December First SUNDAY & Holiday Party Set-up December 4th

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We’re mixing it up in December and moving First Friday to First Sunday as part of our pre-Holiday Party set-up.  We will be transforming Neil’s house with twinkling lights, furnishings, a Christmas tree and kegs a plenty.  Weekends may become busier as we get deeper into the holiday season, but please come join us for as long or as little as you like, sample some beer and lend a hand at decorating! 

 Beer: Our ever gracious host, Neil Saund, will undoubtedly have a sampling of his beers on tap for us, but please bring beer to share especially those of a holiday nature!  Since we will be in need of jockey boxes for the Holiday Party, please bring them along and any kegs to go with them.

 Food: Any munchies or holiday snacks are encouraged.  We may also order pizza for those interested in chipping in a few dollars.

 Bring: As part of our party set-up we will be decorating our annual PG Christmas tree, so any beer you can bring in cans that can then become ornaments are encouraged! Keep an eye on the pre-Holiday Party Announcements for any other decorations or supplies needed that day.

 Time: We’ll begin about 12pm on Sunday December 4th 

 Address: Neil Saund’s House @ 12966 Rubens Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066

 Come out and welcome in the holiday season with great beer and cheer!

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And, please help with contributions of food & beer at your holiday party on December 10th!

PLEASE SIGN UP FOR POTLUCK & BEER Donations to YOUR Holiday Party!

All Potluck dishes welcome:

  • Appetizers
  • Side Dishes
  • Mains
  • Desserts
  • Your homemade specialties & favorites!

** Suggestions for Potluck**

Mains/ Meats:

  • Turkey
  • Beef
  • Ham

* Sides / Holiday staples:

  • Stuffing
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Yams/Sweet Potatoes
  • Veggies
  • Salads

And, don’t forget the beer!  All beverages are welcome, including non-alcoholic beverages.

  • Kegs
  • CO2 tanks
  • Jockey Boxes
  • Your Bottled Treasures

 

Please contact: Mimi & Audrey at ActivitiesDirector@PacificGravity.com for FOOD contributions.

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Please contact: Carl at  CompetitionCoordinator@PacificGravity.com 
for BEER & equipment contributions.

 

 

 
 

 

 

PG Meeting November 17

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Don’t forget this most important meeting of the year, this Thursday at 7:30pm behind Culver City Home Brew Supply. We will be conducting our annual elections for President, Vice President, and Treasurer, as well as PG Club Member of the Year.

Ballots will be made available for the Member of the Year-Vote for TWO.

The monthly beer styles are German Wheat and Rye  Beers(BJCP Cat #15).

There will be a judging of the Club Only Competition entries,  also German Wheat and Rye Beers (BJCP Cat. #15).

If you cannot be present to vote, you may e-mail your selections to Elections@PacificGravity.com

For more detailed election information please see the previous postings on the PG website.

If you have beer, whether in style, or not bring some to share. Remember, all in-style beers are eligible to win a $25 gift certificate to CCHBS if yours is chosen as the evening’s favorite.

We will be holding the monthly raffle, so if you have any equipment you wish to donate, please bring it. The reward for donating raffle prizes is free beer at all  meetings and parties.

There will be sign up sheets available for the following:

Holiday Party Beer and  Food, Volunteer opportunities for the Holiday Party-you really don’t want to pass up an opportunity to help out at this once a year event! Unlike the Summer party, this one is much more of a pot luck.

Volunteers will be making the main courses, including prime Rib, Hams, Deep Fried Turkeys, and Carbonnades a la Flamande. We need you members and guests to bring  appetizers,  sides,  salads, and  desserts. More details will be given at the meeting by our Activities Directors, Mimi and Audrey.

Be sure to check out the next edition of the Pacific Gravity Gazette which will be published at the end of November. I am sure that all your questions regarding the PG Holiday party will be answered.

Michael Steinberg,

President of Pacific Gravity, the 2011 California Homebrew Club of the Year!

Election Update

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NOMINATIONS:

Don’t forget that there’s still time to nominate a P.G. member for the following elected Board offices:

President, Vice President, Treasurer.

