November Club Meeting – 11/22/2014 @ Ian’s House

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Everyone-

Our November Club meeting is this Saturday!  Its shaping up to be a good one – here are the details:

WHEN

  • Brew Day starts @ 10:00am.
  • Chili Cookoff Competition @ 12:00pm
  • Club News after Chili Cookoff
  • Wrap up around 6pm.

WHERE

Ian Fraser’s House
3938 Glencoe Ave, Venice, CA 90291

CHILI COOKOFF

  • Bring your best chili for our annual Chili Cookoff!  We will have power outlets for those of you bringing a crock pot and sides/toppings (sour cream, shredded cheese, onions, and rice).  We will also supply bowls, plastic silverware and napkins.  We will be handing our awards for the best chili and most unique chili.

CLUB ANNIVERSARY BREW

  • Dan White has offered to let us use his system in Ian’s backyard to brew our Belgian Dubbel 20th Anniversary recipe.  The brew will start @ 10am on Saturday, club members are encouraged to show up to participate in the brew around then.  This is a Club Brew where the resulting beer belongs to the homebrew club and will be served at the February Club meeting where we will be celebrating our 20th Anniversary.  *Note, we will only be brewing on one system – this is not a big brew.
  • For those of you that are new to brewing, this will be a great opportunity to learn to brew an all grain batch of beer.  Even if you have been brewing for a long time, its always educational to learn how someone else brews a batch of beer on their system.
  • BEER
  • As always we are looking for everyone to bring their latest homebrew creation or commercial beer to share.
  • The beer style of the month is Brown Ales and Porters and as usual we will be hosting a commercial tasting.

VOTING

Its time to Vote!  We will be voting for board positions this month.  Additionally, we will be voting for Club Member of the Year!  We will be taking nominations throughout the day and will pass out ballots for everyone to vote!

EXTRAS

  • As this is a backyard party that will be going for many hours we highly suggest you bring a folding chair of some type for you to sit on.
  • If you have a jockey box that you can bring to help serve beer that would be apprciated as well.
  • Lastly, if you have firewood you can bring we would like to setup a fire pit.  The club will bring some as well.

Cheers everyone!  See you on Saturday!

And the winner is…

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Light Westy!  This beer received 64% of the votes cast for our Club Anniversary Brew this weekend.  Hope to see you all there on Saturday.  We will update everyone with the brew start time and other information about this Saturday’s meeting / chili cook off soon!

Recipe Below:

Recipe #3: Light Westy

  • OG – 1.069
  • FG – 1.010
  • IBUs – 18
  • SRM – 15.73
  • ABV – 7.7%
  • Recipe Size (6 gallons)
  • Boil Time – 90 min

Grain/Fermentable Bill

  • 7.0 lbs Belgian Pale
  • 7.0 lbs Belgian Pils
  • 1.5 lbs Belgian Dark Candy Sugar (added to boil @ flame out)
  • (Mash Schedule – 60 Min rest @ 145F, 20 Min rest @ 155F)

Hops & Kettle Additions

  • 0.50oz (8.5% AA) – Northern Brewer 90 min.
  • 0.50oz (4.1% AA) – Styrian Goldings 20 min.
  • 0.25oz (2.8% AA) – Hallertauer Mittelfrüh 20 min.

Yeast

  • 2qt Starter of WLP 530 Abbey Ale Yeast

Fermentation Schedule

  • Primary – 7 – 14 days @ 65F (pitching temp, free rise afterwards)
  • Secondary – 14 days @ Room temp

*Cool to 65F and pitch yeast.  Let free rise to 80F and hold there.

Holiday Party Volunteers

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Since we are on a bit more of a tight schedule this year than usual, we will need as many volunteers as soon as possible for the following:

  • THIS SUNDAY (11/23/14) CLEAN-UP AND PREP- Neil Saund’s house
    • pressure wash the sidewalks
    • clean up the inside
    • wash the windows
    • Help move stuff around where Neil needs it
    • start hanging lights on the inside and outside

All the participants will be given FREE BEER from PBC current;y being stored in Neil’s fridges

  • SETUP (Friday, 12/5/14)
    • hang any remaining lights
    • set up easy ups
    • set up tables inside for food service
    • load in the Club Dispensing System
    • Bring in kegs and jockey boxes
    • hook up all the beer
  • EVENT (Saturday, 12/6/14)
    • Assist Chef Ian with any cooking he needs help with
    • finish any remaining set up
    • Check in members and guests at gate
  • CLEAN UP (Sunday 12/7/14)
    • Tear down all the madness from the night before and clean up Neil’s house to return it to normal condition

Sign up sheets or the various tasks will be at this months meeting (Saturday, November 22nd).

 

Pacific Gravity Holiday Party – December 6th

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Mark your calendars for Saturday December 6th, 2014 as Neil Saund has graciously let the club host the annual Pacific Gravity Holiday Party at his duplex.

 

Volunteer

We need volunteers to help pull off a 150+ person party!  We will be doing preliminary clean-up THIS Sunday (11/23/2014).  Please help us out this Sunday and any other time you can!  Help make this years holiday party better than ever by volunteering and helping things run smooth. You can find more information below:

Volunteer Now!

