Coolers and Your Assistance Needed for PBC Entry Organizing Saturday 9/10

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The entry deadline for Pacific Brewers Cup is at the close of business Friday, Sept 9th.  That means that Saturday is entry organizing day!  Your help is needed.

We will be meeting at Neil Saund’s Duplex at 12966 Rubens Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066 at 11:00 AM Saturday, September 10th (home of many big brews and holiday parties).

Coolers Coolers Coolers!  We need to borrow your cooler for bottle organizing.  Please bring them with you!  Read more →

Long Beach Pub Crawl Sunday October 2nd

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Join us for an afternoon walking pub crawl in Long Beach on Sunday October 2nd led by club member Tom Rierson.

Plan:  1) Meet at Rock Bottom in Long Beach (One Pine Avenue Long Beach, CA 90802) at 1pm for a quick one.

2) At 1:30 go to the NEW Beachwood BBQ (210 E 3rd St. Long Beach, CA 90802 ) for food and several beers.

3) Finish up at Congregation Ale House (201 E Broadway Long Beach, CA 90802).

Transportation: All of these pubs are within very easy walking distance of each other.  Since all are located at the end of the Metro Blue Line it is strongly recommended that it be used to get there and back.  A Metro Day Pass good for all Metro trains and buses is $5 but you must have a Metro TAP card (it has a smart chip in it).  The TAP card (and day pass) can be purchased ($2 I think but not positive) in advance at most major grocery stores (Ralphs, Vons, etc.).

If you have any questions please contact Audrey or Mimi at [email protected]

Hope to see you on the 2nd!

Tom, Audrey & Mimi

Deadline for Pacific Brewers Cup is Sept 9th

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The entry deadline for Pacific Brewers Cup is rapidly approaching.  Entries are due at the close of business on Friday, September 9th at any of the home brew shops listed below.

Register your entries now at http://www.PacificBrewersCup.com.

Some of you may have encountered problems with the registration site.  We apologize for any inconvenience.  Our web administrator had cleared out unwanted code.  Read more →

September First Friday (Sept 2nd) @ Broadway Alehouse

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Come kick off your Labor Day weekend at Pacific Gravity’s First Friday gathering on September 2nd.

We will be enjoying a hidden gem in Santa Monica: BROADWAY ALEHOUSE (aka FIFTH AMENDMENT).

 Address:  129 Broadway (on the corner of 2nd and Broadway), Santa Monica, CA 90401

 Website:    http://www.pleadfifth.com/

Our usual start time for First Fridays is at 7pm but many people arrive early to get a head start on the weekend and the beers!

Parking Info:  Many lots in Santa Monica in easy walking distance. Or try the Broadway Alehouse’s suggestions for free parking:  (There are two pseudo-optimal ways to get free parking.  First, park in public parking on 2nd and Broadway before 6pm and leave before 2 hours free.  Second, park in public parking anytime and leave after 1:30am — the parking attendant is usually asleep with the gate up.)

 The beers at Broadway Alehouse were one of the highlights on the May PG Bus Pub Crawl….we stayed over the “allotted” time since we had to try all the excellent beers! The owners have promised to have some interesting beers (20 taps) for our visit on September 2nd. 

 Note: Broadway Alehouse doesn’t serve food but there are many, many great restaurants within easy walking distance (i.e. West 4th & Jane is only a block or so away) … so feel free to stop for food before or after our First Friday event or you can even take a break in the middle and come back for more excellent beers and good PG company.

 Looking forward to seeing you on Friday (Sept 2) at Broadway Alehouse.

Club Meeting August 18th

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This month’s Pacific Gravity Homebrew Club  meeting will feature Fruit Beers, ciders, Perries and Meads (BJCP Cats. 24-26). Those of you who were at Dan and Anne Hakes’  house on August  6th  for Mead Day know how good some meads can be. If you enjoyed them,  then come to this meeting and try some more. Better yet, if you have anything in style at home, bring samples to pass around for your fellow club members. If you DON’T have any of this month’s style bring something else to share. All beverages are welcome at any meeting. If you are a new or an experienced brewer, don’t be shy about bringing some of your homebrew for others to enjoy. Don’t Bogart that beer, my friends!