You may also nominate someone for Club Member of the Year.

Nominations close on November 12 at midnight.

ON LINE VOTING: If you are unable to come to the November 17th, you may still vote on line by sending an E-mail to Elections@PacificGravity.com

Here are the nominees:

President-Audrey Hill-Lindsay

Vice President-David Mauceli

Treasurer- Craig Corley

MEMBER OF THE YEAR (Alphabetically):

Audrey Hill-Lindsay

Tom Rierson

Neil Saund

Dean Sussman

Carl Townsend

If you come to the meeting the election will be conducted as follows:

If there are no other nominees for the elected Board Officer positions, we will conduct a voice vote. If there are additional nominees for any office we will have a ballot and each member present will vote for one (1) person per office.

The election will take place when announcements are made, approximately 7:45-8:00 pm. Each member present at the meeting will vote for two (2) people for Member of the Year. Ballots will be collected by Ian Fraser, 2010 Member of the Year. He will count them, along with a current Board member who is not running for office.

The election results will be announced at the Holiday Party after dinner.

Please see the November issue of the Pacific Gravity Gazette for more information on all of the nominees.

 

 

 

 

WE DID IT! P.G. NAMED CLUB OF THE YEAR!!!

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If you are one of the few who haven’t heard the good news, just look at the title of this article.  For the first time since 2006 we have been named  by a panel of judges at the Anchor Brewing as the 2011 California Homebrew Club of the Year.

For those who have joined PG since 2006, here’s what it takes to win:

First, have a dynamic club that has many diverse events, such as Club Brews, Road Trips, Competitions, and parties.

Second, have some of the hardest working members in the state, making sure that the events are successful.

Third, have members who brew on a regular basis, enter competitions, and take home ribbons.

Fourth, submit a really good presentation, and make sure it gets delivered with plenty of time to spare.

That being said, I’d like to thank Dave and Beth Mauceli for putting together the PowerPoint presentation which was sent to Anchor. Dave wrote the text, and Beth did the graphics. Kudos to you both. You two could be pros if you really tried hard.

Thanks to all those who entered competitions this year, and took home the ribbons which kept us in contention for the award. Stalwart brewers such as Carl, Craig, Neil, and many others, helped to make 2011 a banner year for P.G.

It must be noted that all those members on the Board of Directors, whether they be full or part timers, put in a lot of work in 2011. Kurt has planned and executed some fine Road Trips (are you going North on 11/12?).

Activities Directors, Audrey and Mimi have made sure that our monthly club meetings, Summer Party, and other happenings have been successes.

The generosity of other members also added to our success as a club. Included in that group are Neil, Dean,  Dan, and Carl, who have allowed us to use their homes for events.

Special Projects, led by Tom Rierson and Carl made improvements in the CDS, another accomplishment we were able to brag about.

We should all be proud to be members of Pacific Gravity, and hoist one tonight to honor ourselves.

Finally, for those who are unaware of when the Club of the Year Award  is given, it is on President’s Day Weekend, at Anchor Brewery. In past years, the good employees of that most famous brewery prepare a barbecue for the winning club, and open the taps in the tasting room. We will likely be renting a bus, and making hotel reservations for those who are going. So, save your money and be sure to attend.

 

Learn To Brew Day – where were you, ay? (with photos)

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In spite of the ever-so-slightly inclement weather the day before, Saturday morning greeted us with about as clear a sky as you’re likely to see in a metropolis such as our own.  Learn To Brew Day, hosted by the ever-generous Neil Saund at his palatial duplex , would go on.  Carl arrived just before I did and was unloading a stripped-down version of his all-grain system – sorry kids – no thermosiphon reboiler.  I followed suit and in no-time, water was on the fire.  Neil was already set up, and we were soon joined by the brewing trio of Dave, Kurt, and Anthony.  Rives Borland, our resident double-agent, arrived a bit later and got going right out.  It’s OK, Rives – only a matter of time – just ask Dan!  On tap was Neil’s “Norm-influenced” hoppy Amber ale, and a while later, our host’s amazingly-aged Imperial Stout with lots of residual nitro made its presence known – and boy, did it.

