition wins from the list shown below.

Coming up quickly are the America’s Finest City (AFC) Homebrew Competition, hosted by QUAFF, and the AHA Nationals Competition.  Registration for AFC is already open at https://quaff.org/AFC-2017/ .  Entries are due at Alesmith Brewery by Wednesday, January 25th.  Like last year, we will be asking for a volunteer to drive them down to San Diego.  Drop me a line at Competitions AT PacificGravity.com if you can make the trip.  We’ll reimburse you gas money. For AHA, you must be an AHA member and need to sign up for your entry slots, between the dates of January 30 – February 5, 2017.  Your entry authorization and payment must be done by February 15th.  Physical entries will need to be shipped off by the last week of February.  Again, we’ll need a driver. Read more →

Happy New Year!

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Hey PG!

I hope you all had happy holidays and rang in the new year surrounded by friends and family. Planning the club agenda for 2017 is almost finished, so our calendar will soon be peppered with events each month and you’ll be hearing about upcoming events via the site regularly as well.

A few items to plan for in the near term…

  • First Friday is THIS Friday at Father’s Office here in Culver City. Tania and I will be there starting around 7:30pm, bring some warm clothes and your appetite for beer and a very tasty house burger.
  • Our trip to celebrate as home brew club of the year at Anchor Brewing is coming up in early February. I know of a number of members that have expressed interest in going and I’ll be sharing more details and collecting sign ups soon. A group hotel rate seems very probable at this point and we’re still hashing out the details of transportation.
  • Tickets for the California Homebrewers Association’s Southern California Home Brew Fest (May 5th and 6th) go on sale starting on January 6th. Same venue, Vail Lake in Temecula. Last year’s festival was an excellent getaway filled with great beers, awesome food (thanks Ian), and very cool people. I highly, highly, recommend attending.

Anyway, let’s discuss and plan the 2nd and 3rd items together in person at First Friday!   See you there!

Michael

6jan7:30 pmFirst Friday - Father's Office Culver City7:30 pm Father's Office

COUNTDOWN to our PG HOLIDAY PARTY … THIS SATURDAY (DEC 10th)!!!

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Please let us know what you can do to help.

We need FOOD, BEER, assorted EQUIPMENT, DONATIONS FOR CHARITY and VOLUNTEERS for setup and cleanup.

PLEASE email us how you are going to help…see details below.

                                  ***********************

It is time for the Pacific Gravity and Culver City Homebrew Supply Shop annual holiday event.  Mark your calendars!  This year the party is happening on Saturday, December 10, 2016 at Dean Sussman’s house – same location as our Summer party. Dean’s address is: 1310 Amalfi Drive, Pacific Palisades, CA.

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 much of the main dishes, this is still a potluck party and YOUR favorite party dish will sure be appreciated!  The menu should mostly reflect past holiday parties featuring Carbonnades ala Flamandes, prime rib ala BBQ, deep fried turkeys, spiced ham and much more! Suggestions 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 at: masterchef@pacificgravity.com or Mimi at mbardet@verizon.net

The dinner portion of the event will be ongoing beginning at approximately 6 p.m.
Just like our Summer Party, all food prep, cooking, consumption and cleanup will be OUTSIDE. There is NO access to the house. BBQs will be our heat source for food. Therefore, 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.

VOLUNTEERS needed for setup & cleanup:
On Friday, December 9th, starting around 6pm, we need help with setup at Dean’s. (probably ending around 8-9pm) We will be setting up tables, E-Z ups, lighting, the beer wave and anything that can be done and left out overnight.

On Saturday, Dec 10th, starting at NOON, we need help with final setup at Dean’s.

On Sunday, Dec 11th, starting at 10 am, 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 Board@pacificgravity.com

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.  It is forecasted to be cold on Saturday evening so please help bring some wood so we can all stay warm.

We could also use a few 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 12noon – 3pm on Saturday (and at least before 5pm, if possible.) 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 Dean’s house at setup on Friday evening or Saturday afternoon, then please email Carl Townsend at Competitions@pacificgravity.com to make arrangements to drop off your kegs at his house.

 

2nd Annual Holiday CLOTHING CHARITY DRIVE:
It’s time to clean out your closets…Pacific Gravity is having our 2nd annual Holiday CLOTHING DRIVE!
We will have boxes to collect all donations you can bring to the party.
For clothes & other items, please see the detailed 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. (Please see this link for all donations ideas: https://www.opcc.net/?nd=in_kind
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 they can always use:
Clothing
Sweat socks – for men, women and children
Sweat shirts and pants for adults – all sizes especially larger sizes
Sneakers – men’s & women’s most needed
Shower shoes/thongs
Rain ponchos for adults & children
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
sanitary napkins & tampons
Blankets (preferably wool)
Backpacks or duffel bags
Sleeping bags for adults
Diapers – all sizes
Bedding: Twin size sheets, comforters and pillows. Please note pillow must be new.