Activities Director, Mimi Bardet will be bringing snacks which promise to compliment the brews. If you feel up to it, bring snacks as weel as brews.

Sign up sheets will be available for upcoming events.

We have the Pacific Brewers Cup on Sept 24th, and a Fall Road Trip to the North-West (Valley) has been planned. Listen to the presentations during announcement time for details.

See you Thursday evening at 7:30 behind Culver City Homebrew Supply, home of the finest brewing supplies on the Westside.

 

Fall Northbound Road Trip!

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Heya PGers, I just wanted to officially announce the next PG road trip. Going north won our little survey handily, so that is what we’re going to be doing.

Saturday November 12th we’ll be going north to Island Brewing (Carpinteria), Surf Brewing (Ventura) and Ladyface (Agoura Hills). All three breweries are thrilled to have us, and will have tours available, brewers on hand and at least a few drink specials.

For more on the individual stops, you can check ’em out here:

http://www.islandbrewingcompany.com/
http://surfbrewery.com/
http://www.ladyfaceale.com/

The cost for the trip is $30. This gets you a seat on the bus and nothing else. We will be arranging to have pizza delivered at Island with the help of the folks there, a good lunch being essential to a long day’s tasting. As we will be finishing up at Ladyface you are more than welcome to eat there, and I can vouch that the food is very good. We will be spending about two hours at each place, a little longer at the stops where people will be eating. The plan is to leave CCHBS at 9:30 and be back there between 8 and 8:30.

If you have any questions ask away and we’ll have a sign up sheet at the third Thursday club meetings.

The PayPal link is also available now to sign-up & pay anytime!

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=UTJA3VE7B8J2Y

 

Thanks,

Kurt
[email protected]

Big Brew & Annual Chili Cook-off August 27th

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We will be conducting our annual Chili Cook-off and club Big Brew on Saturday August 27th at the home of our Competition Coordinator and Brewmaster, Carl Townsend.

BIG BREW: Carl will be brewing on his all grain system and we’re also looking for a member interested in doing a partial mash to help demonstrate that process as well. There is room for other brewers too, just make sure to bring your own equipment and supplies, though Carl will have water available. Please let Audrey & Mimi ([email protected]) or Carl ([email protected])  know if you are planning to brew.

CHILI COOKOFF:  The competition is simple. Make your best chili, bring it in a crockpot or any other vessel which can be heated.  We will do a tasting, followed by a vote, and then the  winner will be announced!   All serving utensils, bowls, garnishes, and other chili fixings will be provided by the club.  Just label your entry!

BEER: Is always welcome, so please bring kegs, bottles, commercial beers and anything else you’d like to share.

TIME: Brewing will begin at 10am and Chili serving and voting will start at about Noon.

LOCATION: 3621 Redwood Ave, L.A. 90066. It’s just a few blocks west of Beethoven, north of Venice.

 

Bring your best Chili!

-Audrey & Mimi

Activities Directors

President’s Message

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By now, the PG Summer Party has ended, Dean’s house has been cleansed of our presence, and we’re on to other events. I’d like to thank Dean, his gracious wife, Chiara, and the Dynamic Duo of Laura and Peter Sussman, for once again allowing us to throw our summer shindig at their house. Dean and the family are now off to Italy for the next year, where Dean intends to single handedly fix what’s wrong with their government, eliminate the last vestiges of the Mafia, and ride in the Giro d’Italia next year. We all wish them well while on the Sussman Family Adventure, and hope they stay long enough for at least some of us to fly over and freeload off of them.