Carl brewed an all-grain Amber ale, Neil made a giant vat of “Teach Wheat”, I cranked out an extract Dunkelweizen, the 3 Brewsketeers suffered through a partial-mash-process Porter as a base for adding vanilla later, and Rives, if I’m not mistaken, brewed a low-gravity base beer which will grow up to be a Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere clone.  Audrey reprised her role as Grill-Mistress and satiated the brewing masses with sausages and hot dogs.

In the days leading up to the brew, Carl and I had discussed toasting LA “good beer bar” pioneer Dave Farnworth, co-founder of Lucky Baldwins.  So we gathered everyone up, silenced the boombox, and raised some fine Belgian beers high in his memory.  It bears repeating that without Dave, Los Angeles’ beer bars might’ve taken a lot longer to escape the post-prohibition dark ages, continuing to serve megaswill to the unenlightened and indifferent hordes.

Although “learner” turnout was low, from a “Big Brew” standpoint, the ratio of brewers to attendees was quite high, so chalk-up another successful PG multiple-brewer session.  Collectively, we brewed about 40 gallons, and some of those gallons will be enjoyed by the membership at our upcoming Holiday Party on December 10th.  Thanks again to Neil for hosting us and to Audrey for organizing the event.

Here are a few pics from the occasion (courtesy Audrey and yours truly):

Our gracious host Neil, in chill-mode.

Carl and his brewing rig.

Awaiting the inevitable Big-Brew-boilover with my imaginary squirt gun.

Kurt, Dave, and Anthony - the 3 Brewsketeers.

Some serious learnin' goin' on here.

Neil enjoys the breakfast of champions.

"What the heck is Mauceli doing?"

Ken and I are Wyeast's new spokesmen. You wanna buy some yeast?

Neil enjoys a good round of "peek-a-boo".

Some of the Belgians consumed in Dave Farnworth's honor. That's right - a '99 Chimay Blue. Again I say - where were you?

Tim assists Carl as he utilizes another of his mad scientist gadgets - the PVC Racking Tubery.

Rives brought a selection of Jolly Pumpkin 750s and the sour pours just kept comin'. Thanks Rives!

I'm Neil Saund, and I approve of this Learn To Brew Day!

RIP Dave Farnworth

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For those of us who have spent hours, or days, at Lucky Baldwin’s or the Delirium Cafe,  we all have our memories of  talking to Dave. He could be curt, at times appearing to be a bit annoyed by some of the questions we asked or requests we made. However, he could also be quite generous, as he once was when he gifted us with a 1.5 litre bottle of Belgian beer (I believe it was Chimay Reserve), at the end of one of our road trips. He ran one of the premier Belgian beer bars in SoCal, but also had time for IPA, and Barleywine Festivals, most of which we attended as a club, or on our own.

Dave came early to the local beer scene, and many of the local establishments we now patronize owe a debt of gratitude to him for paving the way. He will be sorely missed. Thanks for all the outstanding beer, Dave.

Michael Steinberg, President

 

President’s Message

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It’s November again, time for brewing those cool weather fermenters, draining the last of your October fests and Bocks, and getting ready for those malty and high powered Christmas Ales and  Winter Warmers.

As I write this, it looks like Fall outside with a bright sun shining in the heavens, and temperatures in the mid 70’s. Brrrrrrr.  Where’s that cold Kolsch when I need it?

November brings us to new events, as well as some old repeats. We’re going to Naja’s for First Friday on the 4th, brewing on the 5th at Neil Saund’s duplex, taking a road trip to the Northern Territories on the 12th, and holding elections at the club meeting on the 17th. That represents a lot of beer drinking in 3 weeks, doesn’t it? Luckily, you can partake of these activities with a great group of people-Pacific Gravity Members! Please read all of the other articles posted on the website, or in the newsletter for details.

At the next meeting, besides elections, we will be soliciting your help in setting up the Holiday Party, as well as asking for beer and food commitments. Sign-up sheets will be available. Please offer your help, and favorite party food. If you won’t be attending the November Club Meeting, you can send an E-mail to me, VP Reed Wilson, or Activities Directors, Audrey Hill-Lindsay and Mimi Bardet letting us know what you’d like to bring.