Gift Certificates
Supermarkets (Ralphs, Vons,Albertson’s)
Fast food restaurants
Book & music stores
Movie passes
Clothing stores, department stores (Marshalls, Target or Ross)

Art Supplies
Markers, finger paints, facepaints, crayons, watercolors, glue, glitter, collage materials, coloring books, activity books, stickers
BEER:
Last but certainly not least is 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 at: Competitions@pacificgravity.com & let him know what you will bring.  Everyone who signs up in advance will have a colorful tap tag.

Final Party Details:

Dress warm for our winter party and bring your own chair and/or blankets.

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.  Plus, a special toast to this year’s California Home Brew Club of the Year: Pacific Gravity!

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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hoppy Holidays – 2016 Edition!

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It is time for the Pacific Gravity and Culver City Homebrew Supply Shop annual holiday event.  Mark your calendars!  This year the party is happening on Saturday, December 10, 2016 at Dean Sussman’s house – same location as our Summer party. Dean’s address is: 1310 Amalfi Drive, Pacific Palisades, CA.

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 much of the main dishes, this is still a potluck party and YOUR favorite party dish will sure be appreciated!  The menu should mostly reflect past holiday parties featuring Carbonnades ala Flamandes, prime rib ala BBQ, deep fried turkeys, spiced ham and much more! Suggestions 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 at: masterchef@pacificgravity.com or Mimi at mbardet@verizon.net

The dinner portion of the event will be ongoing beginning at approximately 6 p.m.
Just like our Summer Party, all food prep, cooking, consumption and cleanup will be OUTSIDE. There is NO access to the house.
BBQs will be our heat source for food. Therefore, 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.

VOLUNTEERS needed for setup & cleanup:

On Friday, December 9th, starting around 6 p.m., we need help with setup at Dean’s. (probably ending around 8-9 p.m.)
We will be setting up tables, E-Z ups, lighting, the beer wave and anything that can be done and left out overnight.

On Saturday, Dec 10th, starting at NOON, we need help with final setup at Dean’s.

On Sunday, Dec 11th, starting at 10 a.m., we need lots of people to help with clean up. The more we get the faster it goes. (probably ending around 12noon-1 p.m.).

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

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.  It is forecasted to be cold on Saturday evening so please help bring some wood so we can all stay warm.

We could also use a few 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 12noon – 3 p.m. on Saturday (and at least before 5 p.m., if possible.) 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 Dean’s house at setup on Friday evening or Saturday afternoon, then please email Carl Townsend at Competitions@pacificgravity.com to make arrangements to drop off your kegs at his house.

 

2nd Annual Holiday CLOTHING CHARITY DRIVE:
It’s time to clean out your closets…Pacific Gravity is having our 2nd annual Holiday CLOTHING DRIVE!

We will have boxes for any donations you can bring to the party.
For clothes & other items, please see the detailed 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.
(Please see this link for all donations ideas: https://www.opcc.net/?nd=in_kind

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
Sneakers – men’s & women’s most needed
Shower shoes/thongs
Rain ponchos for adults & children
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
sanitary napkins & tampons
Blankets (preferably wool)
Backpacks or duffel bags
Sleeping bags for adults
Diapers – all sizes
Bedding: Twin size sheets, comforters and pillows. Please note pillow must be new.

Gift Certificates
Supermarkets (Ralphs, Vons, Albertson’s)
Fast food restaurants
Book & music stores
Movie passes
Clothing stores, department stores (Marshalls, Target or Ross)

Art Supplies
Markers, finger paints, facepaints, crayons, watercolors, glue, glitter, collage materials, coloring books, activity books, stickers
BEER:
Last but certainly not least is 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 at: Competitions@pacificgravity.com & let him know what you will bring.  Everyone who signs up in advance will have a colorful tap tag.

Final Party Details:

Dress warm for our winter party and bring your own chair and/or blankets.

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.  Plus, a special toast to this year’s California Home Brew Club of the Year: Pacific Gravity!

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 good friends the Pacific Gravity way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Friday @ Smog City and Honest Abe Cider Competition!

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Tomorrow Dec. 2nd Pacific Gravity will be headed to Smog City for our last First Friday 2016! Come and enjoy some of the best LA beers in town with our friends at Smog.

Smog City Brewery
1901 Del Amo Blvd B, Torrance, CA 90501

Check out the PG even page link below for more info:
http://pacificgravity.com/events/first-friday-smog-city-december/ (note: this event was changed from Holy Cow to Smog City)

———————————————————————————————

Then Sunday Dec. 4th, Bring back your cider you made from the Honest Abe Cider Collection a few months back. We will be sharing them with Strand Brew Club and Honest Abe for a chance to win Best Cider Maker! Everyones invited, bring bottles, growlers, or kegs and get some great feed back on how you did on you cider. Should be a fun day at Honest Abe!

Honest Abe Cider
17800 S Main St #105, Gardena, CA 90248

Check out the link below of the Facebook invite put together by Strand Brewers:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1690467347933410/     UPDATE: It looks like that page was moved or taken down, but we’ll have more info on this event to follow!