Bring Food!

This is a potluck party, so we are depending on YOU to bring your favorite holiday dish to share.  Please know that there will be limited cooking and prep space, so bring your dish ready to eat and hot (if appropriate) in a disposable container (Smart & Final is a great resource for this).  If you must bring it in a non-disposable dish, please be prepared to take that dish home with you at the end of the party.  We will have a food list of what we will be provided by the club by the end of the week.  Bring sides or holiday staples like stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, creamed corn, veggies, and salads.  Bring appetizers and finger food like shrimp, pig in a blanket, egg rolls, stuffed mushrooms.  Bring you family recipe or holiday traditions.  There will be no “service” but dinner should commence by 6 PM.  Please email board@gmail.com with the dish you would like to bring so we can make a label for your food.

Bring Stuff!

We are renting some things, but we need the membership to help with much needed equipment.  Please email board@pacificgravity.com if you can bring any of the items listed below to the party:

  • Easy Ups (in case of inclimate weather)
  • Patio Heaters
  • Jockey Boxes
  • CO2 Tanks
  • Serving tables

We already have things for the raffle, but if you have lightly used brew related schwag, please contact  treasurer@pacificgravity.com

Bring Beer!

Please email Carl at competitioncoordinator@pacificgravity.com with your beer’s name, style, ABV, and keg volume so that he can make labels. Feel free to bring home brew or special commercial beers in bottles to share with other guests as well.

If you have any questions or would like to contribute, please email the board at board@pacificgravity.com.

Full Event

Club Meeting – Anniversary Brew Recipe Poll!

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Everyone-

Its been a busy month for me so I apologize for the late poll, but we have selected 3 great Belgian Dubbel Recipe’s for our Club Anniversary brew taking place this Saturday.  Details about the timing of the brew start and meeting will come later this week, but we need to get this poll up for all of you to vote!  Click on the link below to go to the online poll to vote for your choice for our club brew this Saturday!  Voting ends on Tuesday night @ 6pm so that we can purchase the appropriate ingredients ahead of time.  You can vote as many times as you like, cheers!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR THE WINNER!

Here are the three final recipes!

Recipe #1: “I Like Rochefort”

  • OG – 1.070
  • FG – 1.010
  • IBUs – 20
  • SRM – 18.86
  • ABV – 7.9%
  • Recipe Size (6 Gallons)
  • Boil Time – 90 min

Grain/Fermentable Bill

  • 14.0 lbs Belgian Pils
  • 0.5 lbs Melanoidin
  • 0.5 lbs Special B
  • 1.0 lbs 90L Belgian Syrup

*(Mash Schedule – 20 Min rest @ 144F, 40 Min rest @ 156F)

Hops & Kettle Additions

  • 1.7oz (3.50% AA) – Hallertau Hersbrucker – 60 min.

Yeast

  • 2qt Starter of WLP540 Abbey Ale IV

Fermentation Schedule

  • Primary – 7 days @ 66F
  • Secondary – 10 days @ Room Temp

*One full day after Krausen drops start to raise temp 1F per 12 hours till room temp.  Do not transfer unless within .002 of target terminal gravity.  Isinglass in secondary.

Recipe #2: Belgian Dubbel

  • OG – 1.068
  • FG – 1.012
  • IBUs – 31
  • SRM – 21.3
  • ABV – 7.5%
  • Recipe Size (10 gallons)
  • Boil Time – 70 min

Grain/Fermentable Bill

  • 18.0 lbs Belgian Pils
  • 2.0 lbs Belgian Candy Sugar (added to boil @ 30 min mark)
  • 1.0 lbs Light Munich
  • 1.0 lbs CaraMunich Malt
  • 1.0 lbs Cara Vien Malt
  • 1.0 lbs Belgian Biscuit
  • 1.0 lbs Belgian Aromatic
  • 1.0 lbs Special B
  • .25 lbs Chocolate Malt

*(Mash Schedule – 20 Min rest @ 128F, 20 Min rest @ 149F, 40 Min rest @ 153F)

Hops & Kettle Additions

  • 2.60oz (5.3%AA) – Tettnang 60 min.
  • 1.50oz (4.1% AA) – Hallertauer 20 min.

Yeast

  • 2qt Starter of Wyeast 1214 Abbey Ale Yeast

Fermentation Schedule

  • Primary – 7 – 14 days @ 70F
  • Secondary – 14 days @ 70F

Recipe #3: Light Westy

  • OG – 1.069
  • FG – 1.010
  • IBUs – 18
  • SRM – 15.73
  • ABV – 7.7%
  • Recipe Size (6 gallons)
  • Boil Time – 90 min

Grain/Fermentable Bill

  • 7.0 lbs Belgian Pale
  • 7.0 lbs Belgian Pils
  • 1.5 lbs Belgian Dark Candy Sugar (added to boil @ flame out)
  • (Mash Schedule – 60 Min rest @ 145F, 20 Min rest @ 155F)

Hops & Kettle Additions

  • 0.50oz (8.5% AA) – Northern Brewer 90 min.
  • 0.50oz (4.1% AA) – Styrian Goldings 20 min.
  • 0.25oz (2.8% AA) – Hallertauer Mittelfrüh 20 min.