It’s mid-summer, and the dog days are back in some parts of the country, but not on the West Side, home of Pacific Gravity. The weather is perfect for brewing those beers in time for the Pacific Brewers Cup and the Holidays. How about a Double IPA, and a Second Runnings Pale Ale? More bang for your buck, and you may win a ribbon on September 24th.

The Summer Party was a grand success, and August is packed with beer related club events. First Friday will be at Brewster’s Pool Bar at the Sheraton 4 Points. Mead Day is coming up, hosted by Dan Hakes, and the Annual Chili Cookoff and Club Brew is on August 27th.

Of course, we have our August Club Meeting at CCHBS on the 18th. Styles are Fruit Beers, Ciders/Perries and Meads. If you don’t have any of those libations to bring, then bring something else you’d like to share. For details on any of the above events, please consult the Club Calendar, as well as the Activities, and Competitions Corner articles.

On another note, a few smart PG members have reminded me to mention that we will be holding our Club Elections in November.

We need nominees for the following positions, President, Vice President, and Treasurer. I will not be running for President next year because I will be retiring from the workforce, selling my house, and taking off for parts unknown in the land cruiser. In order to not leave the club in a lurch, it is better if I don’t continue serving the club as an officer. From my experience working with many of you, I know that we have many members who are more than capable of becoming club officers. Infusion of new blood into the management ranks is good for the club, and keeps the club moving forward. Please consider stepping up to the plate, and joining the ranks of those of us who have served Pacific Gravity for the last 16 years. If you have questions do not hesitate to contact me, Reed, Craig, Carl, Audrey, Mimi, or any of the other Board members.

photo credit: Luis Di Stefano

Call For Entries: 2011 Pacific Brewers Cup

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CALL FOR ENTRIES

Pacific Gravity Homebrewers Club is pleased to announce the

15th Annual Pacific Brewers Cup Homebrew Competition

This competition is hosted on a rotating basis by the Strand Brewers’ Club, the Long Beach Homebrewers and Pacific Gravity.

The PBC is an American Homebrewers Association sanctioned homebrew competition and will use the beer style guidelines published by the Beer Judge Certification Program.

Complete details and entry registration can be found at

http://pacificbrewerscup.com Read more →

August 5th – PG’s First Friday at Brewster’s Pool Bar

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Come join us for our August First Friday at the new poolside bar at the FourPoints by Sheraton/LAX on Friday, August 5th.

Some quick facts:
Date: Friday, August 5th
Time: 7pm to 10pm (but you are welcome to go any time Friday afternoon/evening!)
Location: Brewster’s Pool Bar at the Four Points by Sheraton LAX Hotel
Address: 9750 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045
Website: http://www.fourpointslax.com/BestBrews

Parking: FREE (you can have your parking ticket validated at the bar)

Brewster’s Pool Bar just opened and has received a bunch of “thumbs up” from some of our fellow PGers!

Local southern California breweries on draft…only $5! They have 6 taps, plus many more beers available at the indoor Brewster’s bar.
Their slogan: “ DRINK LOCAL….BEER SO FRESH YOU HAVE TO SLAP IT”!

Here’s what they had on tap in early June:
– 24th St. Pale Ale (Strand)
– Solidarity Black & Mild (Eagle Rock)
– El Toro Trio Haferweizen (Cismontane)
– Happy Pils (Tustin)
– Golden Chaos (Bootlegger’s)
– Bavarian Style Wheat Ale (Black Market)

Food specials (all night): $2 FISH TACOS & 25% ALL OTHER FOOD

NOTES:
* Official start time is 7pm but the poolside bar opens at 1pm for anyone on a summer break! The outside bar will be open til 10pm — just for us for this night only (the poolside bar normally closes at 7pm). If you wish to stay past 10pm, we just need to move to Brewster’s Bar indoors…as a courtesy to hotel guests with rooms over the pool.

* There may be some heaters on the patio but bring a jacket or sweater if the evening weather looks to be cool…or another option is to move indoors.

Looking forward to seeing you all on August 5th!