For those of you who have never been to the Holiday Party, here’s the deal: PG supplies the main courses-Ham, Turkey, Carbonnades, as well as a few other “large” foods. The membership brings snacks, appetizers, sides, salads, and desserts. This event is your chance to show off your culinary skills, and accept the adulation of your fellow beer drinkers.

That’s all for now.

See you soon.

 

Michael

PG Election Update

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Fellow members,

1. There is still time to nominate people for the following positions:
President, Vice President, and Treasurer.
So far we have only 1 candidate for each position.
President: Audrey Hill-Lindsay
Vice President-Dave Mauceli
Treasurer-Craig Corley

If you would like to run for office, just get someone to nominate you and write a short paragraph on your behalf.

2. Candidates for PG Club Member of the Year are the following:
Carl Townsend, Audrey Hill-Lindsay, Dean Sussman, Neil Saund, and Tom Rierson.
If you wish to add a nominee to the list, please send the name to me, along with a short statement of support.

Submit any nominations to President@PacificGravity.com

Please submit any new names by November 11th, earlier if possible.

ELECTIONS: Will be conducted at the November 17th meeting. Ballots will be available for Club Officers, and Member of the Year. Each voter is asked to choose 2 people in the MOY (aka Club Member of the Year-CMY) election.
If you cannot come to the meeting, you may vote by E-mail until Nov. 18th.

Election results will be announced at the Holiday Party on December 10th.

Send E-mail ballots to Elections@PacificGravity.com

 

Michael Steinberg, President

2 Upcoming PG Events: FIRST FRIDAY (NOV 4th) & LEARN TO BREW DAY (NOV 5th)

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First Friday November 4th at Naja’s Place

A local favorite and frequent watering hole of many PG members, Naja’s Place offers up 88 taps of beer right on the Redondo Pier.  If you have never been then this First Friday is a must!  Though cooler nights and shorter days will have set in by early November, join us for an amazing beer selection, great food and good company to keep you warm.  Our neighbors, The Strand Brewers Club will also be joining us for some friendly beer drinking & discussions.

Beer:  So many choices!  Happy hour is from 4-6pm with $2 off pints & large glasses and $3 off pitchers.  The constantly rotating taps are listed on giant white boards above the bar and an updated picture is featured on their website: www.najasplace.com

Food: There is a section of pub-type appetizers and burgers. 

Music: There is a house band, The Land Sharks, that play every Friday evening beginning at 9pm featuring covers of your favorite rock ’n roll songs.

Time: First Fridays begin between 6-7pm, but feel free to arrive early and enjoy happy hour at the pier!

Address: 154 International Boardwalk, Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Parking: It is generally easiest to park in the structure at the end of N Pacific Ave.  Many club members also find it convenient to ride their bikes to Naja’s.  For more info about getting to Naja’s by public transportation or bike and for more info on parking near the pier see: http://www.redondopier.com/?link=mapsdirections

Join us at Naja’s for beer, food and good company with your fellow PG & Strand Brewers!

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LEARN TO BREW DAY – SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5th

Learn to Brew Day (formerly Teach a Friend to Homebrew Day), a nationwide AHA event will take place the first Saturday in November – so, come join us on Saturday, November 5th.  The event will be held at Neil Saund’s duplex. This is a great opportunity to brew outdoors, learn some new brewing techniques and to enjoy the company of your fellow brewers!

BREW INFO:

Neil Saund will be doing an all grain demo.

Victor Macias will be doing a extract batch.

Dave Mauceli & Kurt Periolat will be doing a partial mash demo

In addition to the demonstration brews, there is space for additional brewers, so bring your equipment and come brew. Please send an email to us ActivitiesDirector@PacificGravity.com, if you want to be added to the signup sheet.

BEER:
Bring some. Kegs, bottles, commercial beers are all welcome.

TIME:
Brew begins at 10am, and ends when the place is cleaned up, usually around 5 or 6.

ADDRESS:
The address is 12966 Rubens Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90066