Yeast

  • 2qt Starter of WLP 530 Abbey Ale Yeast

Fermentation Schedule

  • Primary – 7 – 14 days @ 65F (pitching temp, free rise afterwards)
  • Secondary – 14 days @ Room temp

*Cool to 65F and pitch yeast.  Let free rise to 80F and hold there.

FIRST FRIDAY! 11/8 | THE DAILY PINT (Santa Monica)

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Just a friendly reminder that we are meeting up at the DAILY PINT this First Friday (11/8). Rumors are that there will be something special there for us…and I’m not talking about Kingsley in a bear costume…although that is always a viable option…

If you have never been to the Daily Pint…you haven’t experienced arguably the best craft beer bar in Los Angeles…not to mention the incredible scotch selection…

Click HERE for details:   FIRST FRIDAY AT THE DAILY PINT!

Cheers!

Kingsley

Homebrewers Festival Returns in 2015 !

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On the weekend of May 1-3, 2015, Pacific Gravity and other homebrewers clubs from all over Southern California will descend on Vail Lake Resort in Temecula for the 2015 edition of the Southern California Homebrewers festival.  Vail Lake was the festival site before it moved to Lake Casitas, so this is a homecoming of sorts.

Mark your social calendars now.  We will kick the organizing into high gear after the beginning of the year.

Volunteer for “The Festival” hosted by The Shelton Brothers & Sharefest with Brouwerij West

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Club members!

The Shelton Brothers and Sharefest in collaboration with Brouwerij West are hosting an amazing festival at CRAFTED in San Pedro on November 8th and 9th and they are looking for volunteers to pour at all four sessions.  Here are the details on volunteering:

Sharefest Volunteer Registration

Sharefest has been chosen as the non-profit recipient of Shelton Brothers Importers Craft Beer Festival on November 8 & 9. The Festival will feature craft brewers from around the world and promises to be an amazing event featuring food and music, all at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles. We are expecting 8,000 people to show up!

Sharefest is looking for 200 volunteers to help pour tastings and help with event registration which is filling up fast.

The event is broken into 2 sessions each day. The first is from 12:00-4:00 pm, the second from 5:00-9:00 pm. In exchange for volunteering at one 4-hour session, volunteers will receive:

  1. A free session of their choice ($45 value)
  2. An event t-shirt
  3. A special-edition sample glass
  4. An invitation to the after party on Sunday evening after the last session where of course, craft brew will be served

Below are some links that describe the exciting things that will be happening at the Festival and the world’s best breweries represented from all over Europe, the U.S., Canada, Japan, and New Zealand:

The list of breweries is pretty phenomenal so check out the links above to check it out.  If you are interested in volunteering, CLICK HERE.

See you then!

OC Bus Trip Tomorrow @10AM

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It’s not too late to sign up for the bus trip tomorrow! We still have about 20 available spots. Show up with $25 in cash, check or credit card for your entry onto the bus PLUS cash for lunch! See details below:

 

Orange County Road Trip

Join Pacific Gravity as we travel down to OC to hit some of the newest players in the Southern California beer scene as well as an old favorite.  On October 18th we will be taking a bus from Culver City Home Brewing Supply (please park in the neighborhood behind the shop).  We will be stopping at TAPS in Brea to enjoy some of their excellent food and their many GABF and World Beer Cup medal winning beers.  Up next will be Bottle Logic brewing.   Yet to celebrate their first anniversary, Bottle Logic is already making waves with standouts like Leche Mole milk stout, the sessionable She Shot First American wheat ale and hop bombs like Actuator and Double Actuator.   After that we’ll be going around the corner to Valiant Brewing, an under the radar spot that has an impressive lineup of big beers, from Alpha Drive and Alpha Overdrive for the hop heads to the gold medal winning Axiom Trappist style ale.

If you have any questions about the trip, please contact me at roadtrips@pacificgravity.com.  It is sure to be a great time, so please join us if you are free.

Where, when, how much?

Depart from CCHBS on 10/18 at 10:30AM

Return to CCHBS at approximately 5PM

Tickets:  $25 (does NOT include lunch)

Club 20th Anniversary Brew – Recipe Submission forms

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Great meeting last night everyone!

As promised attached to this post is the excel form for you to submit your recipe for the club anniversary brew!  Once you complete the form please email it to:

board [at] pacificgravity.com

Please submit your recipes no later than October 23rd – and remember that the style for our 20th Anniversary Brew is going to be a Belgian Dubbel.  To recap the idea – our club is turning 20 next February and we thought it would be awesome to get together at next month’s Club Meeting & Chili Cookoff to brew up a beer that would be worthy of our 20th anniversary.  The board decided on the style, but we need our club members to help us get creative and come up with an awesome recipe for a Belgian Dubbel.  Lets get creative and brew up an awesome beer together!

The board will go through the recipe’s submitted and post a poll for all of you to vote for the recipe we brew on Nov. 22nd.

Thanks & Cheers everyone!

Brian

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